Chapter 18-Groups and Teams

Decision Making Defects

occurs when group members fail to make effective decisions

Poor Decision Outcomes

occurs when the group performs poorly.

Self-Managed Teams

5 to 15 employees who work together to produce an entire product. Members learn all the tasks required to produce the product and rotate from job to job. Represent a fundamental change in how work is organized.

Stages of Formal Group Development

Acceptance Stage, Communication and Decision-Making Stage, Group Solidarity Stage, and Group Control Stage

Sociogram

Constructed to summarize the informal relationships among group members.

Problem-Solving Team

Team set up to eliminate a specified problem within the organization. Formed to discuss ways to improve quality in all phases of the organization, to make organizational processes more efficient, or to improve the overall work environment.

Cross-Functional Team

Work team composed of people from different functional areas of the organization who are focused on a specified objective. Team possesses the expertise to coordinate all the department activities within the organization that affect its own work.

concurrence

a group member agrees with the entire group's position, even when the group member might privately oppose the entire group's position.

Norming

characterized by agreement among team members on roles, rules, and acceptable behavior while working on the team.

Problem-Solving Teams

Consist of 5-12 volunteer members from different areas of the department who meet weekly to discuss ways to improve quality and efficiency.

Informal Group

Defined as a collection of individuals whose common work experiences result in the development of a system of interpersonal relations that extend beyond those established by management.

Task Group

Formal group of organization members who interact with one another to accomplish most of the organization's nonroutine tasks. Consist of people from different levels in the organizational hierarchy.

Command Group

Formal group that is outlined in the chain of command of on an organization chart. Typically handle routine organizational activities.

Interest Group

Informal group that gains and maintains membership primarily because of a common concern members have about a specific issue.

5 Stages of Groupthink

antecedents concurrence seeking symptoms of groupthink decision making defects poor decision outcomes

Communication and Decision-Making Stage

provides the basis for establishing and using an effective group decision making mechanism.

Performing

the team fully focuses on solving organizational problems and on meeting assigned challenges. Managers recognize the team's accomplishments regularly, for productive team behavior must be reinforced to enhance the probability that it will continue in the future.

Friendship Group

An informal group that forms in organizations because of the personal affiliation members have with one another.

Group

Any number of people who interact with one another and are psychologically aware of one another.

Group Control Stage

Attempt to maximize the group's success by matching individual abilities with group activities and by assisting one another.

Sociometry

Gather information on the internal workings of an informal group, including the identity of the group leader, the relative status of group members, and the group's communication networks.

Committee

Group of individuals charged with performing some type of specific activity and is usually classified as a task group.

Formal Group

Group that exists within an organization by virtue of management decree to perform tasks that enhance the attainment of organizational objectives. Are clearly defined and structured.

Team

Group whose members influence one another toward the accomplishment of an organizational objective.

Committees improve

Improve the quality of decision making encourage the expression of honest opinions enhance the chances of widespread support of decisions enhance representation of important groups

Homans Model

Informal group is established to provide satisfaction and growth for its members. At the same time, the sentiments, interactions, and activities that emerge within an informal group result from the sentiments, interactions, and activities that already exist within a formal group.

Group Solidarity Stage

Members become involved in group activities and cooperate, rather than compete, with one another.

Forming

Members of the newly formed team become oriented to the team and acquainted with one another. Explore issues related to the members' new job situation.

Groupthink

Mode of thinking that group members engage in when the desire for agreement so dominates the group that it overrides the need to realistically appraise alternative problem solutions.

Antecedents

Precursors are associated with the development of groupthink.

Storming

characterized by conflict and disagreement as team members become more assertive in clarifying their individual roles. Teams seem to lack unity because members are continually challenging they way the team functions.

Symptoms of groupthink

group members feel pressure to conform and censor their own ideas

Acceptance Stage

occurs only after initial mistrust melts and the group has been transformed into one characterized by mutual trust and acceptance.