Groups, teams, & teamwork

Question 1

Why do people join groups?

Answer 1

Organizational functions
Individual functions

Question 2

What are the organizational functions of joining a group?

Answer 2

Accomplishing tasks beyond capabilities of the individual and it is helpful for making complex decisions

Question 3

What are the individual functions of joining a group?

Answer 3

Satisfies the need for affiliation and social identity.
Allows employees to share ideas and beliefs
Reduces anxiety and feels of powerfulness

Question 4

What makes a group a team?

Answer 4

Specific roles
Common purpose
Performing goals
Mutual accontability

Question 5

What makes a group a team?

Answer 5

Specific roles
Common purpose
Performing goals
Mutual accountability

Question 6

Principles of teamwork

Answer 6

Members…
support each other
give and recieve feedback
believe interdependence is a virtue
view themselves as a collective
recognize the need for a leader

Question 7

What makes a team effective?

Answer 7

Were expectations met?
Did members feel competent and satisfied with the experience?
Can the group meet up to work together again?

Question 8

Tuckman’s stage model - Stages of group development

Answer 8

Stages of groups are based on major issues and common problems that are dealt with during development

To improve group functioning, we should be able to understand those issues and problems

Question 9

5 stages of Tuckman’s model

Answer 9

Forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning

Question 10

Norming stage 1

Answer 10

Getting to know each other

Uncertainty and anxiety rises

Leader should clarify the purpose and build familiarity among team members

Question 11

Storming stage 2

Answer 11

Assigning roles and responsibilities to team members

Role overload, role conflict, role ambiguity can arise

Leader should formally and clearly assign work ( and specific roles)
Assign work based on member capability and work flow

Question 12

Norming stage 3

Answer 12

Formal and informal standards of behavior are developing
Examples: How we communicate, make decisions, etc.

bad habits can develop (ineffective patterns of behavior)

Leader should clearly communicate expectations, role model, and reinforce desired behaviors

Question 13

Why do we have norms?

Answer 13

Increase predictability of behavior
Keep things running smoothly

Question 14

How do norms develop?

Answer 14

Explicit statements by leaders or group members

Critical events in group’s history

Adopt first pattern of behavior developed

Carryover from past experiences

Question 15

Performing stage 4

Answer 15

The team is performing the tasks assigned to accomplish goals/ objectives

Ineffective team functioning/ performance issues can be problematic

Leader should understand effective leadership techniques, motivation, and attidues

Question 16

Adjourning stage 5

Answer 16

Tasks have been performed

Objectives accomplished (or given up)

Members disband

People reflect on experience

Question 17

What kind of leadership is needed in early stages of the group?

Answer 17

A leader who eliminates ambiguity, imposes structure, and reinforces good behavior (can use transformational leadership)

Question 18

What kind of leadership is needed in later stages of the group?

Answer 18

A leader who provides direction and motivation. They should inspire employees (transformational leadership)

Question 19

Social loafing

Answer 19

The tendency for people to exert less effort on a task when they are performing in groups, compared to when they are performing the same task alone.

Question 20

Why does social loafing occur?

Answer 20

Equity theory - we all have the same rewards… why should I try harder than my coworker?

Loss of personal accountability - my contributions are not easily identifiable so why should I try hard?

Question 21

How can we decrease social loafing?

Answer 21

Increase personal accountability

Question 22

How can we increase personal accountability?

Answer 22

Allow members to punish/reward each other
- feedback forms after group project - rating each other

Stepladder technique
- 2 people work together, everyone else works alone. The person who is working alone presents to group and than switch and repeat

That will increase personal accountability because people know their contributions are identifiable

Question 23

Social loafing callout

Answer 23

Social loafing is when someone is capable of doing a task but doesn’t because they are in a group.
It is not that they are too busy or do not have the time. In order to social loaf, you need to be free to do the task but choose not to .

Question 24

Conformity and obedience

Answer 24

social influence can cause people to behave in ways they typically would not

Question 25

Our ____ is affected by the evaluation of others

Answer 25

self concept and self esteem

Question 26

Why does our self esteem and self concept so heavily impacted by the evaluations of others?

Answer 26

We want to be liked
We want to be seen as good at what we do

Question 27

What did we learn from Milgram’s experiment?

Answer 27

People will conform (obey) when placed in a social (group) setting

They behave in ways that are different from how they would individually choose to behave

Being a group leader carries with it considerable power… your beliefs will influence how the group performs

Question 28

Why do people conform?

Answer 28

They believe the majority’s views must be more appropriate than their own

their desire for group cohesion (to avoid conflict) outweighs their desire to be correct

Question 29

Group think

Answer 29

A mode of thinking that people engage in when they are involved in a cohesive in-group whose members desire for unity overrides their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action.

Question 30

What are the symptoms of group think?

Answer 30

Suppression of info that goes against majority
Ridicule dissenters
Devaluing the views of outsiders.

Question 31

How can we prevent groupthink?

Answer 31

Outsiders should be brought in to provide fresh perspectives

Assign people to the role of devil’s advocate

Leaders do not make opinions immediately present

Question 32

What is group polarization?

Answer 32

Individuals tend to shift in a more extreme direction when discussing in groups

Moderately favorable/negative attitudes become more favored/negative when discussed in a group

Question 33

Why does group polarization happen?

Answer 33

Social-comparison Theory
Persuasive Arguments Theory

Question 34

What is the social comparison theory?
(group polarization)

Answer 34

People tend to prefer someone with convictions over ambivalent people… and people want to be liked.

Question 35

What is the Persuasive Arguments Theory
(group polarization)

Answer 35

People shift views because they are persuaded by the arguments of those with the dominant views

Question 36

How can we prevent group polarization

Answer 36

Avoid group discussions when they are unnecessary.

Build in a “cooling-off” period after group discussions and before a decision is made.

Question 37

3 stages of team effectivity

Answer 37

Inputs –> process –> outcomes

Question 38

What are the inputs for team effectiveness?

Answer 38

Task structure
Composition
Shared mental model
Rewards

Question 39

Task structure

Answer 39

When do groups outperform individuals?
When the task is high in interdependacne
(typically not brainstorming or creative tasks)

Question 40

Composition

Answer 40

Group size
Team size should be redetermines by required tasks

too many people in group = social loafing
too little people in group = role overload

Question 41

Shared mental model

Answer 41

Task model - what do people do?
Team model - what are peoples skills?

Question 42

Rewards

Answer 42

If teamwork is valued, it should also be rewarded
(expectancy theory)

Group rewards are most appropriate when group work is interdependent

Blend of individual and group rewards

Question 43

Important process aspects

Answer 43

Communication
Cooperation
Cohesiveness
Trust

Question 44

How can we improve group processes?

Answer 44

Team building exercises (only if done correctly)
Training - observe communication and fix problems