Chapter 12 - Group Processes & Work Teams Flashcards
Interdependent collection of individuals who share responsibility for specific outcomes for their organizations
- must share common goals that affect each other
Work Group
Two or more people engaged in interaction with each other who are also working toward a common goal
Collaboration
Work groups in which the actions of individuals are interdependent & coordinated; each member has a role; team has common goals/objectives
Work Teams
Shared expectations about appropriate ways of responding in a group
Norms
Distinguishable set of two or more people who interact dynamically, interdependently, and adaptively toward a common and valued goal/Objective/mission, who have each been assigned specific roles or functions to perform, and to have a limited life-span membership
Teams
What are the 2 levels of analysis? Define them
- Group - level
- looking at the group as a whole
- studying “the first, not the trees”
- Individual - level
- looking at the people in the group
- studying “the trees, not the forest”
Why do we use Teams?
- most appropriate for complex tasks. Complex decision-making, or creative tasks
- appropriate when the situation is variable, requiring the team to adapt to changing external conditions
- innovation/creativity promotes
- enable quick, effective development/delivery of products & services
- work can be performed concurrently rather than sequentially
What are the 2 types of norms? Define them.
- Descriptive Norms
- what most people do, feel or think in a particular situation
• violators are seen as unusual, different - Prescriptive Norms
- what people should do, feel, or think in a particular situation
• violators are seen as dysfunctional, bad employees
What are the purposes of norms?
- facilitate group production
- ⬆️ prediction of group member behavior
- provide a sense of identity to the group
What is conformity?
Process of adhering to group norms
- maintains order & uniformity
- extreme/repeated norm violations —> ostracism
Set of behaviors expected of a person who occupies a particular position in a group or organization
- not the same as personality
Roles
What is role differentiation?
Process by which a group or organization establishes distinct roles for various group or organization members
What are things that improve Cohesion?
- equal status between group members
- similarities between group members
- stability of group membership
What are the outcomes of cohesion?
- members of cohesive groups are more satisfied than members of non-cohesive groups
- cohesion is positively linked to performance, but only when it is work-related
- can also lead to negative outcomes such as group think
The strength of members motivation to maintain membership in a group & of the links or bonds that have developed among the members
Cohesion
Degree of attraction anon group members
Viewed as:
- binding & combative force
- group unity, group goals above individual goals
- specific type of interpersonal attraction
-aspect of teamwork
Cohesion
What are some examples of roles?
Leader Follower Outcast Questioner Motivator Mistake catcher Entertainer Critic Organizer
Reduction in individual effort that occurs when people work in groups instead of alone
Social Loafing
When are individuals most likely to “loaf”?
- They believe their individual efforts will be identified
- others are going to be personally affected by their effort
What could help you avoid social loafing(ers)?
-finding similarities(in class)
↪️ balance between active vs. non active
↪️ what classes students have taken(1st day)
- roles differentiates at front
- mid-way check-in to see where e/ member is
- more group work inside the classroom
- no leadership- quiz that hit better grade
- clear communication within teams
↪️ track -blackboard
What are 3 types of social loading? Define them.
Free Riding- happens when employees perceive their efforts are not necessary to group success & rewards
Sucker effect- occurs when group members decide they will no longer be a “sucker” & reduce their effort
Social compensation - employees increase efforts bc they don’t anticipate much help
What are Bruce Tuckman’s 5 stages of group development? Define them. (1960)
1) Orientation(Forming)- members get to know e/o
2) Conflict(Storming)- members question e/o, reveal more of who they really are
3) Structure(Norming)- group becomes more cohesive & United
4) Performance(Performing)- members are productive
5) Dissolution(Adjourning)- group is dissolved
What are the 5 steps to effective group decision making?
1) diagnose the problem
2) generate solutions
3) evaluate solutions
4) choose a solution
5) develop an action plan & implementation of solution
What do we mean by “diagnose the problem”? & what # is it in group decision making?
1 in group decision making
Group comes to agreement on problem, obstacles; prepares to overcome
What do we mean by “Generate Solutions”? Give an example. & what # is it in group decision making?
Communication to process & goals while trying to identify solutions
Ex: Brainstorming
#2 in Group decision making
All members of group generate potential solutions without fear of criticism by other members
brainstorming
When is effectiveness of brainstorming reduced?
- members are delayed in sharing their ideas
- members are apprehensive about voicing their ideas
- members are motivated by how “good” they look to others
What is punctuated equilibrium?
Alternative model in which groups fluctuate more quickly between the stages of development
-rapid change due to crisis of half-way point
Stage model describes _________
The continuous manner in which a groups structure changes over time
Punctuated equilibrium describes ________
Discontinued changes in a group’s pacing & task activities over time
Any non motivational element of a group situation that detracts from the group’s performance
Process loss
Sally is working on a group project for class & does less than he share of the work bc she perceives her efforts are necessary for her & the group to achieve an “A” grade on the project. Sally has engaged in… _______
Free riding
According to Tuckman, the stage of group development when members become more cohesive, increase trust, establish unity, & develop standards is called _______
Norming
Informal groups serve many functions, including __________
Satisfied the need to feel safe & connected
____________ describes the discontinuous changes in a group’s pacing & task activities over time
Punctuated equilibrium
___________ teams monitor & control the process or product, as well as team members’ assignments
Self-managed work
Groupthink is more likely to occur in groups that ____________
Are isolated from others with dissenting opinions
Organized knowledge structures that combine the knowledge, beliefs, & understanding of group members & help coordinate efforts are known as ____________
Shared mental models
What is shared information & what is it a part of?
Information held by all group members
Part of process loss
What do we mean by “evaluate solutions”? & what # is it in group decision making?
Group critically evaluates each of the solutions
3 in group decision making
What do we mean by “choose a solution”? What are the common approaches & what # is it in group decision making?
Group compares the remaining solutions, chooses one:
Common approaches: delegating, averaging individual inputs, majority rules, group consensus
4 in group decision making
What do we mean by “develop an action plan & implementation of solution”? & what # is it in group decision making?
Develop detailed action steps & methods for monitoring/evaluation progress
5 in group decision making
What is unshared information & what is it a part of?
Information held by only one group member
Part of process loss
Any non motivational element of a group situation that detracts from the group’s performance
• actual productivity = potential productivity - losses due to faulty processes
Process Loss
What are some antecedents of group think?
Cohesion
Isolation from dissenting opinions
Strong/biased leadership
High decisional stress
Mode of thinking that individuals engage in when the desire to agree becomes so dominant in a cohesive group that it tends to override the realistic appraisal of alternative courses of action
Groupthink
What are some symptoms of Group think?
- Feelings of invulnerability & unanimity if Group
- direct pressure on dissenters
- mind guarding
- rationalizing
- stereotyping
- self-censorship
- illusions of morality
How can we prevent group think?
- De-emphasize agreement
- Quickly correct misperceptions/biases rather than assuming accuracy
- Follow basic steps for effective decision making
A member of a cohesive group whose job it is to protect the group from outside information that is inconsistent with the group’s views
Mindgaurd
Behavior by a person/group intended to inhibit the attainment of goals by another person or group
Conflict
What are some negative outcome of conflict?
- reduces group cohesiveness
- less efficient communication
- lower team/job/Group satisfaction
- sabotage
- higher stress
- group goals can become secondary
What are some positive outcomes of conflict?
- innovation
- creative performance
- energize group members
- ⬆️work motivation
- ⬆️ organizational Commitment
- improved decision-making quality
What are some sources of conflict?
- scarcity of important resources
- individual & Group interdependence
- the “we-they” feeling (ex: unions vs.managers)
- interpersonal conflicts
- younger workers are more conflict-prone than older workers
- personality factors may lead some individuals to be more conflict- prone
An organized knowledge structure that enhances the interaction of an individual w/ his or her environment
• allow people to make sense if the world around them- describe, explain, & predict the attitudes & behaviors of team
Mental Model
Organized structure combing the knowledge, beliefs, & understandings of 2 or more individuals that help coordinate their efforts
Shared Mental Methods
Work teams that are composed of members from diverse departments of the organization, e/ with its own function; also called project teams
Cross-functional teams
A work team that is responsible for monitoring & controlling the overall process of product, as well as for doling our specific tasks to team members
Self-managed work team (SMWT)
What are the 2 types of groups in Organizations? Define them
- Formal groups
- subunits established by the organization
- Informal groups
- develop apart from the official organizational structure; exist relatively independent of the organization
What is taskwork?
- task - oriented aspects of the work
Ex: Knowing & doing the task
What is teamwork?
Actions, events, & behaviors taken to accomplish a team goal
- process oriented aspects of the work
Ex: how members work together
What are 6 ways you promote team effectiveness?
1) compose the team membership-selection
2) enhance individual team member capabilities
3) modify team tasks, workflow, structure
4) improve team interactions/processes
5) build team competencies (KSAs)
6) provide support, resources, performance aids
Task - specific skills
How capable members are in performing the task at hand
How well members interact with others (ex: effective, respectful, supportive)
Interpersonal skills
What are 3 ways to improve teams? Give examples.
1) team training
• focus on improving coordination
• cross-training is particularly helpful
2) team building
• less structured than team training
• focus on fixing affective problems
• can improve team functioning if used correctly
3) Organizational support
• group reward systems
• technology to support team interaction
