CHAPTER 14
MANAGING GROUPS
Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin
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LECTURE OUTLINE
• Foundations of work groups
• Work-group inputs
• Work-group processes
• Task forces and teams
Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin
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FOUNDATIONS OF
WORK GROUPS
What is a group?
Two or more interdependent
individuals interacting and influencing
each other in collective pursuit of a
common goal.
Differentiated from a simple gathering
of people.
Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin
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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
Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin
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FOUNDATIONS OF
WORK GROUPS
Formal groups
Groups officially created by an organisation
for a specific purpose.
• Command/functional
Manager & subordinates
• Task groups
–
–
Permanent
Temporary
Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin
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FOUNDATIONS OF
WORK GROUPS
Informal groups
Groups established by employees (not the
organisation) to serve members’ interests or
social needs
• Interest groups
• Friendship groups
Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin
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FOUNDATIONS OF
WORK GROUPS
Formal
groups
Command or
functional
groups
Permanent
task groups
Task groups
Temporary
task groups
Work
groups
Informal
groups
Interest
groups
Friendship
groups
Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin
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FOUNDATIONS OF
WORK GROUPS
How informal groups develop:
FORMAL GROUPS
Required activities
Required interactions
Required sentiments
Given sentiments
INFORMAL GROUPS
Emergent activities
Emergent interactions
Emergent sentiments
ORGANISATIONAL
OUTPUTS (e.g. productivity,
satisfaction)
Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin
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FOUNDATIONS OF
WORK GROUPS
How work groups operate:
INPUTS
PROCESSES
Group composition
Member roles
Group size
Group norms
Cohesiveness
Development
OUTCOMES
Performance
Need satisfaction
Future work group
compatibility
Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin
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WORK-GROUP INPUTS
Work group composition:
Two crucial selection factors are potential member
characteristics and reasons for their attraction to
the group.
• Member characteristics
Task-relevant skills
Appropriate interpersonal skills
Contribution to group diversity
• Attraction to the group
Identification of reason for wanting to join group
as being appropriate to group task
Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin
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WORK-GROUP INPUTS
Member roles:
Group-task roles
–
–
–
–
–
–
Initiator-contributor
Information seeker
Information giver
Coordinator
Orienter
Energiser
Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin
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WORK-GROUP INPUTS
Member roles (cont.):
Group maintenance roles
– Encourager
– Harmoniser
– Gatekeeper
– Standard setter
– Group observer
– Follower
Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin
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WORK-GROUP INPUTS
Member roles (cont.):
Self-oriented roles
– Aggressor
– Blocker
– Recognition seeker
– Dominator
Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin
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WORK-GROUP INPUTS
Group size:
• Size & group interaction
Group size affects interaction
• Size & performance
Social loafing
Individualism
Collectivism
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PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin
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WORK-GROUP PROCESSES
As group members work, some energy
goes into group development and
operations. This is diverted from the task,
and is known as process loss, as it is lost
energy which could have been devoted to
the task.
Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin
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WORK-GROUP PROCESSES
• Positive Synergy
Force resulting when combined gains are
greater than group-process losses
• Negative synergy
Force resulting when group-process losses
are greater than gains achieved from
combining the forces of the group
Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin
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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
• Primacy
• Carry-over behaviours
Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin
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WORK-GROUP PROCESSES
Group cohesiveness:
Degree to which members are
attracted to a group, are motivated to
remain in it, and are mutually
influenced by one another.
Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin
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WORK-GROUP PROCESSES
Group norms:
• Consequences of group cohesion
Organisational citizenship behaviours
• Determinants of group cohesiveness
Similar attitudes & values
Mutual understandings
External threats
Size of group
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PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin
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WORK-GROUP PROCESSES
Group development:
• Forming
Assess rules re task & interaction
• Storming
Locate & resolve differences
• Norming
Develop consensus re norms, task, relationships
• Performing
Norms support teamwork; energy applied to task
• Adjourning
Preparation for disengagement
Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin
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WORK-GROUP PROCESSES
Group development:
Forming
Storming
Norming
Performing
Adjourning
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PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin
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PROMOTING INNOVATION:
USING TASK FORCES & TEAMS
Task force:
Temporary task group formed to recommend on a
specific issue.
(MAY BE: ad hoc committee)
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)
Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin
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PROMOTING INNOVATION:
USING TASK FORCES & TEAMS
Teams:
• Entrepreneurial team
Group of individuals with diverse expertise
and backgrounds brought together to
develop & implement innovative ideas
aimed to create new products or services
or significantly improve existing ones.
Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin
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PROMOTING INNOVATION:
USING TASK FORCES & TEAMS
Teams:
• Self-managing team
Work group with responsibility for a task
area without supervision, and given
authority to influence and control group
membership and behaviour.
Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin
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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.
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
Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin
14–25
LECTURE SUMMARY
• Foundations of work groups
–
Formal
– Informal
• Work-group inputs
–
Composition
– Roles
– Size
Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin
14–26
LECTURE SUMMARY
• Work-group processes
–
Positive/negative synergy
– Norms
– Cohesiveness
– Development
Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin
14–27
LECTURE SUMMARY
• Promoting innovation:
– Task force (temporary)
–
Team (temporary or permanent)
Entrepreneurial
 Self-managing
 Virtual team

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin
14–28