Transcript Management 8e. - Robbins and Coulter

8th edition
Steven P. Robbins
Mary Coulter
Groups
 Any number of people who:
1. Interact with one another
2. Are psychologically aware (conscious) of one another
3. Perceive themselves to be a group.

Groups are small enough in size to permit each
member to communicate with all other members on a
face-to-face basis.
 The study of groups is important because the most
common ingredient (component, element) of an
organization is people, and the most common
technique for accomplishing work is dividing these
people into groups.
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Slide 2
Kinds of Groups in Organizations
Formal groups
Groups
defined by the organization’s
structure that have designated work
assignments and tasks.
– Appropriate behaviors are defined by, and
directed toward organizational goals.
– Members in marketing departments, human
resources, and production departments are
examples of formal groups.
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Slide 3
Kinds of Formal Groups
• Command Groups
 Groups that are determined by the organization chart
and composed of individuals who report directly to a
given manager.

They usually handle routine organizational activities.
• Task Groups
 Groups composed of individuals brought together to
accomplish non-routine tasks.

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They can consist of people on the same organizational level
or from different levels and areas in the organizational
hierarchy.
Slide 4
Kinds of Task Groups – Committees
Committee
 A group of individuals performing some
type of specific activity.

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Four major reasons for establishing committees:
1. To allow organization members to exchange
ideas.
2. To generate (make) suggestions and
recommendations.
3. To develop new ideas for solving problems.
4. To assist in the development of organizational
policies.
Slide 5
Kinds of Task Groups – Committees
 Managers should use committees because:
 Committees can improve the quality of decision
making.
 Committees encourage the expression
(communication) of honest opinions.
 Committees increase members’ participation in
decision-making.
 Committees ensure the representation of
important groups in the decision-making process.
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Slide 6
Kinds of Task Groups – Committees
 Procedural steps to increase the probability that a
committee will be successful:
The committee’s goals should be clearly defined
– This will focus the committee’s activities.
 The committee’s authority should be specified
– Is it to investigate, advise, recommend or implement
decisions?
 The optimum size of the committee should be determined
– The ideal number for most tasks seems to be from 5 to 10.
 A competent chairperson (leader) should be selected.
 A secretary should be appointed to handle communication.
 The agenda for the meeting should be distributed before the
meeting takes place.
 Meetings should start on time and ending time should be
known.

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Slide 7
Kinds of Task Groups – Committees
 People oriented guidelines to increase the
probability that a committee will be successful:
Rephrasing (rewording) ideas already expressed
– This ensures that people understand what has been
said.
 Bringing all members into active participation
– The manager should spark (activate) participation
whenever appropriate (suitable).
 Stimulating further thought by members
– The manager should encourage members to think
ideas through (completely) carefully and thoroughly
(well).

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Slide 8
Kinds of Task Groups – Committees
Groupthink
 It is the mode of thinking when the
desire for agreement overrides (is stronger,
dominates) the need to consider alternative
solutions

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Managers should help the committee avoid
“groupthink” when individual members tend
to agree too easily on every issue, to
conform to group opinions, and avert (avoid)
conflicts.
Slide 9
Kinds of Task Groups – Work Teams
Work team
 5 to 10 employees who work together to
produce an entire product.



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Members learn all the tasks required to produce
the product and move from job to job.
Work teams are usually self-managed (autonomous)
and assume managerial duties such as
scheduling work and vacations, and ordering
materials.
Employing work teams is a way to benefit from
the talent and creativity of skilled employees to
make important decisions.
Slide 10
Kinds of Task Groups – Work Teams
The four stages of formal group development
1. The Acceptance Stage

It occurs after the group members begin to trust and accept
one another.
2. The Communication and Decision-Making Stage

Once they have passed through the acceptance stage, group
members are better able to communicate frankly with one
another.
3. The Group Solidarity Stage

At this stage, members become more involved in group
activities and cooperate rather than compete with one another.
4. The Group Control Stage

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In this stage, group members maximize success by matching
individual abilities with group activities by assisting one
another.
Slide 11
Kinds of Task Groups – Work Teams
Member traits that characterize a mature group
 Members function as a unit

The group works as a team.
 Members participate in group effort

Members work hard when there is something to do.
 Members are oriented toward a single goal

Group members work for the common purpose.
 Members have the equipment, tools and skills
necessary to attain the group’s goal

Members seek to acquire the resources they need to attain
group objectives.
 Members ask and receive suggestions, opinions, and
information from one another

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Group members talk to one another openly and frequently.
Slide 12
Informal Groups
A collection of individuals whose common work
experience result in the development of interpersonal
relations beyond (outside) those established by
management.
Kinds of Informal Groups:
1. Interest groups
 Informal groups that form (are created) because of a
common concern (interest, involvement) members have
about a specific issue.
2. Friendship groups
 Informal groups that form because of the personal
affiliation (connection, association) members have with
one another, such as recreational (nonprofessional)
interests, race, gender, and religion.
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Slide 13
Informal Groups
Benefits of Informal Group Membership:
1. Perpetuation (continuation) of social and cultural
values.

Values that group members consider important.
2. Status and social satisfaction.

Feelings that people might not enjoy without group
membership.
3. Increased ease of communication among
group members.
4. Increased desirability (goodness) of the work
environment.
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Slide 14
Managing Work Groups
Sociometry:
 An analytical tool managers can use to determine
what informal groups exist within the organization
and who their members are.

This information on informal groups will give managers a
complete picture of the organization’s group structure.
Sociograms:
 Diagrams that visually (visibly) link individuals
according to the number of times they were chosen
by their workmates and whether the choice was
reciprocated.

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They summarize the informal relationships among group
members.
Slide 15
Managing Work Groups
Homans’ Model:
 According to Homans, the informal group
develops (is created) to provide satisfaction
and growth for its members. The
sentiments (friendships), interactions, and
activities (interests) within an informal
group are caused by the sentiments,
interactions and activities that prevail (exist)
in the formal group (team, department,
functional area).
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Slide 16
Teams
Team:
 A group whose members influence one another
toward the accomplishment of an organizational
objective.
•
Types of Teams
 Problem-solving teams
 Self-managed work teams
 Cross-functional teams
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Slide 17
Types of Teams
•
Problem-solving Team
 Employees from the same department and
functional area who are involved in efforts to
improve work activities or to solve specific
problems.
•
Self-managed Team
 A group of skilled employees who operate without
a manager, perform specified activities and have
some traditional (managerial) responsibilities such
as hiring, planning and scheduling, and
performance evaluations.
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Slide 18
Types of Teams
• Cross-functional Team
A work team composed of people from
different functional areas of the organization
– marketing, finance, human resources, and
operations, for example – who are all focused
on a specified objective.
 E.g.
teams established to choose and implement
new technologies, teams formed to improve
marketing effectiveness, teams established to
control product costs.
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Slide 19
Stages of Team Development
• Forming
 Members join and begin the
process of defining the group’s
purpose, structure, and
leadership.
• Storming
 Intragroup conflict occurs as
individuals resist control by the
group and disagree over
leadership.
• Norming
 Close relationships develop as
the group becomes cohesive
and establishes its norms for
acceptable behavior.
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• Performing
 A fully functional group
structure allows the
group to focus on
performing the task at
hand.
• Adjourning
 The group prepares to
disband and is no
longer concerned with
high levels of
performance.
Slide 20
Stages of Group Development
Slide 21
Team Effectiveness
Effective teams are those that come up
with innovative ideas, accomplish their
goals, and adapt to change when
necessary. Their members are highly
committed to both the team and
organizational goals.
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Slide 22
Team Effectiveness
People-related steps to build an effective team:
1. Trying to make the team’s work satisfying.
2. Developing mutual trust among team members and
between the team and management.
3. Building good communication – from management
to the team as well as within the team.
4. Minimizing unresolved conflicts and power
struggles within the team.
5. Dealing effectively with threats toward and within
the team.
6. Building the perception (feeling) that jobs of team
members are secure (protected, liable to continue).
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Slide 23
Team Effectiveness
Organization-related steps to build an
effective team:
1. Building a stable (sound) overall organization or
company structure that team members view as
secure (not failing).
2. Becoming involved in team events and
demonstrating interest in team progress and
functioning.
3. Properly rewarding and recognizing teams for
their accomplishments.
4. Setting stable (fixed) goals and priorities for the
team.
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Slide 24
Team Effectiveness
Task-related steps to build an effective team:
1. Developing clear objectives, directions and project
plans for the team.
2. Providing proper technical direction and leadership
for the team.
3. Establishing autonomy for the team and
challenging work within the team.
4. Appointing experienced and qualified team
personnel.
5. Encouraging team development.
6. Building visibility within the organization for the
team’s work.
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Slide 25
Team Effectiveness
• Effectiveness and Trust
Trust is belief in the reliance (support,
assistance), ability, and integrity of another.
Unless team members trust one another,
the team leader, and management,
managers may find that building an
effective work team is impossible.
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Slide 26
Team Effectiveness
Strategies managers can use to build trust within groups
 Communicate often to team members

Keeping members informed, explaining decisions sharing info.
 Show respect for team members

Show members that they are valued by delegating tasks to
them, listening to feedback from the group and acting on it.
 Be fair to team members

They must receive the rewards they have earned.
 Be predictable

Managers must be consistent in their actions. Team members
should be able to forecast management decisions.
 Demonstrate competence

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Managers must show they able to diagnose problems and have
the skill to implement solutions to those problems.
Slide 27
Characteristics of Effective Teams
Slide 28
C H A P T E R R E V I E W 1/3
Groups (slide 2)
1. Define group.
2. Why should managers study groups?
Kinds of Groups in Organizations (slides 3~8)
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
What is a formal group?
Define command group.
What is a task group?
Define committee.
Why should managers use committees?
What procedural steps can increase the probability that
committees will be successful?
9. What people oriented guidelines can increase the probability
that committees will be successful?
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Slide 29
C H A P T E R R E V I E W 2/3
Kinds of Groups in Organizations (slides 9~14)
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
Define groupthink.
Define work team.
Discuss the stages of formal group development.
What member traits characterize a mature group?
Define informal group.
What is an interest group?
What is a friendship group?
What are important benefits of group membership?
Managing Work Groups (slides 15, 16)
18. Define sociometry.
19. What is a sociogram?
20. Discuss Homans’s ideas on how informal groups develop.
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Slide 30
C H A P T E R R E V I E W 3/3
Teams (slides 17~20, 22)
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
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Define team.
What is a problem-solving team?
Discuss self-managed teams.
What is a cross-functional team?
What is forming?
Discuss storming.
What is norming?
What is performing?
Discuss adjourning.
Discuss the performance of an effective team.
Slide 31
C H A P T E R R E V I E W 4/3
Teams (slides 23~27)
31. What people-related steps can help build an effective
team?
32. What organization-related steps can help build an
effective team?
33. What task-related steps can help build an effective team?
34. What is the relationship between team effectiveness and
trust?
35. What strategies can be used to build trust in groups?
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Slide 32