Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 Management and Organisational Behaviour 7th Edition PART 5 Groups and Teamwork

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 Management and Organisational Behaviour 7th Edition CHAPTER 13 The Nature of Work Groups and Teams

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 OHT 13.2 Popular group definitions A popular definition defines groups in psychological terms Any number of people who – Interact with one another Are psychologically aware of one another Perceive themselves to be a group Schein

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 OHT 13.3 Group characteristics A definable membership Group consciousness A sense of shared purpose Interdependence Interaction Ability to act in a unitary manner Mitchell

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 OHT 13.4 Importance of groups on organisations Groups are an essential feature of the work patterns of organisations People in groups influence each other, they may develop their own hierarchies & leaders Group pressures can have a major influence over the behaviour of individual members & their work performance

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 OHT 13.5 Importance of groups on organisations The activities of the group are associated with the process of leadership The style of leadership of the manager has an important influence on the behaviour of group members

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 OHT 13.6 Differences between groups & teams Attachment / affiliation – concerning the need for engagement & sharing, a feeling of community & a sense of belonging Exploration / assertion – concerning the ability to play & work, a sense of fun & enjoyment, the need for self-assertion & the ability to choose Kets de Vries

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 OHT 13.7 Differences between groups & teams Teams Limited in size Selection – crucial Shared or rotating leadership Mutual knowledge & understanding Style – role spread co-ordination Spirit of dynamic interaction Groups Medium or large in size Selection – immaterial Perception - solo leadership Focus on leader Style – convergence conformism Spirit of togetherness

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 OHT 13.8 Teamwork & competitiveness Teamwork can increase competitiveness by – Improving productivity Improving quality & encouraging innovation Taking advantage of the opportunities provided by technological advances Improving employee motivation & commitment

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 OHT 13.9 Factors & importance of effective team working The general movement towards flatter organisational structures, wider spans of control, reducing layers of middle management, & increasing empowerment of employees places greater emphasis on the importance of effective team work Team working is seen as being crucial to an organisation’s efforts to perform better, faster & more profitably than competitors Lucas

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 OHT Skills & qualities for effective team working Technical competence of individual team members Ability of members to gel Collaborative skills Support between team members Ability to handle conflict Guirdham

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 OHT Formal groups Are created to achieve specific organisational objectives & are concerned with the co-ordination of work activities Group members have defined roles & the nature of work tasks to be undertaken is a predominant feature of the group Tend to be relatively permanent, although there may be a change in the membership of the team

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 OHT Informal groups Serve to satisfy the psychological & social needs of group members not related necessarily to the tasks to be undertaken They are based on personal relationships & membership can cut across the formal structure of the organisation

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 OHT Major functions of informal groups The perpetuation of the informal group culture The maintenance of a communication system The implementation of social control The provision of interest & fun in work life Lysons

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 OHT Reasons for forming groups or teams So that certain tasks can be performed through the combined efforts of a number of individuals working together Collusion between members aiding creativity & initiative Provide companionship & a source of mutual understanding & support Provide guidelines on generally acceptable behaviour Protection for its membership

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 OHT Factors contributing to group cohesiveness & performance Membership Work environment Organisational Group development & maturity

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 OHT Factors contributing to group cohesiveness & performance – membership Size of the group Compatibility of members Performance

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 OHT Factors contributing to group cohesiveness & performance – work environment Nature of the task Physical setting Communications Technology

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 OHT Factors contributing to group cohesiveness & performance – organisational Management & leadership Personnel policies & procedures Success External threat

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 OHT Factors contributing to group cohesiveness & performance – group development & maturity Forming Storming Norming Performing

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 OHT How many people should be in team? Response from organisations indicate team sizes should be between 4 and 15 Less than 4 restricts creativity & variety 15 is about the maximum number of people anyone can communicate with without having to raise their voice significantly Cane

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 OHT Group development & maturity There are four distinct stages in group development – Mutual acceptance & membership Communication & decision-making Motivation & productivity Control & organisation Bass & Ryterband

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 OHT Group development & maturity an alternative perspective 1.Forming 2.Storming 3.Norming 4.Performing Tuckman

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 OHT Characteristics of effective work groups A belief in shared aims & objectives A sense of belonging to the group Acceptance of group values & norms A feeling of mutual trust & dependency Full participation by all members & decision- making by consensus

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 OHT Characteristics of effective work groups A free flow of information & communication Open expression of feelings & disagreements Conflict resolution Low levels of staff turnover

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 OHT Virtual teams Teams where the primary interaction among members is by some electronic information & communication process A potential future compromise between fully- fledged teams & well-managed teams

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 OHT Role relationships The roles that an individual plays with a group is influenced by a combination of – Situational factors – requirements of the task, style of leadership Personal factors – such as values, attitudes, motivation, ability, etc.

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 OHT Factors affecting roles Role sets – the range of associations or contacts an individual has meaningful interactions with Role incongruence arises when a member of staff is perceived as having a high & responsible position in one respect but a low standing in another respect

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 OHT Factors affecting roles Role expectations – what a person is expected to do & their duties & obligations Role incompatibility arises when compliance with one set of expectations makes it difficult or impossible to comply with the other expectations

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 OHT Factors affecting roles Role overload – when an individual faces too many separate roles or too great a variety of expectations and is unable to satisfactorily meet all expectations Role underload arises when the prescribed role expectations fall short of the individual’s own perception of their role

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005 OHT Role relationships & conflicts Figure 13.7 Source: Adapted from Miner, J.B., Management Theory, Macmillan (1971) p.47.