L15 - Org Psych - Groups and Teams

Question 1

Organisational Psych differens from Traditional Industrial Psych how?

Answer 1

Traditional Industrial: Focus on Individual

(are they fit for work related performance)

Organisational Psych: Systems oriented approach

(person and their interaction with the environment, including groups and teams and work)

Question 2

The majority of people are involved in around _ groups and these groups consist of around _ people or less

Answer 2

5, 5

Question 3

What impact does groups have on a persons life and in the workpalce

Answer 3

They have a motivating influence on individuals

Considered to inspire people to perform at their best and plays a key role for self-esteem

they play a key role in organisations

Question 4

Why do organisations put an emphasis of recruits being ‘team players’

Answer 4

Much organisational work is performed in teams.

Team performance thus affects the success of the organisation as a whole

Question 5

What is an “aggregate of people” rather than a “psychological group of people”

Answer 5

A number of people together who don’t identify as being part of the same group as the others

e.g. passengers on a bus, people at the movies

Question 6

What is the definition of a psychological group?

(Johnson and Johnson, 1991)

Answer 6

refers to two or more people,

who consider themselves to be a part of an identifiable unit,

who interact with each other,

each aware of their membership to the group,

each aware of the others who belong to the group, and each aware of their positive interdependence

Question 7

Which one of the following refers to a “group” rather than just an “aggregate of people”

People riding on a bus
Blonde women 20-30 years of age
Members of a hockey team
Audience in a theatre
People sheltering in a shop doorway

Answer 7

Hockey team

Question 8

When may an aggregate such as “audience in a theatre” change from an “aggregate” to a “group”

Answer 8

In situations such as “natural disasters” where they have to pull together to achieve something (seen in movies frequently)

when a major event brings people together due to a shared experience

Question 9

What are the 5 characteristics of a psychological group

Answer 9

1. Minimum membership of two people
2. Socially interact (face-to-face, virtually, via audio-visual means
   on the internet)
3. Shared sense of collective identity/organisational system
4. Shared group goals (exhibit interdependencies)
5. Group structure – different roles and responsibilities

Question 10

What are the two types of groups?

Answer 10

Formal and Informal

Question 11

Why do formal and informal groups emerge?

Answer 11

They emerge due to various reasons such as needs, goals, economics

Needs include security, being empowered (being in a group)

Social needs - need to belong to a social group

Question 12

What is a formal group?

Answer 12

Consciously created to accomplish a defined part of an organisation’s collective purpose.

The formal group’s functions are the tasks which are assigned to it, and for which it is officially held responsible

Question 13

What is an informal group?

Answer 13

A collection of individuals who become a group when members develop interdependencies, influence one another’s behaviour and contribute to mutual need satisfaction

e.g. a social group outside of work

Question 14

If a group of employees from work start generating friendships and meet outside of work, what type of group is this?

Answer 14

informal group

it was a formal group when they were at work doing work duties, but when they go outside of work it become informal

Question 15

What are the 5 characteristics of formal groups?

Answer 15

1. task-oriented
2. tend to be permanent
3. have a formal structure
4. consciously organised by management to achieve organizational goals
5. their activities contribute directly to the organisation’s collective purpose

Question 16

What are the 5 characteristics of informal groups?

Answer 16

1. socially oriented
2. permanent or temporary
3. informal structure
4. evolve through member interactions
5. contribute to member need satisfaction

Question 17

What were the Hawthorn studies based on in the 1920s?

What was the hypothesis?

Answer 17

The effect of illumination on productivity

Workers with more light would be more productive

Question 18

What were the results of the Hawthorn studies in the 1920s?

Answer 18

In the experimental room, productivity increased when light was brighter and when lights were dimmer

control room where light was constant - productivity went up and down

Question 19

Due to the unforseen results of the Hawthorn illumination studies in the 1920s, what were th conclusions the researchers drew?

Answer 19

Results demonstrate the influence of social factors on work performance.

the experimenters presence effected performance

Question 20

What did the Bank Wirers experiment look at (1920s, same researchers who did Hawthorne experiment)?

Answer 20

Looked at norms and rules set up by the group to control their output

Question 21

What did the bank wirers experiment reveal (1920s) about what factors influence worker productivity?

Answer 21

Workers were more responsive to the social forces of their group than to the incentives of management

Question 22

Tuckman and Jensen (1977) suggest that groups pass through 5 clearly defined stages of group development.

What are the Tuckman and Jensen (1977) 5 stages of group development?

Answer 22

1. Forming – is the orientation stage in which the set of individuals has not gelled

2. Storming – this is the conflict stage in the group’s life and can be quite an uncomfortable time

3. Norming - in this cohesion stage the members of the group develop ways of working to develop closer relationships

4. Performing – in this stage the group has developed a structure, and is concerned with getting on with the job

5. Adjourning – this is the final stage and the point at which the group may disband

Question 23

According to Tuckman and Jensen’s (1977) stages of group developing theory, can a group get onto performing the task at hand immediately?

Explain

Answer 23

No

Group has to go through forming, storming and norming before it can move onto performing - it won’t be productive otherwise

• some groups may never get to performing stage*
• Some groups may go from storming - norming then back to storming if some things were not resolved*

Question 24

According to Belbin’s team role theory, a successful team requires someone to fulfill one or more of _ roles

(Belbin, 1981, 1993, 1996)

Answer 24

9 roles

Question 25

What are Belbin’s 9 roles that are required to be filled in order to have a successful team

Belbin (1970s)

Answer 25

1. Plant (creative, solves difficult problems)

• *2. Resource investigator** (explores opportunities)
• *3. Coordinator** (mature, confident, a good chair)
• *4. Shaper** (challenging, drive to overcome obstacles)
• *5. Monitor – evaluator** (strategic, discerning, judges accurately)
• *6. Team worker** (cooperative, calms the waters)
• *7. Implementer** (disciplined, reliable, realizes ideas)
• *8. Completer** (conscientious, delivers on time)
• *9. Specialist** (knowledge and skills in rare supply)

Question 26

At what stage are “rules” defined in Tuckman and Jensens 5 stages of group development?

Answer 26

Storming Stage

• the conflict stage*
• can be uncomfortable when people disagree on the purpose / direction of the group*

Question 27

Traditionally, what type of things are typically considered when deciding what role a person should play in an organisational group?

Answer 27

Experiences, qualifications, skills etc.

not to do with personality

Question 28

According to Belbin’s Team Role Theory, ______ needs to be considered

explain

Answer 28

personality

Some people may not want to perform certain roles, even if they have the ability

Some people prefer specific roles etc.

Question 29

Of Belbin’s 9 roles, how many need to be filled?

Answer 29

All of them by at least one person

Question 30

What was the argument behind using Belbin’s Team Role Theory?

Answer 30

People could select what they would like to do and what they wouldn’t like to do based on their personality

people look at this and decide, rather than appointing based on their experiences and qualifications

Question 31

For Belbin’s Team Theory to work you need at least 9 people to fulfill the 9 roles

True/False

Answer 31

False

One person can fulfill more than one role

Question 32

Groups are assigned to Belbin’s theory based on _______

Answer 32

self-report questionnaires

Question 33

What are the criticisms of Belbin’s team role theory?

4 reasons

Answer 33

1. It is difficult to conclude that a given team succeeded or failed because it did or did not posses all 9 roles
2. Belbin’s questionnaire is based on respondents self-reports
3. It underplays the impact of wider environmental factors
   * (e.g. performance may be impeded by inadequate funding)*
4. Performance may be affected by a variety of other factors
   * (e.g strategy, leadership structure or management style)*