PARTICIPATION & DELEGATION
The Continuum of
Participation
Organizational Structure
Traditional
organization
Occasional
use of teams
and employee
participation
Team-based
organization
High management
Total delegation
Control – No employee
High employee
Participation
Participation
Management Control
Criteria for Use of
Participation





When the task is complex and
quality is important
When follower commitment is
needed
When there is time
When the leader and follower are
ready
When the leader and followers can
easily interact
Benefits of Participation
,
,
,
,
Development of
followers
Better decision on
complex tasks
Increase in
follower
motivation and
commitment
Opportunity to
empower
followers
Guidelines For
Good Delegation



Delegate pleasant and unpleasant
tasks
Clarify goals and expectations
Delegate authority along with
responsibility

Provide support

Monitor and provide feedback

Delegate to different followers
Excuses For Not
Delegating
“My followers are not ready.”
 “They do not not have the skills.”
 “I am uncomfortable delegating
my tasks.”
 “I can do the job quicker myself.”
 “My followers are too busy.”
 “I am responsible for my followers
mistakes.”
 “My own manager may think I am
not working hard enough.”

TEAMS
Characteristics Of Teams


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
Members are fully committed to
common goals they develop
Members are mutually
accountable
to one another
Members trust one another
Collaborative culture
Shared leadership based on
facilitation
Synergy
Self-Managed Teams





Power to manage their own work
Members with different expertise
and experience
No outside manager and power to
implement team decisions
Coordination with other teams
Internal leadership based on
facilitation
Elements of Super
Leadership
b
b
b
b
Developing positive and
motivating thought
patterns
Personal goal setting
Observation and selfevaluation
Self-reinforcement control
and monitoring
Building Trust
Open
communication
Integrity
Rewarding
cooperation
Competence
And hard
work
Mutual respect
And support
Trust
Fairness and
equity
Team Leadership Roles
Continue to do
real work
Obtain needed
training
Clarify team
boundaries
Assess team
skills
SELFMANAGED
TEAM
Observe from a
distance
Counsel and
encourage
Help define
tasks and goals
Help develop
implementation
plan
Manage conflict
and relationships
Characteristics of a WellFunctioning, Effective Group
Relaxed, comfortable, informal
atmosphere
People express feelings
Task well understood
& ideas
& accepted
Consensus decision
making
Group aware of its
operation & function
Members listen well
& participate
Clear assignments made
& accepted
Conflict & disagreement center
around ideas or methods
External Conditions Imposed on
the Group







Organizational Strategy
Authority Structures
Formal Regulations
Organizational Resources
Personnel Selections Process
Organizational Culture
Physical Work Setting
Group Leaders







Department Manager
Supervisors
Foreman
Project Leaders
Task Force Head
Chairperson
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Group Roles

Definition:





Set of expected behavior pattern, attributed
to someone occupying a given position in a
social unit
Role
Role
Role
Role
Identity
Perception
Expectations
Conflict
Groupthink
Irving Janis’ Model


Antecedent Conditions +
Cohesiveness  Groupthink
Symptoms
Groupthink Symptoms  Low
Probability of Success
Groupthink Characteristics





Powerful Social Pressures
Concurrence Seeking
Dehumanizing Solutions
Suppression of Deviant Thoughts
Stress
Diverse Teams Offer Both Advantages and
Disadvantages in the Workplace
Advantages
Disadvantages
•Increased number of perspectives
•Increased ambiguity
•Multiple interpretations likely
•Increased complexity
•Increased confusion
•Greater openness to new ideas
•Increased flexibility
•Increased creativity
•Improved problem solving
•Improved understanding of foreign
employees or customers
Table 6-4
•Increased mistrust
•Potential miscommunication
•Difficulty in reaching agreements
•Difficulty in reconciling diverse
perspectives
•Difficulty in reaching consensus
•Decreased group cohesion
Group Roles
Four Categories of Roles



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Group Task Roles: roles which facilitate the
selection and definition of a common problem
and solution.
Group Building and Maintenance: roles
which increase the functioning of the group as a
group.
Individual Roles: roles which are oriented
toward the satisfaction of individual’s needs.
Creative Roles: roles which involve using
creativity to identify possible solutions.
Group Task Roles
The Initiator- Contributor

Suggests or proposes new ideas

may include the suggestion:
for a new group
 a new way to view a problem
 a new way to address a problem within the group
 a new procedure for the group
 a new way to organize the group

The Information Seeker

Seeks clarification of suggestions made in
terms of their factual adequacy, for
authoritative information and facets
pertinent to the problem being discussed.
The Opinion Seeker

Asks not primarily for the facts of the case
but for a clarification of the values
pertinent to what the group is undertaking
or of values involved in a suggestion made
or in alternative suggestions.
The Information Giver

Offers facts or generalizations which are
“authoritative” or relates his own
experience pertinently to the group
problem.
The Opinion Giver

States his/her belief or opinion pertinently
to a suggestion made or to alternative
suggestions. The emphasis is on his/her
proposal of what should become the
group’s view of pertinent values, not
primarily upon relevant facts or
information.
The Coordinator



Shows or clarifies the relationships among
various ideas and suggestions
Tries to pull ideas and suggestions
together
Tries to coordinate the activities of
various members
The Evaluator- Critic


Subjects the accomplishments of the
group to some standard or set of
standards of group functioning in the
context of the group task.
May evaluate the “practicality”, “logic”,
“Facts”, or “procedures”
The Energizer


Prods the group to action or decision.
Attempts to stimulate or arouse the group
to greater or higher quality work.
The Recorder



Writes down suggestions.
Makes a record of group decisions (may
be down via memory).
The recorder role is the “group memory.”
Group Building and
Maintenance Roles
The Encourager



Praises, agrees with and accepts the
contributions of others.
Indicates warmth, solidarity in attitude
toward others.
Offers commendation and praise in various
ways and indicates acceptance of others,
The Harmonizer

Mediates the differences between
members

Attempts to reconcile disagreements.

Relieves tension in conflict situations.
The Compromiser


Operates from within a conflict in which
his/her ideas or position is involved.
May offer compromise by yielding status,
admitting error, or by coming “halfway” in
meeting another.
The Gate-Keeper & Expediter


Attempts to keep communication open by
facilitating participation of others.
Proposes regulation of the flow of
communication.
The Follower



Goes along with the movement of the
group.
Passively accepts the ideas of others.
Serves as an audience for others in the
group as well as for group discussion and
decision.
Individual Roles


Attempts by individuals to satisfy personal
needs.
Numerous types - from Sociology and
Psychology.
The Monopolist


Def: One who chatters on incessantly due
to anxiety when silent.
Effect: Group gets concerned, then
frustrated and angry. May be afraid to
confront because then they must fill the
void.
Help-Rejecting Complainer


Def.: requests help than rejects; takes
problem in insolvability of problems;
blames authority, conflicted about
dependency feeling helpless and
distrusting.
Effects: seen as greedy and user of
group energy; members become bored,
confused, irritated and frustrated.
Self-Righteous Moralist


Def.: strong need to be right.
Demonstrates superiority via poise and
unconcerned about being liked. Deep
underlying shame.
Effect: mobilizes so much resentment
that may be forced out of the group.
Creative Group Roles
Idea Generator

Look for new ways to do things.

Tend to focus only on ideas and concepts.

Are result driven.
Designers

See the big picture.

Provide guidance and tools.

Define performance standards.

Identify resources needed to complete projects.
Promoters

Visualize end result.

Optimistic.

Promote ideas and give momentum.
Managers Can Use This Checklist to Diagnose
the Roles Played by Each Team Member
TASK ORIENTED
MAINTENANCE
INDIVIDUAL
Agenda Setter
Encourager
Avoider
Analyzer
Follower
Blocker
Coordinator
Gatekeeper
Clown
Evaluator
Group Observer
Dominator
Information Giver
Harmonizer
Recognition Seeker
Information Seeker
Standard Setter
Other
Intuitor
Other
Other
Mature Group Characteristics
Purpose and Mission
 May be assigned or may emerge from the
group
 Group often questions, reexamines, &
modifies mission & purpose
 Mission converted into specific agenda,
clear goals, & a set of critical success
factors
Mature Group Characteristics
Behavioral Norms - well-understood
standards of behavior within a group
Formal & written
Ground
rules
for
meetings
Informal but understood
Intra-group socializing
Dress codes