1. 1 Group Dynamics and Team Work Dr. Fred Mugambi Mwirigi JKUAT

2. 2 2 What is a group?  A group is a collection of two or more people who work with one another regularly to achieve common goals.  Groups: Help organizations accomplish important tasks. Help to maintain a high-quality workforce by satisfying members’ needs.

3. 3 Components of a group?

4. 4 4 What is the nature of groups in organizations?  Effective groups achieve high levels of: Task performance.  Members attain performance goals regarding quantity, quality, and timeliness of work results. Members satisfaction.  Members believe that their participation an experiences are positive and meet important personal needs. Team viability.  Members are sufficiently satisfied to continue working together on an ongoing basis.

5. 5 Groups and Teams Groups 1. Interact with one another. 2. Are working toward some common purpose. 3. Perceive themselves to be a group. 4. Have a strong, focused leader. 5. Have individual accountability. 6. Strive to run efficient meetings. Teams 1. Are a special type of group. 2. Have complementary skills. 3. Are committed to a common purpose. 4. Have a set of performance goals. 5. Have a defined approach to a task. 6. Have a team leader who shares leadership roles. 7. Have individual and mutual accountability. 8. Encourage open-ended discussion and participation.

6. 6 Types of Groups Formal Groups deliberately formed by the organization to accomplish specific tasks and achieve goals. Informal Groups emerge over time through the interaction of workers to satisfy a social or recreational purpose. Are not sanctioned but may be tolerated by the organization.

7. 7 Another View

8. 8 Work Teams Without cohesiveness there cannot be effective performance

9. 9 Types of Work Teams Cross-Functional Team  Is a group of workers with different specialties drawn from the same level in the organization to blend their talents to accomplish a task such as product development.  Have individual members who think in terms of what is good for the organization and not their specialty. Top-Management Team  Is the group of managers at the top of organizations that collaborates in making most major decisions.  Occasionally, can be a committee of two or more top executives who claim to share power.

10. 10 Virtual Teams Are small groups of people who conduct almost all of their collaborative work by electronic communication rather than face-to-face. Members can be located anywhere in the world. Task Teams Constructed around key organizational tasks

11. 11 Synergy and harmony are key in team performance….

12. 12 26–12 Stages of Group Development Stage 1:Forming Group members learn:  what tasks are expected to be performed.  what the benefits are of group membership.  what rules must be followed and expected behaviors. Stage 2: Storming A time of hostility, infighting, tension, and confrontation. Members argue to clarify expectations. Coalitions, cliques, and subgroups form within the group. Stage 3:Norming  A period of quiet; resistance is overcome and group standards (norms) are established.  Cohesiveness and commitment begin to emerge. Stage 4:Performing  In this stage, the group is ready to focus on accomplishing its key tasks.  Intrinsic motivation and creativity emerge as the group performs (“working for the cause”). Stage 5: Adjourning  Groups are dissolved after their tasks are accomplished.

13. 13 The Stages of Group Development Adjourning Storming Norming Performing Forming

14. 14 Tuckman’s Five-Stage Theory of Group Development Individual Issues FormingStormingNormingPerforming “How do I fit in?” “What’s my role here?” “What do the others expect me to do?” “How can I best perform my role?” Group Issues “Why are we here?” “Why are we fighting over who’s in charge and who does what?” “Can we agree on roles and work as a team?” “Can we do the job properly?”

15. 15 Power over Others Ability to Contribute Personal Characteristics Group Member Status Status: A socially defined position or rank given to groups or group members by others Status Inequity National Culture Other things influencing or influenced by status Group Properties—Status

16. 16 –Members are aware of each other’s assets and liabilities. –Individual differences are accepted. –The group’s authority and interpersonal relationships are recognized. –Group decisions are made through rational discussion. –Conflict is over group issues, not emotional issues. –Members are aware of the group’s processes and their own roles in them. Mature Groups

17. 17 Groups Decision Making  How groups make decisions. Decision by lack of response. Decision by authority rule. Decision by minority rule. Decision by majority rule. Decision by consensus. Decision by unanimity.

18. 18 Advantages of group decision making More knowledge and expertise is applied to solve the problem. A greater number of alternatives are examined. The final decision is better understood and accepted by all group members. More commitment among all group members to make the final decision work.

19. 19 Disadvantages of group decision making.  Potential Individuals may feel compelled to conform to the apparent wishes of the group. The group’s decision may be dominated by one individual or a small coalition. Group decisions usually take longer to make.

20. 20 Groupthink The tendency for members of highly cohesive groups to lose their critical evaluation capabilities. Groupthink can lead the group to make poor decisions. Group members and leaders should:  Be sensitive to the occurrence of groupthink.  Take actions to prevent the occurrence of groupthink.

21. 21 How to improve group decision making Brainstorming. Nominal group technique. Delphi technique. Computer-mediated decision making.

22. 22 Brainstorming Group members actively generate as many ideas and alternatives as possible, and they do so relatively quickly and without inhibitions. Brainstorming rules.  All criticism is ruled out.  Free-wheeling is welcomed.  Quantity is wanted.  Piggy-backing is good.

23. 23 Nominal group technique A form of structured group decision making that enables everyone to participate and have his/her ideas heard without hostile criticism or distortions. A structured voting procedure is used to prioritize responses to the nominal question.

24. 24 Delphi technique Used in situations where group members are unable to meet face to face. The process.  A series of questions is distributed to a panel.  Panel members submit their responses to a decision coordinator.  The decision coordinator summarizes the responses, and sends the summary along with a follow-up questionnaire to the panel.  Panel members send in their responses.  The process is repeated until a consensus is reached.

25. 25 Computer-mediated decision making Electronic brainstorming through the use of special software and personal computers.. The nominal group and Delphi techniques lend themselves to computer mediation.

26. 26 Group Problem Solving and Decision Making: Steps in the Delphi ProcessStartStart Prepare questionnaire Determine expertise required Sample experts (sample size) Distribute questionnaire Analyze question responses Has consensus been reached? Provide requested information and tabulate responses Prepare the next questionnaire Problem definition Compile final responses and disseminate the results (final report) Yes

27. 27 Potential Problem Within Groups  Group Polarization Shifts in member attitudes to more or less risky positions, which, in turn, reduces intragroup cohesion.  Social Loafing Occurs when an undermotivated person shirks individual responsibility and tries to squeeze by without contributing a fair share of the work.

28. 28 Potential Problem Within Groups  Groupthink Occurs when strong group cohesiveness creates an extreme form of consensus and interferes with effective decision making. Contributors to groupthink:  strong member identification with the group  directive leadership  high stress  insulation of the group  no built-in mechanism for evaluating decisions

29. 29 Group Size Performance Expected Actual (due to loafing) Other Conclusions  Odd number groups do better than even.  Groups of 5 to 7 perform better overall than larger or smaller groups. Other Conclusions  Odd number groups do better than even.  Groups of 5 to 7 perform better overall than larger or smaller groups. The tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working collectively than when working individually Social Loafing

30. 30 Increasing Group Cohesiveness  Make the group smaller  Encourage agreement with group goals  Increase the 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. Increasing Group Cohesiveness  Make the group smaller  Encourage agreement with group goals  Increase the 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. Cohesiveness Degree to which group members are attracted to each other and are motivated to stay in the group Group Properties—Cohesiveness

31. 31 Group Size and homogeneity are particularly key

32. 32 Relationship Between Group Cohesiveness, Performance Norms, and Productivity

33. 33 A Team-Effectiveness Model

34. 34 + = Goal: Maximise process gains while minimising process losses! Effects of Group Processes Potential group effectiveness Process gainsProcess losses Actual group effectiveness —

35. 35 What are the foundations of group effectiveness?  From a systems perspective, group inputs are the foundation for all subsequent group action.  Key group inputs are: Nature of the task. Goals. Rewards. Resources. Technology. Membership diversity. Group size.

36. 36 Factors Affecting Group Performance 1. Composition 2. Size 3. Norms 4. Cohesiveness

37. 37 Composition  Heterogeneous group with diverse abilities and information more effective.  Effective outcome with heterogeneous group in terms of gender, personality, opinions, skills and perspective.  More conflict laden and less expedient- more deliberate.  Cultural diversity useful when diversity of view points are required.  However, culturally diverse group have difficulty in learning.

38. 38 Size  Size has a major effect on group performance  Smaller groups tend to be more effective than larger groups  Social loafing and free riding are major problems that groups must overcome  Odd number groups are more prefered

39. 39 Norms  These are acceptable standards of behaviour that are shared by group members.  These define what ought/ought not to be done by members.  When accepted and agreed upon by members these act as behaviour influencing parameters for conduct without outside control.  Norms differ group to group.  These could be formally or informally laid down.

40. 40 Common classes of norms  Performance norms: laid down parameters as to how hard a person is required to work, what production level to achieve and so on.  Appearance norms: dress, seeming to look for a new job etc.  Arrangement norms: basically applicable to informal groups. These laid down degree of social interaction. In essence participative social activities.  Allocation of resources norms: these could include pay, bonus, tools equipment, assignment of difficult jobs etc.

41. 41 End