Chapter 5: Groups and Work Teams in Organizations

Introduction

Since the beginning of time, human beings are living in groups. Sometimes to survive, sometimes to share, sometimes to help one another, sometimes for social acceleration and so on… Even the extraordinary developments in technology could not take us apart. No matter how complex and challenging it is, we still live and work in groups.

Identifying Groups

Work is conducted in groups and teams, and there is an increased interest in them. One of the reasons for this increased interest in work groups and teams is rapidly changing conditions which today’s organizations have to face.

Groups are one of the most important phenomenon leading people to specific goals. Throughout our lives, we all become members of various groups.

In order for a crowd to become a group, conditions such as common goals, common norms, and common feelings of being a group are required.

The minimum requirement for a crowd to become a group is interaction. Accordingly, the group is defined as “more than one person who are in interaction with each other”. These kinds of groups are temporary, because their members’ common goals and characteristics are limited. But as long as there is interaction, it is possible to call it as a group.

It is necessary to specify that members of groups don’t always have to share all the goals of the group. Some goals can be less important for some of group members. But if the interaction is intense, they are called as a group. Size of the group is also an important factor while defining groups. If the number of people who come together is too many, and there is no interaction between them, it is not possible to talk about presence of the group. Thus, sociologists and social psychologists focus on small groups. Small groups is a social phenomenon. We all spend significant parts of our lives in small groups like family, friend groups, and work groups. Second, small groups reflect society. By examining small groups, we can provide important information and clues about functioning of society. A small group consists of less than fifteen people. In the light of this information, we can define group as “human associations consisting of three or more persons who interact regularly and affect each other, perceive each other differently, share some common values and at least one common goal.

Group members act according to codes of conduct that are set in groups. Norms are the rules of behavior that group members must obey in their individual activities within the group and in mutual relations with each other

Why do People Join Groups?

Findings show that people participate groups for several reasons. Being member of a group helps people to fulfil important psychological and sociological needs such as belonging somewhere or attract attention of others.

The most important reasons for constituting a group are as follows:

• The willingness of individuals to be close to each other,
• Sharing common interests and common values,
• Economic reasons,
• Security,
• Gaining social respect,
• Desire of self-actualization,
• Attraction of group activities,
• Goals of the group.

Formal Groups

A group, that is formed through division of labor is called a formal group. Formal groups are constituted by the organization itself in order to perform certain tasks, and there are order groups or functional groups and task groups in formal groups. While order groups are continuous, task groups are relatively temporary.

Formal groups have certain common characteristics (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2017, p. 332):

• They are task oriented.
• They tend to be permanent.
• They have a formal structure.
• They are consciously organized by management to achieve organizational goals.
• Their activities contribute directly to the organization’s collective purpose.

Informal Groups

Informal groups are constituted by the members of organization. Among informal groups, there are friendship groups and interest groups. While friendship groups are more continuous, interest groups are relatively less continuous.

Informal groups provide some advantages to their members. First, they integrate and reinforce the social values that keep the group together. Second, they provide social satisfaction to their members. Third, informal groups easily guide their members by giving them more information. And finally, informal groups guide their members, teach group norms, standardize their behaviors, and clarify what they can expect from other people.

Stages of Group Development

Five Stage Model

One of the most widely accepted models on group development is Tuckman’s (1977) five stage development model. This model consists of five stages: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. Each stage has different implications for member behavior and group performance.

Punctuated Equilibrium Model (PEM)

Punctuated equilibrium is an alternate theory for five stages model. According to this model, groups do not go through linear stages but that group formation depends on the deadlines for the task at hand.

Characteristics of Groups

To understand the group behavior, one needs to clarify the characteristics of the group. Every group evolves through the development process. When individuals gather, differences start to appear. To manage these differences, characteristics of the group structure needs to be well identified. Some important characteristics will be discussed below. These characteristics are: roles, norms, status, leadership, and cohesiveness.

Roles

Every individual in the group needs to follow certain paths and procedures while acting according to the given roles in the organization. While some individuals play a central role, connecting every group member, others might play peripheral roles keeping communication at minimum level.

Role expectation is the way others believe how you should act in a certain situation in the group.

Conflict might be defined as the process in which one party perceives that its interests are being opposed or negatively affected by another party (Wall and Callister, 1995). In many organizations, individuals become members of multiple groups, and need to act according to different roles.

Norms

Norms are particularized by culture. If we use norm without emphasizing “behavioral norm” or “expectancy norm”, it will be in the way of a rule or a guide to behavior, a standard for the judgement of behavior.

There are three main modes of norm transmission. First one is through careful instruction, demonstrations and rituals; the second one is more passive, with nonverbal behaviors and implicit activation of normative standards; and the last one is by inferring the norm from the behavior of others around us.

According to social psychologists, conformity, compliance, and obedience are three major categories of social influence. Conformity is a change in one’s behavior due to the real or imagined influence of other people.

Status

Status is a prestige ranking in a group which is independent of formal status or position. It is a socially defined position given to a group or members by others. Each role has a certain position within the group’s status structure. The status structure defines the relative position of each role and the relationships among the roles.

Leadership

In a formal group, leader can use the legitimate power directing group members to follow the order and procedures. In informal groups, leaders may naturally emerge. They use their power and status as a respected member of the group to direct other members to accomplish group goals.

Cohesiveness

Cohesiveness is the strength of the members’ desire to remain in a team and their commitment to it. Interpersonal cohesion is the members’ attraction to other group members. Task cohesion is members’ attraction and commitment to the tasks and goals of the group.

Group Decision Making

Group decision making is pretty similar to individual decision making. Groups must use the same basic decision making process of defining the problem, identifying criteria, gathering and evaluating information, listing and evaluating alternatives, and choosing the best alternative and implementing it like an individual decision making process.

Groupthink is an agreement-at-any-cost mentality that results in ineffective group or team decision making and poor decisions.

Group Decision Making Techniques

Many group decision making techniques have been evolved until now. In this section, three important technique will be discussed consequently: brainstorming, nominal group technique, and Delphi method.

In brain storming, participants spontaneously generate as much ideas as possible. Its role in the decision process is to create a set of decision alternatives, not to pick the final alternative.

Nominal group technique consists of four stages. At first stage, group members silently and independently write down their ideas. Then, each member describes these ideas one by one to the other group members without critique. The group discusses the ideas afterwards. Finally, group members silently and independently evaluate the ideas presented.

In Delphi method, group members are not required to be face to face. Usually group members respond to a survey form without gathering. Then, group members receive a second survey form to rank the items generated and summarized from the first round.

Types of Teams

Project teams are composed of members from different departments, focusing on a specific problem or a project temporarily. Cross functional teams are a very good example of project teams.

If the members focus on a specific issue, develop a potential solution, and act within outlined borders, this team is called problem-solving teams. They are basically shaped to solve problems.

Team learning is the ability of members to share and build on their individual knowledge so that group also evolves, develops and implements innovative ways of doing business.

Virtual team members can work anywhere and at any time. They can be recruited for their competencies, not just for the physical location. Members with physical handicaps that limit travel can participate. Expenses associated with travel, lodging, and leasing or owning physical space may be reduced.

Team Composition

Ability and the personality of the team members are important factors for effectiveness. Effective and varied skills and experience needed in members to accomplish group tasks. Problemsolving, decision-making, and interpersonal skills are amongst them.