Group Behaviour in Organisations

Question 1

What are the five stages in Tuckman’s model of group development?

Answer 1

forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning

Question 2

What does “forming” mean in Tuckman’s stages of group development?

Answer 2

Team acquaints and establishes ground rules. Formalities are preserved and members are treated as strangers.

Question 3

What does “storming” mean in Tuckman’s stages of group development?

Answer 3

Members start to communicate their feelings but still view themselves as individuals rather than part of the team. They resist control by group leaders and show hostility.

Question 4

What does “norming” mean in Tuckman’s stages of group development?

Answer 4

People feel part of the team and realize that they can achieve work if they accept other viewpoints.

Question 5

What does “performing” mean in Tuckman’s stages of group development?

Answer 5

The team works in an open and trusting atmosphere where flexibility is key and hierarchy is of little importance.

Question 6

What does “adjourning” mean in Tuckman’s stages of group development?

Answer 6

The team conducts an assessment of the year and implements a plan for transitioning roles and recognising member’s contributions.

Question 7

What does Belbin’s Theory of Team Roles state?

Answer 7

It says an ideal team contains people who are prepared to take on different roles

Question 8

What is the “Belbin Test”?

Answer 8

It is a test for assessing team roles (these are paid tests) giving lots of detail about skills and abilities relating to your team and giving advice on what roles may be best and least suited to your team, as well as best and least suited strategies for implementation of goals.

Question 9

Who studied the “pre-planning” stage of decision making?

Answer 9

Wedley & Field (1984)

Question 10

What are some examples of questions that should be answered during the pre-planning stage?

Answer 10

1. What type of leadership should we use?
2. Should we involve others?
3. How do we gather information?
4. What people should we contact?
5. How do we come up with alternatives?

Question 11

What is a DSS (decision support system)?

Answer 11

It is a computer-based system that supports decision making activities

Question 12

What is groupthink?

Answer 12

Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people, in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision making outcome.
The group creates a situation where a decision is made which would not have been made by individuals

Question 13

What were the 8 “symptoms” of groupthink that Janis (1971) identified?

Answer 13

1. illusions of invulnerability
2. unquestioned beliefs
3. rationalising
4. stereotyping
5. self-censorship
6. mind guards
7. illusions of unanimity
8. direct pressure to conform

Question 14

What does it mean to be the “devil’s advocate”?

Answer 14

To take the other side of an argument on purpose.

Question 15

What are the 3 categories of potential biases that can affect group decision making according to Forsyth (2006)?

Answer 15

1. sins of commission
2. sins of omission
3. sins of imprecision

Question 16

What are “sins of commission”?

Answer 16

The misuse of information in the decision making process. It can be using information that has already been shown to be inaccurate (belief perseverance). It may also be shown by group members committed to a plan because some investment of time or money has already been made, even though this plan may now be obviously flawed (sunk cost bias). If a group chooses to use information despite having been told to ignore it, they are guilty of extra-evidentiary bias. they can also overestimate the importance of past knowledge of experience (hindsight bias).

Question 17

What are “sins of omission”?

Answer 17

Overlooking key information. Can include base rate bias, which is overlooking very basic relevant information. The fundamental attribution error is made when members of a group make decisions based on inaccurate appraisals of a person’s behaviour.

Question 18

What are “sins of imprecision”?

Answer 18

Involves relying too heavily on heuristics (patterns of thinking and decision making) that over-simplify complex decisions. Heuristics include the availability heuristic (over-reliance on the information that is most easily and readily available), the conjunctive bias (failing to consider relationships between events), and the representativeness heuristic (group members rely too heavily on decision making factors that may appear meaningful but are actually misleading).

Question 19

What is intra-group conflict?

Answer 19

Where people within the same group are in conflict.

Question 20

What is inter-group conflict?

Answer 20

Conflict between two groups within the same organisation.

Question 21

What is inter-individual conflict?

Answer 21

Conflict between two or more individuals within a group.

Question 22

What are the two broad categories of conflict within a group compared to Riggo (2009)?

Answer 22

1. Organisational factors
2. Interpersonal factors

Question 23

What are examples of organisational factors in conflict?

Answer 23

Could be conflict over status or salary, or disagreements over how to achieve a goal, or a location of resources or space.

Question 24

What are examples of interpersonal factors in conflict?

Answer 24

Could be a personality clash, or people not working well together. if these clashes are between leaders it can produce increased conflict quickly and easily.

Question 25

What are the positive effects of conflict that were identified by Pruitt and Rubin (2003)?

Answer 25

1. they suggest it’s conflict which produces change (can be particularly true of small organisations where change is easier to implement)
2. the resolution of conflict can strengthen the group unity and commitment to goals or even to the group
3. in the ‘storming’ phase this kind of conflict can be particularly helpful, and sometimes necessary

Question 26

What were the 5 strategies that can be used to manage group conflict according to Thomas (1976)?

Answer 26

1. competition
2. accommodation
3. compromise
4. collaboration
5. avoidance

Question 27

What does it mean to use “competition” to manage group conflict?

Answer 27

People may persist in conflict until someone wins and someone loses, then the conflict is over.

Question 28

What does it mean to use “accommodation” to manage group conflict?

Answer 28

One person will need to make a sacrifice to reduce the conflict. This can be very effective in reducing conflict and preventing further damage.

Question 29

What does it mean to use “compromise” to manage group conflict?

Answer 29

Each group or person in the conflict must make some compromise and give up something to reduce the conflict. This is only effective if both sides lose comparable things.

Question 30

What does it mean to use “collaboration” to manage group conflict?

Answer 30

The group has to work together to overcome the conflict.

Question 31

What does it mean to use “avoidance” to manage group conflict?

Answer 31

Involves suppressing the conflict or withdrawing from it completely. This does not resolve the conflict as it hasn’t been addressed. This can be effective in creating a ‘cooling off’ period.