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Running Header: Critical Synthesis Paper

Critical Synthesis Paper

Organizational behavior is the study of how one performs as an individual and the

performance within small groups of an organization. This behavior can be altered by many

factors that influence one’s behavior such as the member’s personal background, the

leadership style a person is being led by and the group the person is interacting with. Stewart L.

Tubbs’ textbook “A Systems Approach to Small Group Interaction” explains there are three

interrelating parts that directly affect each other in small groups; the background factors of the

group, the internal influences, and the consequences. After studying Tubbs (2012) model of

small group interaction one should know the importance of empowering a group with the

correct values to make the communication process flow correctly, how the choice of leadership

can affect the interpersonal growth of the team being built, and how positive organizational

change can be derived from managing conflict effectively.

In this paper one should have an idea of why it is important to cultivate faith and have

compassion for the people that a person surround themselves with. These are necessary

ingredients for setting a foundation for a democratic workplace and to only show authority

when guidance is needed due to a discrepancy in the team’s example. It is important to know

the personal backgrounds of the people in our everyday lives to have some common ground

when welcoming a person into the relationships of our colleagues. Once these commonalities

are found and everyone feels accepted, there is a responsibility in the interpersonal

relationships that are built to empower each other, communicate effectively, and resolve any

conflict to optimize a positive work environment.

Author Note

This paper was prepared for MHR 3250: Organizational Behavior, taught by Julie D.

Rigsby.
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Tubbs (2012) defines empowerment to be “a leadership style that enables the leader

more effectively to utilize the talents, abilities, and knowledge of others…to increase his or her

available time to work on more strategic activities” (p.14). The advantages to empowering

members of the group is increased productivity from response time to solving problems,

communication process, having motivated employees and the general effectiveness of the

organization in all areas (p.15). This leadership tactic makes the members of the group

accountable to their own choices and creates a sense of competence resulting in feelings of

control and a sense of purpose (p.243).

To empower your team means to portray the type of leadership skills you want your

members to have, hence, turning the members that are followers into leaders themselves.

Changing the qualities that are hindering a member’s personal development into leadership

qualities other members in the group envy and are willing to adopt is a way to inspire a team to

lead themselves. Some of the requirements for a successful career is identified by Cameron

(2010) as having certain skills. These skills are important to instill in the members of a team as

well such as: developing self-awareness, managing personal stress, solving problems,

supportive communication, motivating others, delegating, managing conflict, and team building

(p.10).

I plan to incorporate empowerment to my teams throughout my career by building

relationships with team members as well as having team members empower each other. In the

past, I have always recognized other’s strengths as a personal growth method. I think

persuading team members to identify any positive traits from one member of my team to

another gives that member a new perspective on a skill they need to work on themselves. The
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only result of any conflict needing managed in this process would be giving the desired training

and tools necessary for the personal growth to be built.

I do not want my team to feel like they are in another country. I want my team to feel

like a family and know that everyone has a place. If someone feels like they are out of place, I

intend to give them a glimpse of my personal life and will encourage others in the group to

disclose what they feel comfortable sharing about their personal life. As a society, we rely on

being included and being accepted in relationships. I think that sharing our personal lives with

others is deemed taboo to be accepted, yet it is a necessary to build these relationships that we

have a psychological need for and to efficiently work with our teams and build these

interpersonal relationships. It is a leader’s responsibility to control exclusion and build

interpersonal relationships throughout his or her department.

Tubbs (2012) defines group communication as “the process of creating meanings in the

minds of others” (p.46). For group communication to be effective, one must have a self-

awareness of one’s own emotions as well as an awareness of other’s emotions (p.45). The basis

of this theory is to have more effective communication by having regards for what other’s

beliefs may be or an understanding of their thought processes without criticism or judgement.

Tubbs (2012) explains to us that “effective communication is reduced once a defensive barrier

has been erected (p.61). Although competitive and argumentative communication reflect a

level of disagreement, conflict, and attempts to dominate, it can be harvested as a building

block for a team’s cohesiveness if a leader demands empathy from his or her team (p.47).

Jeremiah 33:6-8 says “‘Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people

and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. 7 I will bring Judah and Israel back from
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captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. 8 I will cleanse them from all the sin they

have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me.”

Leadership can give us the sense of empowerment; however, we must not become

controlling. It is unnatural for us to feel comfortable to be forced to do something. By gathering

a member’s opinion on a project, the member may feel more obligated to engage in the project

due to the feeling of ownership in it. This ownership may also draw a fine line to someone

“knowing everything”. Directing general statements toward groups instead of individuals can be

helpful in decreasing critical comments toward an individual in the project. This directs the

problem with the work and not the person that performed it. This is called supportive

communication (p.65).

Through my involvement in this course, I have changed my outlook on communicating

within groups and realize the potential growth I will gain by objectively viewing the

communication process. Throughout my work history, I have been a neutral follower. After

studying organizational behavior, I now realize that conflict can produce positive changes in the

environment and perhaps change another follower into a leader by creating team

cohesiveness. Although my emotional awareness has always been a conscious caution within

communication, going forward I plan to empathize with others, using a “feel-felt-found”

approach instead of using an argument of simply following the directions of authority. For

example, I am gathering that you feel like your opinion does not matter on the subject. I have

felt that way before and found that if I make my feelings known about the subject, the

supervisor will incorporate helpful ideas that increase production or accommodate our need of

additional communication.
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Tubbs (2012) defines inclusion as “our need for belonging” (p.120). According to the

writers at ChangingMinds.org (2004), attitudes are “predispositions towards action, about or

towards people and things, evaluative of people, objects and ideas, and made up of emotional

reactions, thoughts and beliefs, and action components” (p.139). For a team to achieve

cohesiveness, everyone must have a positive attitude and leave this judgment behind. I feel it is

necessary to listen to what the team members have to say about each other and to myself in a

nonjudgmental manner and to take steps to resolve any issues as quickly as possible, while

keeping the team informed regarding the resolution.

After establishing an empowered team and effective communication for everyone to

feel accepted, there are team building exercises that can improve how a team will produce

results. Although it is sometimes a task to have a company outing since these functions are not

always in a budget, I feel that having a charitable activity is a way of building team members

relationships outside the office. This not only gives back to the community, but the fellowship

created during these outings will be carried back into the workplace. If any conflict is aroused

within an out of the workplace activity, normally it would have smoothed itself over in time for

work to come around again making for any future conflict in the workplace easier to deal with.

Anything we encounter is usually dealt with easier the second time around.

Tubbs (2012) explains two ways conflict can be managed effectively. He states that

managing conflict if “cooperative, balanced, and empathetic.” Proactive conflict management

prevents conflict by building relationships through programs or team building exercises.

Collaborative conflict management diffuses conflict by developing a process conflict can be

worked through (p.330). The ideal result from managing conflict is when emotions and doubts
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are worked through or prevented ensuring production is handled with efficiency. A group

consensus on any decisions to be made is the best way for changes of protocol to be made

because if several members do not agree with the decision, it will be less likely these members

model the way for others by practicing these changes.

A new insight I have gained from conflict management from studying organizational

management is; while holding the importance for results in production, I will also hold a high

regard in concern for the members I am working with (p.331). A problem I have seen in the

workforce is the lack of concern of management to employee relationships. I feel that taking

time out of the busy management schedule to have a meeting with every employee to

understand their viewpoints and concerns with their jobs or personal lives is necessary to have

loyalty in the company. I have filled out questionnaires at times thinking, “What are they really

wanting to know?” or “What changes are going to come from this?” I had to go to my

temporary employment agents office and have a discussion with her. She did not realize that no

one was filling out the forms truthfully because everyone thought there was a drastic change

coming. Tubbs (2012) informs us that “sharing information results in an increased knowledge

level and increased coordination among group members” (p.372).

Temporary employment agencies are a type of mediator in many corporations. It is a

security measure for unemployment, worker’s compensation claims and a defense for the

company’s human resources department to have another mediator between the company and

temporary employees. The intent for people working for a temporary service is not usually for

temporary employment, it is to be hired on full-time. Without the trust of the people leading

us, there will be no honest feedback to invest back into the company. Numbers 12:7-8 says “7
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But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. 8 With him I speak face

to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid

to speak against my servant Moses?” My leadership will help the growth of the company,

myself and the people I am leading by having one-on-one meetings with individuals to ask what

their personal goals are, the professional goals they seek and how I can help them meet those

goals.

Although the changes in interpersonal relationships can be a benefit from managing

conflict within groups, it can influence the cohesiveness of the group to have stricter group

norms. Tubbs (2012) says these norms could now “tolerate smaller amounts of deviance from

the group values” (p.367). Keller (1986) studied the cohesiveness in project groups’

performance and found that “cohesive project groups were able to achieve high project quality

and meet their goals on budgets and schedules” (Tubbs, p.367).

Understanding a person’s background or current physical, emotional, or spiritual

problems can make dealing with the person less frustrating and helps derive where the

behavior is coming from and how to implement that behavior. Changing behaviors that hinder

productivity, communication between groups and an individual’s motivation is vital to an

organizations effectiveness. Although conflict can ultimately create a cohesiveness and set a

high standard of excellence, if not managed correctly with compassion, emotional awareness,

and exercises to build a team correctly, negative behaviors can spread like a virus.

There is a barrier of trust between authority and team members. If one discloses a little of

themselves to another at the right time, the barrier can be broken, and trust established.

Demonstrating accountability and reliability to a team demonstrates leading by example. This

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communication that everyone is after the same goal instead of competing against each other is

an effective way to empower a team. 2 Corinthians 7:2-3 says “2 Make room for us in your

hearts… 3 I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die

with you.

Although it is important to know the personal backgrounds of our interpersonal relationships,

Jesus did not ask the leper his personal background when he healed him, nor did even ask the

blind woman’s name when he brushed her face with mud to make her see. If society practices

these principles at home, it will be only natural to practice these principles at work or in any

new environment.
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References

Tubbs, Stewart L. (2012). A systems approach to small group interaction (11th ed.). McGraw Hill

Companies, Inc.