Chapter
9
Group Dynamics
and Teamwork
Fundamentals of
Organizational Behavior 2e
Andrew J. DuBrin
PowerPoint Presentation
by Charlie Cook
Learning Objectives
1. Describe the various types of groups in
organizations.
2. Summarize the stage of group development and
key roles members occupy within a work group.
3. Identify the characteristics of an effective work
group.
4. Be able to implement two different methods of
group problem solving and decision making.
5. Pinpoint several potential problems with group
effort and know how to prevent them.
6. Explain how to foster teamwork.
A. J. DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition. Copyright © 2002 by South-Western.
9–2
Types of Groups and Teams
Groups
Teams
 Interact with one another.
 Are a special type of group.
 Are working toward some common
 Have complementary skills.
purpose.
 Perceive themselves to be a group.
 Have a strong, focused leader.
 Have individual accountability.
 Strive to run efficient meetings.
 Are committed to a common
purpose.
 Have a set of performance goals.
 Have a defined approach to a task.
 Have a team leader who shares
leadership roles.
 Have individual and mutual
accountability.
 Encourage open-ended discussion
and participation.
A. J. DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition. Copyright © 2002 by South-Western.
9–3
Types of Groups and Teams
Formal Groups
 Are deliberately formed by the organization to accomplish
specific tasks and achieve goals.
Informal Groups
 Emerge over time through
the interaction of workers
to satisfy a social or
recreational purpose.
Are not sanctioned
but may be tolerated
by the organization.
A. J. DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition. Copyright © 2002 by South-Western.
9–4
Types of Work Teams
Cross-Functional Team
 Is a group of workers with different specialties drawn from
the same level in the organization to blend their talents to
accomplish a task such as product development.
 Have individual members who think in terms of what is good
for the organization and not their specialty.
Top-Management Team
 Is the group of managers at the top of organizations that
collaborates in making most major decisions.
 Occasionally, can be a committee of two or more top
executives who claim to share power.
A. J. DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition. Copyright © 2002 by South-Western.
9–5
Types of Work Teams
Affinity Groups
 Are employee-involvement groups composed of
professional-level (or knowledge) workers.
 Meet regularly, share information, capture opportunities, and
solve problems affecting their organizations.
 Are self-directing and have
a formal charter from
their organizations.
A. J. DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition. Copyright © 2002 by South-Western.
9–6
Types of Work Teams
Virtual Teams
 Are small groups of people who conduct almost all of their
collaborative work by electronic communication rather than
face-to-face. Members can be located anywhere in the world.
 Advanced “cybercollaboration” techniques:
 e-mail
for sharing information
and “cybermeetings.”
 groupware for simultaneous
document editing.
 desktop video conferencing
to facilitate the virtual team.
A. J. DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition. Copyright © 2002 by South-Western.
9–7
Stages of Group Development
Stage 1: Forming
 A time of confusion, caution, communality for members.
 Group members learn:
 what
tasks are expected to be performed.
 what the benefits are of group membership.
 what rules must be followed and expected behaviors.
Stage 2: Storming
 A time of hostility, infighting, tension, and confrontation.
 Members argue to clarify expectations.
 Coalitions, cliques, and subgroups form within the group.
A. J. DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition. Copyright © 2002 by South-Western.
9–8
Stages of Group Development
Stage 3: Norming
 A period of quiet; resistance is overcome and group
standards (norms) are established.
 Cohesiveness and commitment begin to emerge.
 Sources of “Norms”:
 The
group itself sets behavioral
and performance standards.
 Organizational rules and policies
are adopted.
 Influential team members who
inspire the group.
A. J. DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition. Copyright © 2002 by South-Western.
9–9
Stages of Group Development
Stage 4: Performing
 In this stage, the group is ready to focus on accomplishing
its key tasks.
 Intrinsic motivation and creativity emerge as the group
performs (“working for the cause”).
Stage 5: Adjourning
 Groups are dissolved after their tasks are accomplished.
Key Managerial Challenge
 To help groups move past the first three stages of group
development into performing.
A. J. DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition. Copyright © 2002 by South-Western.
9–10
The Stages of Group Development
Forming
Storming
Adjourning
Performing
Norming
EXHIBIT
9-1
A. J. DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition. Copyright © 2002 by South-Western.
9–11
Roles within Groups
1. Knowledge Contributor
2. Process Observer
3. People Supporter
4. Challenger
5. Listener
6. Mediator
7. Gatekeeper
8. Take-charge Leader
A. J. DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition. Copyright © 2002 by South-Western.
9–12
Characteristics of Effective Work Groups
Job Design
 Effective work groups follow the principles of job design (job
enrichment and the job characteristics model) to develop
self-management capabilities and to ensure participation in
decision making.
A Feeling of Empowerment
 Effective work groups believe they have the authority to solve
a variety of problems without first obtaining approval from
management.
 Group experiences: potency, meaningfulness, autonomy, and
impact.
A. J. DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition. Copyright © 2002 by South-Western.
9–13
Characteristics of Effective Work Groups
Interdependence
 Effective work groups are task interdependent:
 Interdependence
increases motivation and enhances the
sense of responsibility for the work of the group as members
interact and depend on one another to accomplish the task.
 Goal interdependence involves linking individual goals to
the group’s goals.
Right size and mix
 Groups need to be large enough to do the job yet small
enough to maintain internal communications, cohesiveness,
and coordination.
 Increasing group diversity improves problem solving.
A. J. DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition. Copyright © 2002 by South-Western.
9–14
Characteristics of Effective Work Groups
Support for the Work Group
 The availability of sufficient resources (e.g., training and
managerial support) is essential to group success.
Effective Processes within the Group
 Simply believing that the group
can do anything enhances group
effectiveness.
 Social support of others, workload
sharing, communication, and
cooperation all contribute to group
cohesiveness.
A. J. DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition. Copyright © 2002 by South-Western.
9–15
Characteristics of Effective Work Groups
Follows Processes and Procedures
 Teams that can be trusted to follow work processes and
procedures tend to perform better (higher quality output).
Familiarity with Jobs, Coworkers, and the
Environment
 Group effectiveness is
increased when group
members have a high
degree of specific
knowledge of their jobs,
coworkers, and the environment.
A. J. DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition. Copyright © 2002 by South-Western.
9–16
Characteristics
Enriched Job Design
Empowerment
Work Group Characteristics
Related to Effectiveness
Effectiveness
Criteria
Interdependence
Productivity
Right Mix and Size
Job Satisfaction
Support for Work Group
Effective Processes
EXHIBIT
9-2
Follows Processes
Familiarity with Job
Sources: Michael A. Campion, Ellen M. Papper, and Gina Medsker, “Relations between Work Team
Characteristics and Effectiveness: A Replication and Extension,” Personnel Psychology, Summer
1996, p. 431; David E. Hyatt and Thomas M. Ruddy, “An Examination of the Relationship between
Work Group Characteristics and Performance: Once More into the Breech,” Personnel Psychology,
Autumn, 1997, p. 579; Brian D. Janz, Jason A. Colquitt, and Raymond A. Noe, “Knowledge Worker
Team Effectiveness: The Role of Autonomy, Interdependence, Team Development, and Contextual
Support Variables,” Personnel Psychology, Winter 1997, pp. 877–904; Bradley L. Kirkman and
Benson Rosen, “Powering Up Teams,” Organizational Dynamics, Winter, 2000, pp. 48–52.
A. J. DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition. Copyright © 2002 by South-Western.
9–17
Group Problem Solving and Decision Making
Group Decision-Making Styles
 Consultative
 Group
leader consults with
the group before deciding.
 Consensus
 Manager
shares problem
with group members
who seek a solution.
 Democratic
 The
group is empowered
to make decision themselves.
A. J. DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition. Copyright © 2002 by South-Western.
9–18
Group Problem Solving and Decision Making
Steps in the Nominal Group Technique (NGT)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Members of the group are chosen and brought together.
If the group is too large, it is divided into subgroups.
The group leader presents the question.
Individual members independently record their work.
Each group member presents one idea without discussion.
Once members have presented their viewpoints, evaluate all
of the ideas.
The meeting terminates with individuals voting to create a
group ranking of the ideas.
A. J. DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition. Copyright © 2002 by South-Western.
9–19
Start
Problem definition
Group Problem Solving
and Decision Making:
Steps in the
Delphi Process
Determine expertise required
Sample experts (sample size)
Prepare questionnaire
Distribute questionnaire
Analyze question responses
Yes
Has consensus been reached?
Provide requested information
and tabulate responses
Prepare the next questionnaire
Compile final responses and
disseminate the results (final
report)
EXHIBIT
9-3
Source: R. J. Tersine and W.E. Riggs, “The Delphi
Technique: A Long-Range Planning Tool,“ Business
Horizon (April, 1976): p. 53. Copyright © 1976 by the
School of Business at Indiana University.
A. J. DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition. Copyright © 2002 by South-Western.
9–20
Potential Problem Within Groups
Group Polarization
 Shifts in member attitudes to more or less risky positions,
which, in turn, reduces intragroup cohesion.
Social Loafing
 Occurs when an undermotivated person shirks individual
responsibility and tries
to squeeze by without
contributing a fair share
of the work.
A. J. DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition. Copyright © 2002 by South-Western.
9–21
Potential Problem Within Groups
Groupthink
 Occurs when strong group cohesiveness creates an extreme
form of consensus and interferes with effective decision
making.
 Contributors to groupthink:
 strong
member identification
with the group
 directive leadership
 high stress
 insulation of the group
 no built-in mechanism for
evaluating decisions
A. J. DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition. Copyright © 2002 by South-Western.
9–22
Building Teamwork
1. Instill in teams an urgent constructive purpose.
2. Empower the group to determine how to meet
its objectives.
3. Promote the idea that we are all
in this together.
4. Make frequent use of
words and phrases that
support teamwork.
5. Use language the fosters
cohesion and commitment.
A. J. DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition. Copyright © 2002 by South-Western.
9–23
Building Teamwork (cont’d)
5. Use a consensus decision-making style to foster
participation.
6. Feed members valid facts and information that
motivate them to work together.
7. Avoid micromanagement in supervising the
team too closely.
8. Create physical structures suited for teams.
9. Reward the team as well as individuals.
10. Send members to outdoor (or off-site) training.
A. J. DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition. Copyright © 2002 by South-Western.
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