Group behavior in organizations

Question 1

Tuckman 1965

Answer 1

Group development: forming-storming-norming-performing-adjourning

Question 2

Belbin 1981

Answer 2

An ideal team contains people who are prepared to take on different roles. Team roles: Action-oriented roles; People-oriented roles; Thought-oriented roles

Shaper; Implementer; Completer-finisher
Coordinator; Team worker; Resource investigator
Plant; Monitor-evaluator; Specialist

Question 3

Wedley and Field, 1984

Answer 3

The decision-making process. Pre-planning stage of the decision making process includes deciding which type of leadership to use, whether to involve others, how to gather information, what people to contact and how to generate alternatives.

Question 4

Janis 1971

Answer 4

Groupthink: the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision making outcome.
Eight symptoms:
Illusions of invulnerability
Unquestioned beliefs
Rationalising
Stereotyping
Self-censorship
Mind guards
Illusions of unanimity
Direct pressure to conform

Question 5

Forsyth, 2006

Answer 5

Cognitive limitations and errors.
Three categories of potential biases:
1) Sins of Commission-misuse of information in the decision making process. It may be shown by group members remaining committed to a plan because some investment of time and money has already been made even though this plan may now be obviously flawed.
2) Sins of Omission-overlooking key information

3) Sins of Imprecision-relying too heavily on heuristics that over-simplify complex decisions

Question 6

Riggo(2009)

Answer 6

Conflicts can be divided into two broad categories: organizational factors and interpersonal factors

Organizational factors: conflict over status or salary, or disagreements over how to achieve a goal.
Interpersonal factors may be a personality clash between two people or they do not work well together for some reason.

Question 7

Pruitt and Rubin(2003)

Answer 7

Identified some positive effects of conflict:

• produces change
• resolution of conflict may strengthen group unity and commitment to organizational goals (the “storming” phase of group formation was a necessary state)
• more people are often listened to, therefore they have more of an input and feel they are contributing
• prevent “risky” decision making such as groupthink, and may also produce creative and innovative suggestions
• conflict can take the form of health competition; have positive effects on total revenue

Question 8

Thomas (1976)

Answer 8

Suggest five strategies of managing group conflict:

• competition: individuals persist in conflict
• accommodation: one individual need to make a sacrifice in order to reduce the conflict
• compromise: each group or individual make some compromise
• collaboration: the group work together to overcome the conflict
• avoidance: suppressing the conflict or withdrawing from the conflict completely