Organizational Behavior:

Group Dynamics and

Teamwork
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

Sociological Criteria of a group

Two or more freely interacting people
(Interdependent -interact and influence each other);
Mutually accountable for achieving common goals;
Common Identity;
Collective Norms.

Security

SelfEsteem

Power

Status

What
Makes
People
Join
Groups?

Affiliation

Goal
Achievement
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

Groups versus Teams

All teams are groups
Teams have task interdependence whereas some
groups do not (e.g., group of employees enjoying
lunch together)
Teams have a positive synergy

Skills in teams are complementary

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

Functions of Formal Groups

Organizational Functions

Individual Functions

1. Accomplish complex, interdependent

1. Satisfy the individuals need for
tasks that are beyond the capabilitiesaffiliation.
of individuals.
2. Develop, enhance, and confirm the
2. Generate new or creative ideas and individuals self-esteem and sense o
solutions.
identity.
3. Coordinate interdepartmental efforts.
3. Give individuals an opportunity to
4. Provide a problem-solving mechanismtest and share their perceptions of
for complex problems requiring
social reality.
varied information and assessments.
4. Reduce the individuals anxieties an
5. Implement complex decisions.
feelings of insecurity and powerless6. Socialize and train newcomers.
ness.
5. Provide a problem-solving mechanis
for personal and interpersonal proble

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

Theories of Group
Formation

Propinquity
Needs, Functions and Goals
Interaction
Balance Theory
Exchange Theory
Five-Stage Theory
Punctuated Equilibrium Model

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

Tuckmans Five-Stage Theory

of Group Development
Performing

Adjourning

Norming
Storming
Forming

Return to
Independence

Dependence/
interdependence

Independence

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

Tuckmans Five-Stage Theory

of Group Development
(continued)
Forming

Storming

Individual How do I fit Whats my

Issues
in?
role here?

Group
Issues

Norming

Performing

What do the How can I best

others expectperform my
me to do? role?

Why are we
Can we agree
fighting over
Why are we
on roles and Can we do the
whos in
here?
work as a
job properly?
charge and who
team?
does what?

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

NOT QUITE A SOCIAL

GROUP

Category

People with common status (girls,

doctors, nurses)

Aggregate
People in the same place (people at the
mall)

Crowd
Temporary cluster of people (spectators
at a game, passengers waiting to board an
airplane)
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

PRIMARY GROUPS

Traits
Small
Personal orientation
Enduring (long lasting)
Frequent interaction
Face-to-face
Intimate
sense of belonging
emotional orientation: bond based on emotions
loyalty
Primary relationships
First group experienced in life
Irreplaceable
Security
Assistance of all kinds
Emotional to financial
Examples: the family.
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

SECONDARY GROUPS
Traits

Large membership: larger than primary groups

Goal or activity orientation
impersonal and formal
Infrequent interaction

Secondary relationships
Weak emotional ties between persons
Short term

Importance
Networking
Career goals
Examples: co-workers, political organizations
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

In-Groups and Out-Groups

In-group
group with which people identify and have a
sense of belonging
pronoun WE
Out-group
group that people do not identify with
pronoun THEY
Loyalty to INGROUP
Opposition to OUTGROUPS
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

Reference Groups
In-groups can be secondary or primary groups,
but in either case, they are always reference
groups, real or imaginary .

a standard to evaluate ourselves

normative function
comparative function
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

Group Dynamics

1.
2.

Leadership
Roles
Norms
Status
Size
Composition
Cohesiveness
Socio-emotional
Instrumental

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

Different Role Requirements

Role Identity
Role Perception
Role Expectations
Role Conflict
Role Overload
Role Ambiguity

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

Task Roles
Roles

Description

Initiator
or ideas
Information
seeker/giver
Opinion seeker/giver
issues
Elaborator
understanding
Coordinator
Orienter
stated
Evaluator
Energizer
Procedural Technician
Recorder
function

Suggests new goals

Clarifies key issues
Clarifies pertinent
Promote greater
Pulls together key ideas and
suggestions
Keeps group headed toward its
goal(s)
Tests groups accomplishments
Prods group to move along or to
accomplish more
Performs routine duties
Performs a group memory

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

Maintenance Roles
Roles

Description

Encourager
solidarity
Harmonizer
through
or
humor
Compromiser
by
way
Gate Keeper
to
Standard setter
group
Commentator
Follower

Fosters group
Mediates conflict
reconciliation
Helps resolve conflict
meeting othershalf
Encourages all group members
participate
Evaluates the quality of
processes
Records comments on group
processes/dynamics
Serves as a passive audience

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

Individual versus Group

Decision Making
Individuals

Groups

Speed

Knowledge & Diversity

Clear Accountability

High Quality Decisions

Consistent Values

Increased Acceptance

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

Group Dysfunctions

Conformity (Sharif, Asch, Milgram,

Hofling)
Groupthink
Social loafing
Risky shift

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

GROUP CONFORMITY
STUDIES
PRESSURES TO CONFORM TO GROUP DESIRES

Aschs research
Willingness to COMPROMISE our own judgments
Line experiment

Milgrams research
Role authority plays
Following orders

Janis research
Negative side of groupthink
Lack of objectivity
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

ASCHS LINE EXPERIMENT

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

Symptoms of Groupthink

Invulnerability
Inherent morality
Rationalization
Stereotyped views of opposition
Self-censorship
Illusion of unanimity
Peer pressure
Mindguards

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

How to Prevent Groupthink

Every group member a critical evaluator
Avoid rubber-stamp decisions
Different groups explore same problems
Rely on subgroup debates and outside experts
Assign role of devils advocate
Rethink a consensus
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

Conditions for Social Loafing

Low task interdependence
Individual output not visible
Routine, uninteresting tasks
Low task significance
Low collectivist values

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

Types of Teams
General Typology of Teams

Common Forms of Teams

Advice

Problem solving

Production

Self-managed

Project

Cross-functional

Action

Virtual

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

Virtual Teams
Cross-functional teams that operate across space, time
and organizational boundaries using information
technology
Increasingly possible because of:
Technology
Knowledge-based work

Increasingly necessary because of:

Globalization
Knowledge management
Need for team work
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

Survey Evidence: What SelfManaging Teams Manage

Percentage of Companies Saying Their Self-Managing
Teams Perform These Traditional Management Functions
by Themselves.
Schedule work assignments
Work with outside customers
Conduct training
Set production goals/quotas
Work with suppliers/vendors
Purchase equipment/services
Develop budgets
Do performance appraisals
Hire co-workers
Fire co-workers

67%
67
59
56
44
43
39
36

Source: Adapted from 1996 industry Report: What Self-Managing Teams Manage, Training, October 1996, p. 69

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

33
14

Team Effectiveness Model

Organizational and
Team Environment

Team Design

Reward systems

Task characteristics

Communication
systems

Team size
Team composition

Physical space
Organizational
environment
Organizational
structure
Organizational
leadership

Team Processes
Team development
Team norms
Team roles
Team cohesiveness

Team
Effectiveness
Achieve
organizational
goals
Satisfy member
needs
Maintain team
survival

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

Homogeneous vs. Heterogeneous

Teams
Homogeneous Teams

Higher satisfaction
Less conflict
Faster team development
More efficient coordination
Performs better on simple
tasks

Heterogeneous teams

More conflict
Slower team development -takes longer to agree on
norms and goals
Better knowledge and
resources for complex tasks
Tend to be more creative
Higher potential for support
outside the team

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

Stages of Team Development

Performing
Norming

Storming
Forming

Existing teams
might regress
back to an
earlier stage of
development

Adjourning

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

Team Norms

Norm: An attitude, opinion, feeling, or action -- shared by two or more people

-- that guides their behavior.
Informal rules and expectations team establishes to regulate member
behaviors

Norms develop through:

1.
2.
3.
4.

Explicit statements
Critical events in teams history
Primacy
Beliefs/values members bring to the team and team experiences

Why Norms Are Enforced

Help the group or organization survive

Clarify or simplify behavioral expectations
Help individuals avoid embarrassing situations
Clarify the groups or organizations central values and/or unique
identity

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

Causes of Team Cohesiveness

Member
Similarity
External
Challenges
Team
Success

Member
Interaction
Team
Cohesiveness

Team
Size

Somewhat
Difficult Entry
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

Team Cohesiveness Outcomes

Members of cohesive teams:
Want to remain members
Willing to share information
Strong interpersonal bonds
Want to support each other
Resolve conflict effectively
More satisfied and experience less stress
.

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

Cohesiveness-Productivity Relationship
Cohesiveness

Alignment of group and

organizational goals

High

Low

High

Strong Increase
In Productivity

Moderate Increase
In Productivity

Low

Decrease in
Productivity

No Significant Effect
On Productivity

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

Shaping Team Players

Rewards
Training
Selection

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

Effective Teamwork Through

Trust: Reciprocal faith inTrust
others intentions and
behavior.

How to Build Trust

Communication (keep everyone informed; give

feedback; tell the truth).

Support (be available and approachable).
Respect (delegate; be an active listener).
Fairness (give credit where due; objectively evaluate
performance).
Predictability (be consistent; keep your promises).
Competence (demonstrate good business sense and
professionalism).

Effective Teamwork Through Cooperation

Cooperation
Competition

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

Effective Teamwork Through

Cohesiveness

Cohesiveness: A sense of we-ness helps team stick together.

How to Enhance Cohesiveness
Socio-Emotional Cohesiveness
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Keep the team relatively small.

Increase the status and prestige of belonging.
Encourage interaction and cooperation.
Emphasize member,s common characteristics and interests.
Point out environmental threats to rally the team.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Regularly update and clarify the team,s goals.

Give every team member a vital piece of the action.
Channel each team member,s special talents to the common goals.
Recognize and equitably reinforce every member,s contributions.
Frequently remind team members they need each other to get the
job done.

Instrumental Cohesiveness

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran

High-performance Teams
Shared
Responsibility
Future
Focused
Rapid
Response

Participative
Leadership

Aligned on
Purpose

High
Attributes of
high-performance Communication
Teams

Creative
Talents

Focused on
Task

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran