Work Groups and Teams
Chapter 14
Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003
A Managerial Model of Group Factors
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Two types of groups, formal and informal,
exist in organizations
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Groups, once evolved or formed, exhibit
various typical characteristics that culminate
in a unique group personality
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Groups have tangible consequences called
outcomes
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Categories of Groups
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Two types of groups are formal and informal
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Formal—departments, units, project teams;
membership is based on organizational position
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Command group is specified by the organizational hierarchy,
usually outlined on the organization chart
Task group is comprised of employees who work together to
complete a specific project or job
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Categories of Groups (cont.)
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Informal—natural groupings of people in the
workplace
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Interest group members have a common interest in
some particular job-related event or possible
outcome
Friendship group members are drawn together by
common characteristics such as age, ethnicity,
politics, etc.
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The Formation of Work Groups

Influences on people to join formal groups or
informal groups are:
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Location
Economic background
Attitude
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The Development of Work Groups
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Formal groups go through various stages of
group and team development—forming,
storming, norming, and performing
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Forming
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Individuals are brought together for a purpose
Group hierarchy and roles begin to develop
Storming
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This is the most turbulent stage
The group confronts conflicts and keeps the group
focused
Members learn to accept individual differences
Members negotiate roles
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The Development of Work Groups
(cont.)
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Norming
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Group establishes its long-term vision (shared
values) and how it will function over time
The group’s norms are the unwritten rules of
correct behavior and decorum
Although group norms are rarely formalized,
deviations may subject members to punishment,
humiliation, or ostracism
Performing
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Group begins to fine-tune its work patterns
Members redefine roles as needed
Group develops skills of members, as needed
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Characteristics of Work Groups
Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003
Characteristics of Work Groups

Work groups have characteristics similar to
those of other organizations, including
leaders, standards of conduct, reward and
sanction mechanisms, and political
maneuvering
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Role making in groups
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The greater the group’s task complexity, the more roles
will emerge
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Characteristics of Work Groups
(cont.)
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Problems in role making
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Role conflicts—interrole, intrarole, intersender, and
person-role
Role ambiguity
Role overload
Group leader
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Leader is either appointed (formal groups) or emerges
(informal groups)
Leader performs two specific roles—task role and
supportive role
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Characteristics of Work Groups
(cont.)
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Group status
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Members are accorded status by their groups
Leader is ranked highly in the group hierarchy
Seniority and skill influence status
Group norms and compliance
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Three specific social processes bring about compliance
with group norms
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Group pressure
Group review and enforcement
Personalization of norms
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Characteristics of Work Groups
(cont.)
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Group cohesiveness
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Cohesiveness refers to the extent that group members
are attracted to each other and to the group’s values
Conditions that enhance or reduce cohesiveness are:
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Size
Spacing
Virtual teams
Dependence of members
Goal achievement
Status
Management demands and pressure
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Characteristics of Work Groups
(cont.)
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Group politics
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Political maneuvering to obtain limited resources is a
common group characteristic
Cultural diversity
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Members differ in age, gender, ethnicity, abilities (physical
and mental), religion, and lifestyle
Diversity complicates interpersonal interactions
Diverse groups must respect other cultures and create
new ways of integrating diverse viewpoints to become
productive
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Intergroup Conflict
Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003
Intergroup Conflict
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Conflict occurs between groups, within
groups, between individuals, and between
organizations
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Many reasons exist for conflict among groups
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Limited resources
Communication problems
Different interests and goals
Different perceptions and attitudes
Lack of clarity
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Managing Intergroup Conflict
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There are two approaches that managers use
to manage intergroup conflict
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Indirect—techniques managers use that don’t
require their direct intervention
Direct—techniques managers use when they
become personally involved
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Managing Intergroup Conflict (cont.)
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Indirect approach can involve:
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Avoidance
Bargaining
Persuasion
Working together
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Managing Intergroup Conflict (cont.)
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Direct approach can involve:
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Domination
Remove key figures
Establish task force
Find superordinate goals
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Group Outcomes: Performance
and Satisfaction
Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003
Performance and Satisfaction
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The purpose of group membership is to
achieve group performance
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Some contributors to group performance are:
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Perceived freedom to participate
Perceived goal attainment
Status consensus
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Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003
Developing Teams—10 Principles
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Organize around processes rather than task
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Flatten the hierarchy by grouping subprocesses
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Give leaders responsibility for processes and process
performance
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Link performance objectives and evaluation of all activities to
customer satisfaction
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Assign performance objectives to teams, not individuals
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Assign managerial tasks to teams as much as possible
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Emphasize the need for workers to develop several
competencies
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Train team members on a just-in-time, need-to-perform basis
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Put team members in touch with customers
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Reward skill development and team performance
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Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003
End of Chapter 14
Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003