Principles of Organisational Behaviour: Groups and Group Dynamics

Groups and Group Dynamics

  • Definition of Teams
    • Teams are defined as "groups of two or more people who interact with and influence each other, are mutually accountable for achieving common goals associated with organizational objectives, and perceive themselves as a social entity" (MacShane & Von Glinow, 2021).
    • Important aspects include:
    • Group consciousness: shared understanding of purpose.
    • Interdependence: team members rely on each other to achieve goals.
    • Interaction: communication necessary for success.
    • Ability to act united: working cohesively towards objectives.

Types and Characteristics of Teams

  • Team Permanence

    • Duration of team existence.
    • Examples include:
      • Long-term teams (e.g., accounting, IT).
      • Temporary teams (e.g., task force).

  • Skill Diversity

    • Varies in terms of members' abilities and expertise.
    • High skill diversity leads to more comprehensive outcomes.

  • Authority Dispersion

    • How decision-making responsibilities are shared among members.

Reasons People Join Groups

  • Security: provides a sense of safety.
  • Goal Achievement: helps to accomplish objectives collectively.
  • Need for Social Interaction: fulfills social needs and friendships.
  • Self-Esteem: enhances individual confidence and self-worth.
  • Mutual Self-Interest: members gain benefits from group membership.

Benefits of Groups to Organizations

  • Comprehensive Skill Set: utilization of varied skills for better results.
  • Improved Problem Solving: collaborative efforts yield better solutions.
  • Better Decision-Making: collective intelligence can outperform individual decisions.
  • Higher Commitment: increases ownership and accountability among members.

Challenges of Teams

  • Process Losses: time and resources spent on team development can detract from task completion.
  • Social Facilitation Theory: performance can improve when in the presence of others (Triplett, 1900s), particularly with familiar tasks (Zajonc, 1965).
  • Social Loafing: individuals put in less effort in group settings compared to solo efforts (Latane, 1981).
    • More prominent in larger groups and trivial tasks.
    • Mitigation strategies:
    • Form smaller teams.
    • Clearly define roles and responsibilities.
    • Measure performance.
    • Increase awareness of social loafing.
  • Social Influence: groups tend to make riskier consensus decisions (Stoner, 1961).
    • Diffusion of Responsibility: individuals may feel less accountability in a group setting.

Team Effectiveness Model

  • Key Perspectives
    • Some teams succeed while others fail; effectiveness includes:
      • Benefits to the organization and members.
      • Long-term viability of the team.
    • Team Environment factors:
      • Reward systems and communication structures impact team functioning.
      • Physical space must support teamwork.
  • Team Design Considerations:
    • Task Characteristics: Complexity and structure influence effectiveness.
    • Team Size: Must be large enough for diverse skills but small enough for coordination.
  • Team Development:
    • Most critical process; directly linked to norms and cohesion among members.

Stages of Group Formation (Tuckman, 1965)

  • Forming: Initial stage where members get acquainted and establish ground rules, often marked by anxiety and politeness.
  • Storming: Members confront differences and potentially create conflict as they negotiate roles and responsibilities.
  • Norming: Development of cohesiveness with established rules; members become supportive and open to one another.
  • Performing: Full functionality where the group works effectively towards goals; high autonomy and insight are present.
  • Adjourning: The team concludes its functioning; self-reflection on achievements occurs.

Group Norms and Cohesion

  • Group Norms: Informal rules guiding behavior; help maintain predictability and group identity.
  • Cohesion: The emotional bond that encourages commitment and motivates members to work together toward common goals.
    • Can lead to over-conformity or stunting creativity if too strong.

Conformity and Social Influence

  • Conformity: Tendency to align behaviors with the group, driven by both real and perceived peer pressure (Turner, 1991).