NORTHERN LUZON ADVENTIST COLLEGE

DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS EDUCATION

COURSE: HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN ORGANIZATION

LESSON 7: GROUPS AND WORK TEAMS

I. Introduction

Group output and productivity are essential concerns of people managing

organizations. This is expected because whatever the groups do, the organization is
affected.

If the organization is to be made effective in accomplishing its goals, the groups

comprising it must be managed properly. This can be achieved through the use of
knowledge about the behavior of groups including work teams.

II. Learning Outcomes

After reading this chapter, the students should be able to:

 Explain the importance of groups and work teams
 Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of groups
 Identify how to develop an effective teams and a team player

III. Integration of Faith:

“Two are better off than one, because together they can work more effectively.
If one of them falls down, the other can help him up. But if someone is alone and falls,
it’s just too bad, because there is no one to help him. If it is cold, two can sleep together
and stay warm, but how can you keep warm by yourself Two people can resist an
attack that would defeat one person alone. A rope made of three cords is hard to
break.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

IV. Topics for Reading:

Book/Reference: Human Behavior in Organization
Pinoy Human Behavior in Organization
 GROUPS AND WORK TEAMS
Group output and productivity are essential concerns of people managing
organizations. This is expected because whatever the groups do, the organization is affected.

If the organization is to be made effective in accomplishing its goals, the groups

comprising it must be managed properly. This can be achieved through the use of knowledge
about the behavior of groups including work teams.

WHAT ARE GROUPS

A group may be defined as two or more persons, interacting and interdependent, who have
come together to achieve certain objectives.

Groups may be classified as:

1. Formal Group. This one is defined by the organization structure, with designated work
assignments and established tasks. An example of a formal group is the economics
area of a university consisting of six faculty members and an area chairman.

2. Informal Group. This group type is neither formally structured nor organizationally
determined. It is formed by individuals and developed around common interests and
friendship rather than around a deliberate design. An example is a group of six faculty
members of a university who love music and bring their musical instruments at a place
outside the university, and play for a few hours every Saturday evening. They don’t get
paid for playing; they just enjoy themselves.

Types of Formal Groups

Formal groups may be further classified as:
1. Command Group. A group composed of individuals who report directly to a certain
manager. An example is a group consisting of a sales supervisor and his ten salesmen.

2. Task Group. It is that kind of group consisting of persons working together to complete a
job task. An example is the group of five faculty members from different departments
coordinating and preparing the semester enrollment program of the university.

Types of Informal Groups:

Informal groups may be classified as follows:
1. Interest Group. An interest group is one that is formed because of some special topic
interest. In general, the group disbands when the interest declines or a goal has been
achieved. An example of an interest group is that of employees with young children
grouping together to represent a unified front to management for some benefits like
allowances for child care.

2. Friendship Groups. A friendship group is one where members are brought together
because they share one or more common characteristics such as age, political beliefs,
or ethnic background. Friendship groups often extend their interaction and
communication to activities outside of their jobs
WHY PEOPLE FORM GROUPS
People form groups for reason such as:
1. need satisfaction
2. proximity
3. attraction
4. goals and
5. economics

People join groups because they believe that groups are venues for satisfying their needs.
Social needs, for instance, may be satisfied through interaction with group members.

Proximity is another reason why people form groups. When people work near each other, it
is not hard for them to form a group.

People are attracted to each other because of similarities in perception, attitude,

performance, or motivation. This condition is a positive factor in the formation of groups.

A group is formed when a number of people are required to achieve a goal. For instance,
a symphony cannot be played without first forming a group of musicians.

Individual person join groups so they can obtain economic benefits not otherwise made
available if they are not members of a group. A labor union, for instance, is a group of
people whose primary aim is to bargain for economic benefits with the employer.

STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT

Groups are like people; they learn and they develop. How they evolve may be seen through a
presentation of a standardized sequence in the development of groups. The sequence
consists of different stages as follows:
1. the forming stage
2. the storming stage
3. the norming stage
4. the performing stage
5. the adjourning stage

The Forming Stage

The first stage of group development is the forming stage. There are various ways of
forming groups. One way is that person getting appointed to a discipline committee.
Another is that person who is helping to form a medical mission, and another is that
person who is gradually becoming part of a choral group over a period of months.

In the forming stage, the initial entry of members to a group is a primary concern.
However, the specific concerns of the members of the following:
1. they are eager to learn what tasks they will be performing;
2. how they can benefit from goup membership;
3. what constitutes acceptable behavior; and
4. what rules must be followed.
The foregoing concerns clearly indicate that this stage is characterized by uncertainty
about the group’s purpose, structure, and leadership. However, when members begin
to think of themselves as part of a group, the forming stage is complete.

The Storming Stage

The storming stage is that stage when conflict within the group happens. Members may
get involved in competition for desired assignments and disagreements over
appropriate behaviors and responsibilities related to task performance.

The group experiences many changes. Expectations of the members tend to be

clarified and elaborated further.

Under this stage, coalitions or cliques may form. As individuals compete to impose their
preferences on the group and to achieve their desired status position, conflict may
develop over leadership and authority.

When there is a relatively clear hierarchy of leadership within the group, the storming
stage is completed.

The Norming Stage

This stage is also known as the initial integration stage, this is when the group really
begins to come together as a coordinated unit. Cooperation and collaboration are its
main characteristics. There is an open exchange of information, acceptance of
differences of opinion, and active attempts to achieve goals and objectives which are
mutually agreed upon.

In this stage, members feel a preliminary sense of closeness, and would want to protect
the group from disintegration. When the group structure solidifies and the group has
assimilated a common set of expectations of what defines correct member behavior,
the norming stage is complete.

The Performing Stage

In the performing stage, the group emerges as a mature, organized, and a well-
functioning group, and it is ready to focus on accomplishing its key tasks. This stage is
also referred to as the integration stage.

Under this stage, group energy has moved from getting to know and understand each
other to performing the task at hand. Intrinsic motivation and creativity are likely to
emerge as the group performs.

The performing stage consists of two different sub-stages as follows:

1. The sub-stage where the group has attained a level of effectiveness that will
remain more or less constant and as such, group performance will be
maintained at a level sufficient to ensure survival.
 2. The sub-stage where the process of learning and development of the group is
ongoing so that group effectiveness and efficiency continues, and as a result,
group performance will reach higher levels.

The Adjourning Stage

The adjourning stage involves the termination of activities. This stage is applicable to
temporary groups such as committees, project groups, task forces, and similar entities.

The termination of the group’s activities may be triggered by any of the following:
1. When the group’s purpose has been fulfilled; or
2. When the group has failed to revitalize itself during the performing stage.
There are instances, however, when the activities of permanent groups are also
terminated. The reasons for such termination include organizational downsizing,
merging, or bankruptcy.

ROLES WITHIN GROUPS

Group efforts can be made more effective if relevant roles are played within the group.
There are specific roles that are deemed important in the group process. These are the
following:

1. Knowledge contributor. Any group would largely benefit from a member who plays this
role. If he is technically proficient enough, he will be providing useful and valid
information. He can be of great help in task accomplishment and the value of sharing
technical expertise with other members of the group.

2. Process Observer. The person occupying his role forces members to look at how the
group functions. He is the first member affected when the group is starting to fail in
doing its function. However, he is also the first to acknowledge excellent group
performance.

3. People supporter. Some group members are not emotionally strong to face the various
difficulties heaped upon them in the performance of their functions. There is a need for
one member to assume the role of people supporter who provides emotional support
to teammates and resolve conflicts. He listens actively to presentations made by other
members. His smiles, humorous comments, and his relaxed appearance make others
feel relaxed. Even if he disagrees with others, he supports and encourages them.

4. Challenger. The group needs someone who confronts and challenges bad ideas. This
will prevent complacency and non-critical thinking. The challenger will succeed in his
role if he possesses effective interpersonal skills. He must not appear as someone who
challenges anything for the sake of challenging. His role must be regarded as a part of
the problem solving process.

5. Listener. There is a need for someone to listen to whatever ideas or proposals presented
by any member of the group. Somebody must assume that role. Even the best
proposals will go to waste if nobody cares to listen.
 6. Mediator. It is not uncommon for group members to get involved in disputes between
each other. When this happens, it will affect not only the performance of the
protagonists but also the whole group as well. To avoid this, it is important for the group
to have someone assume the role of mediator.

7. Gatekeeper. There is always a chance that one or two overeager members will
dominate discussions. As a result, timid members may not be heard even if their views
are worth listening to. There is also that chance that even good ideas that were
presented and recognized may be forgotten after some time. The role of the
gatekeeper is to provide the opportunity for every member to express his or her opinion.
The gatekeeper will also remind every member about good ideas that were recognized
previously.

8. Take-charge leader. There are occasions when a group has no appointed leader, or if
there is one, he could not play his role for one reason or another. The leadership
vacuum cannot exist indefinitely and for the sake of group effectiveness, a team
member should assume the role of the take-charge leader. With the leader, the group
can then move forward by defining its mission and determining its objectives.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF GROUPS

Working in a group offers the following advantages:
1. More inputs from various perspectives can be made available for effective decision
making;
2. Synergism is more likely when people work together as a group;
3. People in the groups are more supportive of decisions that were formulated with their
assistance;
4. It allows the efficient exchange of information for effective problem solving;
5. The opportunity for fulfilling the safety, affiliation, and esteem needs of group members
is made available; and
6. Group members get mutual support from each other.

Working in a group, however, has disadvantages which include the following:

1. Group activity is usually slower and more cumbersome because every member has the
opportunity to make contributions;
2. Group meetings are held to disseminate strictly routine data that could be more
efficiently conveyed in writing through interoffice memorandum. When this happens,
the effectiveness of the group is undermined;
3. The group’s decision may be diluted by every member’s input making the decision
ineffective;
4. Accountability is often a problem with group activity;
5. There are occasions when some members of the group do the work;
6. When the group is highly cohesive and motivated, outside criticism tends to be ignored
as group members look inward for reinforcement of each other’s opinions.
GROUPTHINK
The previously-cited item No. 6, which is a disadvantage of working in a group, is
actually referred to as “groupthink”. This term may be briefly defined as a deterioration of
metal efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgment in the interest of group cohesiveness.
Individual thinking is brought in line with the average quality of the group’s thinking.

An illustration of groupthink may be provided as follows:

Ten years ago, Mr. George Publico was assigned to train five bright new employees. He
was satisfied with their performance and he facilitated their promotion to supervisory positions.
Later, Mr. Publico was directed to form a group that will perform special tasks like finding
effective ways of cost-cutting. The five new supervisors were assigned to him as members of
the group. They were thankful that they were given the opportunity to work with their
benefactor.

During group meetings, the five members always defer for their leader. Whatever
problems are tossed to the group, they determine Mr. Publico’s view, and not wanting to
displease him, they indicate their approval. Their job as group members became routine and
easy because it is the leader who does all the thinking.

How To Minimize Groupthink

The existence of groupthink is an indication that the group may be functioning

effectively. There are some ways of minimizing groupthink. These are:
1. Monitoring group size, so it will not grow large enough to intimidate some members to
perform well;
2. Encouraging group leaders to play an impartial role by actively seeking input from all
members and avoid expressing their own opinions, especially in the early stages of
deliberation;
3. Appointing a member to play the role of devil’s advocate; and
4. Using exercises that stimulate active discussion of diverse alternatives without
threatening the group and intensifying identity protection.

TECHNIQUES IN GROUP DECISION MAKING

There are various techniques used in group decision making. Four of these are
presented as follows:
1. interacting groups
2. brainstorming
3. nominal group technique
4. electronic meeting

Interacting Groups
Interacting groups are typical groups in which members interact with each other face-
to-face. The essence of interaction is the sending and receiving of information through
oral, written, and nonverbal communication.
The main drawback of this technique is its susceptibility to “groupthink”.

Brainstorming
Brainstorming is a group problem-solving technique which promotes creativity by
encouraging members to come up with any ideas, no matter how strange, without fear
of criticism.

In brainstorming, the participants are requires to observe the following procedures:

1. generate as many ideas as possible;
2. be creative, freewheeling, and imaginative;
3. build upon, extend, or combine earlier ideas; and
4. withhold criticism of others’ ideas.

When group members meet to determine the best solution to a problem, some
members tend to be hesitant in suggesting solutions for fear of being ridiculed. An
underlying principle in brainstorming is to minimize or eliminate the element of hesitation
by deferring judgment on ideas forwarded.

The chance of making a good choice depends on the number of ideas listed. To
improve the chance of selecting a good solution, adherence to the principle of
“quantity breeds quality” is a feature of brainstorming technique.

Nominal group Technique

The nominal group technique is a group decision-making method in which individual
members meet face-to-face to pool their judgments in a systematic but independent
fashion. The group decision is the mathematically pooled outcome of individual votes.

The following discrete steps are undertaken in the nominal group technique.
1. Individual members quietly list their ideas.
2. Ideas are written on a chart one at a time until all ideas are listed.
3. Brief time is allotted so that questions can be asked, but only for clarification.
4. A written vote is taken and the group decision is announced.

Electronic Meeting
Electronic meeting is a decision-making technique wherein members interact through
computers, allowing anonymity of comments and aggregation of votes. This technique
features the distinct advantages of anonymity, honesty, and speed.

Any group member can anonymously type any message he wants and it flashes on the
screen for the entire group to see at the push of a member’s keyboard. Since
anonymity is assured, members can honestly express their views. Because of computers,
messages are quickly relayed in an electronic meeting.
WHAT ARE WORK TEAMS
Work teams are important elements of organizations. They are the groups expected to
deliver high performance when the organization requires it.

A work team is a formal group comprised of people interacting very closely together
with a shared commitment to accomplish agreed-upon objectives.

Differences between Workgroups and Teams

Groups and teams are not similar. A workgroup is one that interacts primarily to share
information and to make decisions to help each member perform within his or her area of
responsibility. Groups emphasize individual leadership, individual accountability, and individual
work products.

Teams emphasize shared leadership, mutual accountability, and collective work

products.

TYPES OF TEAMS
There are various types of teams. The most common are:
1. problem-solving teams
2. self-managed work teams
3. cross functional teams
4. virtual teams

Problem-Solving Teams
Problem-solving teams are groups of 5 to 12 employees from the same department
who meet for a few hours each week to discuss ways of improving quality, efficiency,
and work environment.

Members of problem solving teams share ideas or offer suggestions on how processes
and methods can be improved.

Self-managed Work Teams

A self-managed work team is one that is empowered to make decisions about work
schedules, task allocations, job skills training, performance evaluation, selection of new
team members, and controlling quality of work. Team members are collectively held
accountable for the team’s overall performance results.

Each member is expected to be able to perform many different jobs. Because of this,
team members are provided with training in performing more than one job on the
team.
The traditional duties performed by managers or first line supervisors such as planning
and work scheduling, performance evaluation, and quality control are taken over by
the team members.

The advantages of self-managed work teams are:

1. improved flexibility of staff;
2. the reduced number of job classifications result to more efficient operations;
3. absenteeism and turnover rates are lower; and
4. organizational commitment and job satisfaction are at higher levels.

The disadvantages of self-managed work team are:

1. implementing the concept takes time (as long as several years);
2. the cost of training the team members is high;
3. there are inefficiencies created during the training period; and
4. some employees are not able to adapt to a team structure.

Cross Functional Teams

A cross functional team is one composed of employees from about the same
hierarchical levels, but from different work areas, who come together to accomplish a
task. An example is a team of supervisors coming from the design, manufacturing, and
purchasing units of the company, plus a representative from a major supplier.

The advantage of a cross functional team is that it allows people from different units to
perform the following:
1. exchange information
2. develop new ideas
3. solve problems
4. coordinate complex projects

The main disadvantage is that it consumes much time as the members learn to work
with diversity and complexity. On the psychological aspect, building trust and
teamwork also take time, especially when the people involved are from different
backgrounds.

Virtual Teams
Virtual teams are those that use computer technology to tie together physically
dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal. Members do the same things
as members of face-to-face teams. They also share information, make decisions, and
complete tasks. The difference is they do it with the aid of computers.

Virtual teams can meet without concern for space, time, or physical presence. They
can work even if they are thousands of miles apart.

A major disadvantage of virtual teams is the high cost of the required supporting
technology and training.
DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE TEAMS
Teams can be made effective if the following are observed:
1. Team size must be kept as small as possible. The larger the team, the more difficult it
would be to manage it.
2. The team members must have a sufficient range of skills, information, and/or
experience to do the task.
3. Team members must have a sense of common purpose like the feeling that what they
are doing is critical to the success of the organization.
4. The team must be free to develop its work procedures.
5. The team must have a sense of accountability.

TURNING INDIVIDUALS INTO TEAM PLAYERS

Team players are indispensable human assets of many organizations, and these
organizations would want to make sure that they are available when their services are
needed. Team players, provide the right environment so they can become possible. An
important concern, however, is to turn individuals into team players. The available options
consist of the following:
1. selection
2. training
3. rewards

Selection
In searching for team players, it must be remembered that not all people are alike.
Some were born natural team players, while others become team players if they are
poorly trained. There is a third category of persons who cannot become team players,
even with training. They should not be considered for selection.

Training
Training is a way of turning individuals into team players. They should be made to
attend training courses in problem solving, communication, negotiation, conflict
management, and coaching.

Fully trained members of the team must be well-versed in the company’s philosophy
regarding teams, the team mission, and new roles and responsibilities individuals will
have a consequence of being part of the team.

Rewards
Rewards are powerful motivators. This is also true if it is directed towards effective
teamwork. With adequate rewards, team members would be motivated to be
effective team players. For instance, a collaborative team member may be rewarded
with a promotion, a pay raise, or any other form of recognition.

Behaviors that should be rewarded include training new members, sharing information
with teammates, helping to resolve team conflicts, and learning new skills that the team
needs.
POTENTIAL TEAM PROBLEMS
Even teams encounter problems which can affect their effectiveness. Two notable team
problems involve the following:
1. changing membership
2. social loafing

Changing Membership
Newly formed teams need time to turn into mature groups. However, this could be
disrupted by frequent changes in its composition. Members may drop out temporarily or
permanently for reasons like:
1. transferring to a higher priority project;
2. the occurrence of a personal problem requiring extended leaves of absence; or
3. accepting a job in another company.

The higher the membership turnover is, the bigger is the team’s problem. To address
such concern, the team must learn to manage its internal turnover through the
following:
1. recognition of the potential problems brought by high turnover;
2. development of a plan for managing turnover; and
3. thinking through how best to integrate new members.

Social Loafing
Social loafing refers to the tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working
collectively than when working individually.

The reasons for social loafing are:

1. the members think their contribution is less noticeable; and
2. the members prefer to see others carry the workload.

To minimize or eliminate social loafing, some means of identifying individual efforts must
be provided. If this is not possible, it may be proper to consider first whether the team
approach is appropriate for the task at hand. It may be wise to consider an analysis of
the following:
1. the nature of the task;
2. the qualifications and desires of the participants; and
3. the time and cost constraints.