1. Introduction to Organisational Behaviour and Application to Management
The Group – Foundations of Group Behaviour

2. What is a group?
Group:
Two or more individuals interacting and interdependent, who have come together to achieve particular objectives
Formal Group:
Defined by the organisation’s structure with designated work assignments establishing tasks
Informal Group:
Alliances that are neither formally structured nor organisationally determined
Appear naturally in response to the need for social contact
Deeply affect behavior and performance
Groups are defined as two or more individuals who come together to achieve a set goal. There are two main types of groups. The first is a formal group where the organisation establishes the group with defined work tasks and outcomes. The second group is an information group that is not part of the organisational structure. They are often established in reaction to a need for social interaction and form naturally. Informal groups can have a significant influence on behavior and performance.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

3. Groups
Groups tend to come together for a specific purpose but members work independently. A group may have a leader, but the roles and functions of the other group members are not well defined.

4. Subclassifications of Groups
Formal Groups
Informal Groups
Command Group
A group composed of the individuals who report directly to a given manager
Task Group
Those working together to complete a job or task in an organisation but not limited by hierarchical boundaries
Interest Group
Members work together to attain a specific objective with which each is concerned
Friendship Group
Those brought together because they share one or more common characteristics
Within the category of formal groups there are two main types. The command group is one that reports directly to a given manager such as a department or unit. A task group is formed to accomplish a particular objective but is not limited by the structure or departments of the organisation.
Informal groups also have subgroups. They are typically formed around a common interest such as an interest group or around common characteristics such as a friendship group.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

5. Activity
Please give examples of each of these groups from your experiences:
Formal:
Command
Task
Informal:
Interest
Friendship

6. Why People Join Groups – Social Identity
Similarity (ie, be with people similar to them)
Distinctiveness (ie, to demonstrate distinctive interests)
Status (ie, membership of a group brings status)
Uncertainty reduction (ie, being part of a group can help you understand your place in the world)
There are many reasons that people will join groups. However, the social identity theory suggests that people have emotional reactions to the failures or successes of a group because their self-esteem gets tied into the performance of the group. Social identity is developed when the characteristics of similarity, distinctiveness, status, and uncertainty reduction are present. Members of groups often join groups of people who are similar to them, however, they want there to be a distinctiveness to the group. Since people define themselves by groups they are connected to, they will tend to want to be a part of high-status groups. People also join groups to reduce uncertainty as a way to maintain a sense of who they are and how they fit into this world.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

7. Five Stages of Group Development Model
The five-stage group development model characterizes groups as moving through five distinct stages in the group process. They are forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

8. The Five Stages of Group Development
Forming
Members feel much uncertainty, are just getting togeterh
Storming
Lots of conflict between members of the group
Norming Stage
Members have developed close relationships and work together
Performing Stage
The group is finally fully functional and achieves
Adjourning Stage
The ending of a group and finishing activities
The forming stage is filled with uncertainty as group members figure out their roles and the group norms. The storming stage occurs as the roles are continued to be developed and conflict arises between group members. As members develop closer relationships and a sense of cohesiveness they move into the norming stage. When the group is functioning well together and achieving their goals they are in the performing stage. If it is a temporary group they will wrap up activities and adjourn in the final stage.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

9. Activity Which stage are your Presentation groups at?
How do you know this?

10. Critique of the Five-Stage Model
Assumption: the group becomes more effective as it progresses through the first four stages
Not always true – group behavior is more complex
High levels of conflict may be useful to high performance
The process is not always linear
Several stages may occur simultaneously
Groups may regress
Ignores the organisational context (ie, the organisation setting may mean the group do not need to go through the 5 stages)
Although the five-stage development model is widely accepted there are some critiques of the model. The assumption that the group becomes more effective through each of the stages is somewhat suspect. The process is not always that linear and several stages may occur at the same time. Also, groups may regress into early stages at some point in the process. Also, the model ignores the organisational context. We have seen in our study of earlier theories that context can have a large impact on behavior.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

11. An Alternative Model for Group Formation
Temporary groups with deadlines don’t follow the five-stage model
Punctuated-Equilibrium Model
Temporary groups under deadlines go through transitions between inertia and activity—at the halfway point, they experience an increase in productivity.
The Punctuated-Equilibrium Model offers an alternative model of group formation for groups with deadlines. Groups that are temporary in nature tend to go through their own unique sequence of actions. These include setting the group direction, the first phase of inertia, a half-way point of transition, major changes, a second phase of inertia and accelerated activity.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

12. Punctuated-Equilibrium Model
Sequence of Actions
Setting group direction
First phase of inertia (doing nothing)
Half-way point transition
Major changes (from inertia to action)
Second phase of inertia
Accelerated activity
(speedily complete task)

13. Activity Which stage are your Presentation groups at?
How do you know this?

14. Group Properties Group Performance 2. Norms 3. Status 1. Roles
4. Size
5. Cohesiveness
1. Roles
There are several properties of groups that help shape group behavior and explain and predict individual behavior. They are roles, norms, status, size, and cohesiveness.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

15. Group Property 1: Roles Role Role Identity Role Perception
A set of expected behavior patterns given to someone occupying a certain position in a social unit
Role Identity
Certain attitudes and behaviors consistent with a role
Role Perception
An individual’s view of how he or she is supposed to act in a given situation – received by external stimuli
Role Expectations
How others believe a person should act in a given situation
Psychological Contract: an unwritten agreement that sets out mutual expectations of management and employees
Role Conflict
A situation in which an individual is confronted by differing role expectations
Roles are the expected behavior individuals will take on in a group such as the leader or the task master. Each role is assigned a certain identity that explains expected attitudes and behaviors that correspond with the role identity. Each individual has their own point of view of how they are supposed to act in the context of the group; this is called role perception. Role expectations looks at how others believe a person should act in a given situation. Role conflict occurs when the expected behaviors don’t match up with the behaviors being exhibited.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

16. Zimbardo’s Prison Experiment
Faked a prison using student volunteers
Randomly assigned to guard and prisoner roles
Within six days the experiment was halted due to concerns
Guards had dehumanized the prisoners
Prisoners were subservient
Fell into the roles as they understood them
No real resistance felt
Zimbardo conducted a prison experiment at Stanford University where he randomly assigned students to the role of guards and prisoners. He set up a fake prison in the psychology building on Stanford’s campus and made the experiment as realistic as possible. Within six days the guards and prisoners had taken to their roles in such a way that the experiment was halted due to concerns about the impact on the participants. The guards took their role seriously and treated the prisoners with disdain and disrespect. In response, the prisoners, even though they were only assigned the role, were subservient to the guards. They could have fought back or rebelled but they fell into the role and took the negative behavior of the guards as if they were truly prisoners.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

17. Group Property 2: Norms Norms
Acceptable standards of behavior within a group that are shared by the group’s members
Classes of Norms
Performance norms - level of acceptable work
Appearance norms - what to wear
Social arrangement norms - friendships
Allocation of resources norms - distribution and assignments of jobs and material
Norms are standards of behavior that are acceptable by group members. There are different types of norms such as performance norms that look at an acceptable work level or quality or appearance norms about what to wear. Social arrangement norms look at acceptable relationships and allocation of resources norms look at how things are distributed.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

18. Norms and Behavior Conformity Reference Groups Asch Studies
Gaining acceptance by adjusting one’s behavior to align with the norms of the group
Reference Groups
Important groups to which individuals belong or hope to belong and with whose norms individuals are likely to conform
Asch Studies
Demonstrated the power of conformance (eg, giving incorrect answers because other people did)
Culture-based and declining in importance (eg, does it change per culture and the experiment was old)
Group norms and behavior are based on conformity where individuals will gain acceptance with the group by changing their behavior to more closely match that of the group. Individuals will match their behavior to reference groups, groups they see as important. The Asch studies furthered our understanding of conformity and demonstrated the power of conformance. Asch set forth a series of experiments where the answers were fairly easy and straightforward. However, when he had group members answer incorrectly, it influenced the subject to answer incorrectly as well, even though the answer was not difficult. This study, however, was done a number of years ago and some research has shown that conformity is decreasing in importance and can be culturally bound.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

19. Defying Norms: Deviant Workplace Behavior
Also called antisocial behavior or workplace incivility
Voluntary behavior that violates significant organisational norms and, in doing so, threatens the well-being of the organisation
Typology:
Production – working speed, leaving early
Property – damage and stealing
Political – favoritism, blaming co-workers and gossip
Personal Aggression – sexual harassment and verbal abuse
Some individuals do not like to conform and adhere to set norms due to a number of reasons. Individuals of this nature may engage in deviant workplace behavior or behavior that goes against organisational norms and hinders the desired outcomes of the organisation.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

20. Group Influence on Deviant Behavior
Group norms can influence the presence of deviant behavior
Simply belonging to a group increases the likelihood of deviance
Being in a group allows individuals to hide – creates a false sense of confidence that they won’t be caught
Group norms can discourage deviant behavior because the group won’t accept the behavior. But group membership can also encourage deviant behavior because the individual will feel like they can hide in the group and the chance of being caught is lowered.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

21. Group Property 3: Status
A socially defined position or rank given to groups or group members by others – it differentiates group members
Important factor in understanding behavior
Significant motivator
Status Characteristics Theory
Status derived from one of three sources:
Power a person has over others
Ability to contribute to group goals
Personal characteristics
Status is another group property and refers to the position or rank given to groups or their members in a way to differentiate members. Status can influence behavior and has been found to be a significant motivator. The status characteristics theory suggest that status is derived by one of three sources: the power a person has over others; the ability to contribute to group goals; or personal characteristics.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

22. Status Effects On Norms and Conformity On Group Interaction On Equity
High-status members are less restrained by norms and pressure to conform
Some level of deviance is allowed to high-status members so long as it doesn’t affect group goal achievement
On Group Interaction
High-status members are more assertive
Large status differences limit diversity of ideas and creativity
On Equity
If status is perceived to be inequitable, it will result in various forms of corrective behavior.
Status can have an impact on a number of things in groups. First, it can impact norms within a group where high-status members don’t feel the need to conform to group norms, but can pressure others to conform. Second, it can impact group interaction where members who hold more status tend to be more assertive and can hinder new ideas being presented. Finally, it impacts perceived equity in a group which will influence how engaged others are in the group process.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

23. Group Property 4: Size Group size affects behavior Size:
Twelve or more members is a “large” group
Seven or fewer is a “small” group
Best use of a group:
Attribute
Small
Large
Speed X
Individual Performance
Problem Solving
Diverse Input
Fact-finding Goals
Overall Performance
Size is an important factor in group behavior as well and impacts the behavior in groups. The larger the group, the harder it is to get contribution by all members and do so in a timely manner. Whereas small groups can be limited in their problem-solving ability and the availability of resources could be limited.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

24. Issues with Group Size Social Loafing
The tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working collectively than when working individually
Ringelmann’s Rope Pull: greater levels of productivity but with diminishing returns as group size increases (ie, three people pulling did not have 3x strength of 1 person)
Managing a group:
Build in individual accountability
Prevent social loafing by:
Setting group goals
Increasing intergroup competition
Using peer evaluation
Distributing group rewards based on individual effort
There are some detrimental behaviors that can occur around group size. Social loafing is an example where there is a tendency for individuals to not work as hard in groups as they would on an individual basis. This is exhibited in Ringelmann’s rope pull example discussed in the book. Initially the group brought about greater productivity but as the group grew larger each individual contributed less to the group. This could be due to the fact that peopled didn’t think things are equitable or they let others take the responsibility because they know they don’t have to for the outcome to occur. This is often referred to as free riding.
When working with groups managers, one must be sure to build in individual accountability. Social loafing can be prevented by setting up goals, encouraging intergroup competition, using peer evaluation as part of the feedback process, and linking group rewards to individual behavior.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

25. Group Property 5: Cohesiveness
Degree to which group members are attracted to each other and are motivated to stay in the group
Managing a group - to increase cohesiveness:
Make the group smaller.
Encourage agreement with group goals.
Increase time members spend together.
Increase group status and admission difficulty.
Stimulate competition with other groups.
Give rewards to the group, not individuals.
Physically isolate the group.
The final property of groups is group cohesiveness or the degree to which group members want to stay together and are motivated to work together as a group.
Managers can do a lot to encourage group cohesiveness but they can’t prescribe it. Some things they can do to foster cohesiveness is to keep groups small, encourage all members understanding of group goals, increase the time the group spends together, and heighten their perceived status. In addition, by stimulating competition with other groups, members will find ways to work together. Managers can also reward the group as a whole and not just individuals within the group. Finally they can physically isolate the group by sending them on a retreat or giving them their own work space. Their actions can significantly influence group cohesiveness.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

26. Activity How have you used these rules in your groups?
What happens when you have a group task and the group is too big?
How do you deal with people who will not work hard?

27. Group Decision Making versus Individual Choice
Group Strengths:
Generate more complete information and knowledge
Offer increased diversity of views and greater creativity
Increased acceptance of decisions
Generally more accurate (but not as accurate as the most accurate group member)
Group Weaknesses:
Time-consuming activity
Conformity pressures in the group
Discussions can be dominated by a few members
A situation of ambiguous responsibility (ie, who is in charge of what)
Group decision making comes with its strengths and weaknesses when compared to individual decision making. Groups do tend to generate more complete information and knowledge as well as offer a greater diversity of views and increased creativity. Since more people are involved in the decision, there tends to be an increased acceptance of decisions and generally group decisions are more accurate.
However, group decisions also are more time consuming and can conform to pressures in the group, thus limiting their effectiveness. In the process, discussions can be dominated by a few members. The members of the group may not always take responsibility for the actions of the group as it is hard to assign responsibility to a single person.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

28. Group Decision-Making Phenomena
Groupthink
Situations where group pressures for conformity deter the group from critically appraising unusual, minority, or unpopular views
Hinders performance
Groupshift
When discussing a given set of alternatives and arriving at a solution, group members tend to exaggerate the initial positions that they hold. This causes a shift to more conservative or more risky behavior.
In the decision-making process some problems can arise. A common problem is groupthink. This occurs when the group is seeking conformity and there is pressure to come to a conclusion without critically appraising alternative viewpoints.
Another phenomenon in the group decision-making process is groupshift where once a solution is selected, group members tend to exaggerate the initial positions that they hold. This can cause a shift to a more conservative or risky decision.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

29. Group Decision-Making Techniques
Made in interacting groups where members meet face-to-face and rely on verbal and nonverbal communication.
Brainstorming
An idea-generating process designed to overcome pressure for conformity
Nominal Group Technique (NGT)
Works by restricting discussion during the decision-making process
Members are physically present but operate independently
Electronic Meeting
Uses computers to hold large meetings of up to 50 people
Some group techniques can assist in the decision-making process. The first technique that can help is brainstorming. This is a process that is aimed at generating ideas where all ideas are welcomed and the group tries to create an environment that overcomes pressure for conformity. The nominal group technique works by restricting discussion during the decision-making process to help participants to operate independently. The third method is to utilize computers to hold large meetings and people submit their ideas in writing electronically.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

30. What is brainstorming? When a group puts together all their ideas.
Any idea, no matter how silly or extreme should be written down.
A group will come up with a large number of ideas than an individual alone.

31. Global Implications Status and Culture Social Loafing Group Diversity
The importance of status varies with culture
Managers must understand who and what holds status when interacting with people from another culture
Social Loafing
Most often in Western (individualistic) cultures
Group Diversity
Increased diversity leads to increased conflict
May cause early withdrawal and lowered morale
If the initial difficulties are overcome, diverse groups may perform better
Many group theories will vary by culture so it is important to look at the context in which they are being applied. For example, status varies quite a bit with culture and managers must understand how it will be perceived in the culture they are in. Social loafing is a phenomenon that is primarily applicable in Western cultures that are more individualistic in nature.
Another application is group diversity. The more diverse the group is, the more conflict that will normally occur which may cause people to remove themselves from the group or lower morale. If diverse groups can get over the initial difficulties, then they tend to perform very well.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

32. Summary and Managerial Implications
Performance
Typically, clear role perception, appropriate norms, low status differences and smaller, more cohesive groups lead to higher performance
Satisfaction
Increases with:
High similarity between boss and employee’s perceptions about the job
Not being forced to communicate with lower-status employees
Smaller group size
Effective group processing can increase performance and job satisfaction. Performance with groups is highly tied to group cohesiveness. Satisfaction can be increased with a congruence of goals, a recognition of member’s need for status, and smaller group size.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

33. Introduction to Organisational Behaviour and Application to Management
The Group – Work Teams

34. Differences between Groups and Teams
Work Group
A group that interacts primarily to share information and to make decisions to help each group member perform within his or her area of responsibility
No joint effort required
Work Team
Generates positive synergy through coordinated effort. The individual efforts result in a performance that is greater than the sum of the individual inputs
Groups and teams are not the same thing. A group is primarily there to share information and make decisions, no real joint effort is required. A team works in a more coordinated effort to achieve a goal.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

35. Comparing Work Groups and Work Teams
Work groups and work teams differ in their goals, level of synergy, accountability, and skills. Their function is different. Work groups share information where work teams work together for a collective performance. The synergy in groups is neutral where work teams have a positive synergy. Accountability can be individual in both but it is more often mutual in teams. The skills in a group will be varied where the skills on a team need to be complementary.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

36. Why Have Teams Become So Popular?
Great way to use employee talents
Teams are more flexible and responsive to changes in the environment
Can quickly assemble, deploy, refocus, and disband
Facilitate employee involvement
Increase employee participation in decision making
Democratize an organisation and increase motivation
Note: teams are not ALWAYS effective
Over the last decade we have seen the use of teams grow exponentially in organisations. There are a number of reasons why this is true. Teams can enhance the use of employee talents and tend to be more flexible and responsive to change. Teams can help to keep employees engaged in their work and increase their participation in decision making, thus increasing their motivation. However, teams are not always effective and so it is important to take a look at how to deploy teams effectively.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

37. Types of Teams Problem-Solving Teams
Groups of 5 to 12 employees from the same department who meet for a few hours each week to discuss ways of improving quality, efficiency, and the work environment
Self-Managed Work Teams
Groups of 10 to 15 people who take on the responsibilities of their former supervisors
There are a number of different types of teams. Problem-solving teams are a very popular method used in many organisations. Typically this type of team meets for a few hours each week to solve a particular problem.
Self-managed work teams are comprised of a group of people who do not have a manager and the group takes on the responsibilities of the supervisor.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

38. More Types of Teams Cross-Functional Teams
Employees from about the same hierarchical level, but from different work areas, who come together to accomplish a task
Very common
Task forces
Committees
Cross-functional teams gather workers from many different work areas to come together to accomplish a task that needs to utilize multiple perspectives.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

39. A Final Type of Team Virtual Teams Characteristics
Teams that use computer technology to tie together physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal (ie, qq or Facebook)
Characteristics
Limited socializing
The ability to overcome time and space constraints
To be effective, needs:
Trust among members
Close monitoring
To be publicised
Virtual teams are increasing in their use. This type of team uses computer technology to bring people together to achieve a common goal. Typically these types of teams get right to work with little socializing, but need to overcome time and space constraints to accomplish the task. In order to be effective, virtual teams need to find ways to establish trust among the members, have close monitoring, and results need to be publicized.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

40. Virtual teams
We have looked at teams and you are probably most familiar with teams where you interact with members face-to-face. Increasingly however, team members can work at different sites and may even never meet. These are virtual teams.
Virtual teams are useful to an organisation that operates on different sites or has a lot of workers who work at different hours but still need to operate as a team.

41. Virtual teams issues
Issues to be aware of when considering how such teams might operate within an organisation are:
Communication – how and when
Isolation – lack of face-to-face contact
Technology – appropriate use of
Flexibility – differing timescales

42. A Team-Effectiveness Model
This is a general guide only.
The model displayed here depicts team effectiveness. In order for teams to be effective a combination of conduct, compositions, work design, and process must be brought together to assist effectiveness in the team. The model has two caveats – this model is only a general guide and it assumes that teamwork is preferable to individual work.
The model assumes that teamwork is preferable to individual work.
© 2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

43. An effective team An effective team has the following characteristics:
Members who understand and commit to their role within the team
Shared sense of purpose
Members who share and contribute to team goals
Strong leadership
Members who trust each other
Members who support each other
Good communication
Ability to manage conflict when it arises

44. Creating Effective Teams: Context
Adequate Resources
Need the tools to complete the job
Effective Leadership and Structure
Agreeing to the specifics of work and how the team fits together to integrate individual skills
Even “self-managed” teams need leaders
Leadership especially important in multi-team systems
Climate of Trust
Members must trust each other and the leader
Performance and Rewards Systems that Reflect Team Contributions
Cannot just be based on individual effort
Understanding the context is important for teams to be effective. The team needs the right resources to do the job well. They also need effective leadership and structure to facilitate a process that will help the team succeed. It is important that teams fit together so they can successfully utilize the individual skills present in the group. Trust is also an important aspect of teams and essential for group cohesiveness as we have seen previously. Finally, the reward system needs to be equitable and based on team contributions.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

45. Creating Effective Teams: Composition
Abilities of Members: Need technical expertise, problem-solving, decision-making, and good interpersonal skills
Personality of Members: Conscientiousness, openness to experience, and agreeableness all relate to team performance
Allocating Roles and Diversity: Many necessary roles must be filled
Diversity can often lead to lower performance
Size of Team: The smaller the better: 5 to 9 is optimal
Members’ Preference for Teamwork: Do the members want to be on teams?
A manager must pay close attention to how they put a team together to assure group cohesiveness and effectiveness. Each member should be selected based on the type of skills and abilities needed to accomplish the task at hand. However, abilities are not the only characteristic that managers need to pay attention to; personality is also important so that the team can bond and form trust. In addition, the manager must be sure he assigns the right people to fill the roles needed, but still maintain adequate diversity so that idea generation still occurs. The manager must also pay attention to the size of the team and that the members want to be on the team and enjoy teamwork.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

46. Key Roles On Teams
There are a number of key roles on different teams. This model takes a look at the various roles and how they impact the team.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

47. Activity - Belbin What is your primary and secondary team role?
Take the Belbin Test and find out!

48. Creating Effective Teams: Work Design
Freedom and Autonomy: Ability to work independently
Skill Variety: Ability to use different skills and talents
Task Identity: Ability to complete a whole and identifiable task or product
Task Significance: Working on a task or project that has a substantial impact on others
Work design is a way to help increase the effectiveness of teams. The work of teams should have certain characteristics to help the team accomplish their assigned task. The team should have autonomy over their work so that they can work independently and control how the work is done. In addition, the team should be required to utilize a variety of skills and talents to complete the task. The task should be definable and easy to identify so that the group knows when they have accomplished it. Finally, the task should be significant and impactful to the organisation.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

49. Creating Effective Teams: Process
Commitment to a Common Purpose:
Create a common purpose that provides direction
Have reflexivity: willing to adjust plan if necessary
Establishment of Specific Team Goals: Must be specific, measurable, realistic, and challenging
Team Efficacy: Team believes in its ability to succeed
Mental Models: Have an accurate and common mental map of how the work gets done
A Managed Level of Conflict: Task conflicts are helpful; interpersonal conflicts are not
Minimized Social Loafing: Team holds itself accountable both individually and as a team
Group’s processes can have a big impact on their effectiveness. In the process groups must have a strong commitment to a common purpose that provides direction but yet incorporates reflexivity where it can adjust plan if needed. The goals of the team must be set up so they are specific, measurable, realistic yet challenging in order to keep the team members engaged.
The team must believe they can succeed and have a mental map of how to get the work done to assist in the process of accomplishing their task.
Finally, the group must navigate through conflict and social loafing to encourage a healthy and effective group.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

50. Turning Individuals into Team Players
Selection
Make team skills one of the interpersonal skills in the hiring process.
Training
Individualistic people can learn
Rewards
Rework the reward system to encourage cooperative efforts rather than competitive (individual) ones
Continue to recognize individual contributions while still emphasizing the importance of teamwork
Not all employees are team players. In the U.S. we tend to have more of an individualistic culture and it is not always possible to turn everyone into a team player. When formulating teams it is important to carefully select the right employees who are more attuned to teamwork. It is also possible to train people on how to be good team members. Finally, if managers carefully craft a reward system to encourage cooperative efforts rather than competitive ones they can encourage teamwork. However, it is still important to recognize individual contributions and avoid social loafing.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

51. Beware! Teams Aren’t Always the Answer
Teams take more time and resources than does individual work.
Three tests to see if a team fits the situation:
Is the work complex and is there a need for different perspectives – will it be better with the insights of more than one person?
Does the work create a common purpose or set of goals for the group that is larger than the aggregate of the goals for individuals?
Are members of the group involved in interdependent tasks?
We have looked at a number of ways to make teams effective and to encourage good teamwork. However, teams are not always the answer. There are three questions to ask to assess if teams fit the situation.
Is the work complex and is there a need for different perspectives?
Does the work create a common purpose or set of goals for the group that is larger than the aggregate of the goals for individuals?
Are members of the group involved in interdependent tasks?
If these three questions all can be answered with a yes, then a team might be the solution!
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

52. Global Implications Extent of Teamwork
Other countries use teams more often than the U.S.
Self-Managed Teams
Do not work well in countries with low tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty and a high power distance
Team Cultural Diversity and Team Performance
Diversity caused by national differences interferes with team efficiency, at least in the short run
After about three months, the differences between diverse and non-diverse team performance disappear
Teams are a concept that have a wide range of global applicability. In fact, teams are used more extensively in other countries. However, in cultures with a low tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty, self-managed teams are not always effective. Diversity can cause inefficiencies in teams, but if teams can work through the initial difficulties those conflicts will disappear over time.
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

53. The Dabbawallahs What makes them unique? How do they manage teams?
What motivations do their members have?
What could we learn from them?

54. The Dabbawalahs
You can also read more about the Dabbawalahs here: