Lecture management a pacific rim focus chapter 15 managing groups

CHAPTER 15
MANAGING GROUPS

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Lecture outline
• Foundations of work groups
• Work-group inputs
• Work-group processes
• Task forces and teams

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Foundations of work groups
Work group:
Two or more interdependent individuals interacting and
influencing each other in collective pursuit of a common goal.

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Foundations of work groups
Types of work groups:

• Formal

Group officially created by an organisation for a
specific purpose.
• Informal

Group established by employees (not the
organisation) to serve members’ interests or social
needs.
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Foundations of work groups
Formal groups:

Group officially created by an organisation for a
specific purpose.
• Command/functional
• Task groups:

– Permanent
– Temporary.

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Foundations of work groups
Informal groups:

Group established by employees (not the
organisation) to serve members’ interests or
social needs.
• Interest groups
• Friendship groups

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Work group inputs
• Group composition

Heterogenous/homogenous
• Group roles

Task, maintenance, self-oriented
• Group size

Size & interaction, size & performance
• Leader emergence

Formal or informal

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Work group inputs
Group composition:
• Homogenous

Pluses: easily formed/maintained
Minuses: Lack of diversity/innovation
• Heterogenous

Pluses: Innovative/diverse
Minuses: Co-ordination & consensus difficult

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Work group inputs
Group roles:
• Task roles
Initiator, info-seeker, info-giver, co-ordinator, orientor, energiser
• Maintenance roles
Encourager, harmoniser, gatekeeper, standard setter, observer,
follower
• Self-oriented roles
Aggressor, blocker, recognition-seeker, dominator

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Work group inputs
Group size:
• Size and group interactions
• Size and group performance

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Work group inputs
Leadership of groups:
• Formal leader
• Informal leader

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Work group processes
• Group norms
• Group cohesiveness
• Group development

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Work group processes
Group norms:

Expected behaviours sanctioned by a group that
regulate and foster uniform member behaviour.
• Explicit statements
• Critical events
• Carry-over behaviours

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Work group processes
Group cohesion:

Degree to which members are attracted to a group,
are motivated to remain in it and, are mutually
influenced by one another.
Key aspects:

• Values, attitudes, external threats, accessibility, size.

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Work group processes
Group development:
Forming
Forming
Storming
Storming
Norming
Norming
Performing
Performing
Adjourning
Adjourning
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Task forces & teams
Task force:
Temporary task group formed to recommend on a specific
issue.
Team:
Temporary or ongoing task group with members charged to
work together to identify problems, identify approach and
implement necessary actions.
May be: Entrepreneurial, self-managing, virtual.

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Task forces & teams
Virtual teams:
Physically dispersed work group using information
technology as a means to interact, but rarely, if ever, meeting
physically.

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Task forces & teams
Virtual teams require:

•
•
•
•
•
•

Appropriate reward systems
Continual training
Clear team processes
Strong technological support

High level, cultural diversity & trust
Leaders modelling technology use and high
performance.

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Lecture summary
• Foundations of work groups

– Formal
– Informal
• Work-group inputs

–
–
–
–

Composition
Roles
Size
Leader emergence

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Lecture summary
• Work-group processes

– Norms
– Cohesiveness
– Development
• Task forces & teams

– Task force
– Team
– Virtual team

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