Chapter Fourteen
Group Dynamics and
Teamwork
Chapter Objectives
• Define the term group.
• Explain the significance of cohesiveness, roles,
norms, and ostracism in regard to the behavior of
group members.
• Identify and briefly describe the six stages of
group development.
• Define organizational politics and summarize
relevant research insights.
• Explain how groupthink can lead to blind
conformity.
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Chapter Fourteen | 2
Chapter Objectives (cont’d)
• Define and discuss the management of virtual
teams.
• Discuss the criteria and determinants of team
effectiveness.
• Explain why trust is a key ingredient of teamwork
and discuss what management can do to build
trust.
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Chapter Fourteen | 3
Fundamental Group Dynamics
• What Is a Group?
– Two or more freely interacting individuals who share a
common identity and purpose
• Types of Groups
– Informal groups: A collection of people seeking
friendship and acceptance that satisfies esteem needs
– Formal groups: A collection of people created to do
something productive that contributes to the success of
the larger organization
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Figure 14.1: What Does It Take to
Make a Group?
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Fundamental Group Dynamics (cont’d)
• Attraction to Groups
– Attractiveness of the group
– Cohesiveness of the group
• Roles
– Socially determined ways of behaving in specific
positions
• A set of expectations concerning what a person must, must not,
or may do in a position
• The actual behavior of a person who occupies the position
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Fundamental Group Dynamics (cont’d)
• Norms
– Norms are the standards (degrees of acceptability and
unacceptability) for conduct that help individuals judge
what is right or good or bad in a given social setting.
– Norms are culturally derived and vary from one culture
to another.
– Norms are usually unwritten, yet have a strong
influence on individual behavior.
– Norms go above and beyond formal rules and written
policies.
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Fundamental Group Dynamics (cont’d)
• Reasons That Groups Enforce Norms
–
–
–
–
To facilitate the survival of the group
To simplify or clarify role expectations
To help group members avoid embarrassing situations
To express key group values and enhance the group’s
unique identity
• Ostracism
– Rejection by the group for violation of its norms
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Figure 14.2: Norms Are Enforced for
Different Reasons
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Chapter Fourteen | 10
Group Development
• Characteristics of a Mature Group
– Members are aware of each other’s assets and
liabilities.
– Individual differences are accepted.
– The group’s authority and interpersonal relationships
are recognized.
– Group decisions are made through rational discussion.
– Conflict is over group issues, not emotional issues.
– Members are aware of the group’s processes and their
own roles in them.
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Six Stages of Group Development
• Stage 1: Orientation
– Uncertainty about most everything is high.
• Stage 2: Conflict and change
– Subgroups struggle for control; roles are undefined.
• Stage 3: Cohesion
– Consensus on leadership, structure, and procedures is
reached.
• Stage 4: Delusion
– Members misperceive that the group has reached
maturity.
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Six Stages of Group Development
(cont’d)
• Stage 5: Disillusion
– Subgroups form with disenchantment, diminished
cohesiveness, and diminished commitment to the
group.
• Stage 6: Acceptance
– A trusted and influential group member steps forward
and moves the group from conflict to cohesion so that it
becomes highly effective and efficient.
– Member expectations are more realistic.
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Figure 14.3: Group Development
from Formation to Maturity
Source: Group Effectiveness in Organizations, by Linda N. Jewell and H. Joseph Reitz, p. 20.
Used with permission of the authors.
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Chapter Fourteen | 14
Organizational Politics
• What Does Organizational Politics Involve?
– The pursuit of self-interest at work in the face of real or
imagined opposition
• Effects of Organizational Politics
– Hinders organizational and individual effectiveness
– Is an irritant to employees
– Can have significant ethical implications
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Research on Organizational Politics
– The higher the level of management, the greater the
amount of politics.
– The larger the organization, the greater the politics.
– Staff personnel are more political than line managers.
– Marketing people are the most political; production
people are considered the least political.
– 61% of employees believe organizational politics helps
advance one’s career.
– 45% of employees believe that organizational politics
detracts from organizational goals.
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Political Tactics
• Posturing: “One-upmanship” and taking credit for
others’ work
• Empire building: Gaining control over human and
material resources
• Making the supervisor look good: Engaging in
“apple polishing” or “brown nosing”
• Collecting and using social IOUs: Exchanging
reciprocal political favors by making someone
look good or covering up someone’s mistakes
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Political Tactics (cont’d)
• Creating power and loyalty cliques: Facing
superiors as a cohesive group rather than alone
• Engaging in destructive competition: Sabotaging
the work of others through character
assassination
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Antidotes to Political Behavior
• Strive for a climate of openness and trust.
• Measure performance results rather than
personalities.
• Encourage top management to refrain from
political behaviors.
• Strive to integrate individual and organizational
goals through meaningful work and career
planning.
• Practice job rotation to encourage broader
perspectives and understanding of the problems
of others.
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Conformity and Groupthink
• Conformity
– Complying with the role expectations and norms
perceived by the majority to be appropriate in a
particular situation
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Research on Conformity
• The Hot Seat (Asch)
– Following the Immoral Majority
• Individuals tend to go along with the group (blind conformity)
when faced with overwhelming opposition by the group.
• Groupthink (Irving Janis)
– Groupthink is a mode of thinking (blind conformity) that
people engage in when they are deeply involved in a
cohesive in-group, when the members’ strivings for
unanimity override their motivation to realistically
appraise alternative courses of action.
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Figure 14.4: The Asch Line Experiment
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Groupthink (cont’d)
• Symptoms of Groupthink
–
–
–
–
Excessive optimism
An assumption of inherent morality
Suppression of dissent
A desperate quest for unanimity
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Chapter Fourteen | 24
Conformity and Groupthink (cont’d)
• Preventing Groupthink
–
–
–
–
–
Avoid using groups as rubberstamps.
Urge each group member to think independently.
Bring in outside experts for fresh perspectives.
Assign someone the role of devil’s advocate.
Take time to consider possible effects and
consequences of alternative courses of action.
– Engage in cooperative conflict (Tjosvold).
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Teams, Teamwork, and Trust
• Cross-Functional Teams
– Task groups that are staffed with a mix of specialists
focused on a common objective
• Cross-functional teams may or may not be self-managed.
• Membership is assigned, not voluntary.
• Challenge is getting specialists to be boundary spanners.
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Virtual Teams
• Task groups with members who are physically
dispersed yet linked electronically to accomplish a
common goal
– Face-to-face contact is minimal or nonexistent.
– Primary forms of communication are electronic
interchanges (e-mail, voice mail, web-based project
software, and videoconferences).
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What Makes Workplace Teams Effective?
•
•
•
•
•
Innovative ideas
Accomplishment of goals
Adaptability to change
High person/team commitment
Being rated highly by upper management
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Figure 14.5: A Model of Team
Effectiveness
Source: Reprinted from JOURNAL OF PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, 7, Hans J. Thamhain, "Managing Technologically Innovative Team
Efforts Toward New Product Success," pp. 5-18, Copyright l990, with permission from Elsevier Science.
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Trust: A Key to Team Effectiveness
• Trust Is:
1. A belief in the integrity, character, or ability of others
2. The primary responsibility of the manager
3. The key to establishing productive interpersonal
relationships
4. A vehicle for encouraging self-control, reducing the
need for direct supervision and expanding managerial
control
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Figure 14.6: Trust and Effective Group
Interaction
Source: Reprinted from "Trust and Managerial Problem Solving," by Dale E. Zand, published in ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCE QUARTERLY, 17, no.
2 (June l972) by permission of Administrative Science Quarterly. © l972 by Cornell University.
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Chapter Fourteen | 32
Six Ways to Build Trust
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Communication: Keep people informed.
Support: Be an approachable person.
Respect: Delegate important duties and listen.
Fairness: Evaluate fairly and objectively.
Predictability: Be dependable and consistent.
Competence: Be a good role model.
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Chapter Fourteen | 33
Terms to Understand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Social capital
Group
Informal group
Formal group
Cohesiveness
Role
Norms
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Ostracism
Organizational politics
Conformity
Groupthink
Cross-functional team
Virtual team
Trust
Chapter Fourteen | 34