Groups and Teams Flashcards
What is the difference between a group and a team?
A group is 3 or more individuals who interact around a common goal. Where as a team is formed of a group.
What are the two types of group?
Informal and Formal
What qualities make up a formal group?
Task orientated Consciously organised Is for the organisations purpose not the individual Can be temporary or permanent Can be cross function
Cross functional groups can be cross functional or cross cultural. What is the difference?
Cross function groups are across departments, i.e. marketing and IT where as cross cultural are across cultures, i.e. countries and religions.
What qualities make up an informal group?
Occurs when psychological and social needs arise
Based on personal relationships
A grow created by anyone to achieve a goal or meet a need
Tuckman’s model of 1965 defines 5 different stages in a group. What are they?
Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjourning
What four factors contribute to cohesiveness and performance of a group?
Membership
Work environment
Organisation
Group development and maturity
Size of group, compatibility of members, performance are all traits of which factor that contributes to group cohesiveness and performance.
Membership
Nature of the task, physical setting, communications and technology are all traits of which factor that contributes to group cohesiveness and performance.
Work Environment
Management and leadership, HR policies and procedures, success and external threat are all traits of which factor that contributes to group cohesiveness and performance.
Organisation
Forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning are the 5 elements of Tuckman’s 1965 model but also are all traits of which factor that contributes to group cohesiveness and performance.
Group development and maturity
What is groupthink?
When a group tries to avoid an argument, a decision maybe taken without proper evaluation of viewpoints or thoughts.
Why does group think occur?
Group think occurs when their is high group cohesiveness,
structural faults or in certain situation contexts.
Groupthink can be caused in certain situation contexts, give three examples.
1) Highly stressful external threats
2) Recent failures
3) Moral dilemmas
Groupthink can be caused by structural faults, give three examples.
1) Lack of impartial leadership
2) Members with similar ideas or backgrounds
3) Isolation from other views outside of the group
Groupthink is thought to be a major cause of the bombing of Pearl Harbour, explain why.
Shared illusions and rationalisations
- Japanese would never attempt a flu scale attack
- The pacific fleet stationed there was a major deterrent
- We could detect ad destroy them in plenty of time
- No warships in the harbour could be sunk by air torpedoes
Warnings were made but not adhered to.
Group think is thought to be behind the collapse of Swissair, explain why.
Thought they were finically stable and invulnerable.
Reduced board size meant less views and experience
Poor decision making
There are 8 types of teams, what are they? What/who do they consist of?
Top management - CEO, Board and non-execs
R&D - highly experience and clever individuals capable of producing new products
Command groups - A group of individuals who report to the same manager
Task Forces - Ad-hoc cross functional group that meet to solve a specific need.
Self managed- A group that manages their own output
Virtual - A group that meets online or via phone/video conference
Friendship group - Informal group who enjoy each others company
Interest group - A grow who share their same interests and complete a common goal (book club)
