Teams & Team Building

Lalith Weeratunga

Learning Objectives
Describe the basic nature of groups: the dynamics
of group formation and the various types of
groups
Discuss the implications the research on groups
has for the practice of management
Explain the important dynamics of informal groups
and organizations
Analyze the impact of groupthink
Present the newly emerging team concept and
practice.

What is a Group?
A group comprises people with shared goals who
often communicate with one another over a
period of time and are few enough so that each
individual may communicate with all the others,
person-to-person.
A group is a small number of individuals who
communicate person-to-person to achieve one or more
common goals.

Free-rider Concept
Another example of conflicting team and
individual goals.
Refers to a team member who obtains benefits
from membership but doesnt bear a proportional
share of the responsibility for generating those
benefits.
Free riders are likely to be highly individualistic
people who believe that they can minimize their
contribution to a team effort so long as they
themselves arent held accountable.
Violate an equity standard.
Violate a standard of social responsibility
Violate a standard of reciprocity or exchange.

The nature of groups

Widely recognized as an important sociological
unit of analysis in the study of organizational
behaviour.
Group dynamics are the interactions and forces
among group members in social situations.
The popularity of work groups and teams are
soaring.
First used in corporate giants such as Toyota,
Motorola, General Mills and General Electric.
Most organizations use work groups or teams.

Individualism Vs. Collectivism

Individualism means being distinct and separate from the
group, emphasizing personal goals, and showing little concern
and emotional attachment to groups, especially in the work
setting.
Collectivism means being an integral part of the group,
subordinating personal goals to group goals, showing deep
concern for the welfare of the group and feeling intense
emotional ties to the group.

Meaning of Group Dynamics

If a group exists in an organization, its members:
are motivated to join
perceive the group as a unified unit of interacting
people
contribute in various amounts to the group
processes (that is, some people contribute more
time or energy to the group than do others)
reach agreements and have disagreement through
various forms of interaction

Different viewpoints about group

dynamics
It describes how a group should be organized and
conducted. democratic leadership, member
participation, and overall cooperation are stressed.
It consists of a set of techniques. role playing,
brainstorming, focus groups, leaderless groups, group
therapy, sensitivity training, team building,
transactional analysis, and the Johari window are
traditionally equated with group dynamics.
A new group technique is called creative abrasion
search for a clash of ideas rather than personal
abrasion (goal is to develop greater creativity from
the group).

Dynamics of Group Formation

Why do individuals form into groups?
The most basic classic social psychology theory
of group formation, explaining affiliation is
Propinquity.
Propinquity simply means that individuals
affiliate with one another because of spatial or
geographical proximity. students sitting next
to one another are more likely to form a group.
Drawback it is not analytical and does not
explain some of the complexities of group
formation.

Theories of group formation

Classic theory of George Homans
based on activities, interactions, and
sentiments.
Three elements are directly related to one
another.
The more activities persons share, the more
numerous will be their interactions and the
stronger will be their sentiments.
The major element here is interaction
Persons in a group interact with one another
not just in the physical propinquity sense, but
also to accomplish many group goals through
cooperation and problem solving.

Theodore Newcombs Balance Theory

Individual X

Individual Y

Z
Common Attitudes and Values
Religion
Politics
Lifestyle
Marriage
Work
Authority

 The theory states that persons are attracted to one

another on the basis of similar attitudes toward commonly
relevant objects and goals.
Individual X will interact and form a relationship/group with
individual Y because of common attitudes and values (Z).
Once this relationship is formed, the participants try to
maintain a symmetrical balance between the attraction and
the common attitudes.
If an imbalance occurs, an attempt is made to restore the
balance. If the balance cannot be restored, the relationship
dissolves
Both propinquity and interaction play a role in Balance
theory.

Exchange theory -another from social psychology

Based on reward-cost outcomes of interaction.
A minimum positive level (rewards > costs) of an
outcome must exist for attraction or affiliation to take
place.
Rewards from interactions gratify needs.
Costs incur anxiety, frustration, embarrassment, or
fatigue.
Propinquity, interaction and common attitudes all have
roles in exchange theory.

Bruce Tuckmans Five-Stage Theory

of Group Development

Performing

Adjourning

Norming
Storming
Forming

Independence

Dependence/
interdependence

Return to
Independence

Bruce Tuckmans Five-Stage Theory

of Group Development
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Forming initial stage is marked by uncertainty and even confusion.

Group members are not sure about the purpose, structure, task, or
leadership of the group.
Storming characterized by conflict and confrontation. (in the
usually emotionally charged atmosphere, there may be considerable
disagreement and conflict among members)
Norming members begin to settle down into cooperation and
collaboration. They have a we feeling with high cohesion, group
identity, and camaraderie.
Performing stage where the group is fully functioning and devoted
to effectively accomplishing the tasks agreed on in the norming
stage.
Adjourning represents the end of the group (in ongoing, permanent
groups, this stage will never be reached)

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?

Punctuated equilibrium model

An alternative model for group formation, most
recently proposed.
First phase a target or mission is set, and not
easily changed due to a process called inertia, or
systematic resistance to change.
Second phase - at some mid point this begins;
commences when members suddenly recognize
that if they dont change tactics, the groups goal
or mission will not be accomplished midlife
crisis

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 of
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 and
5. Implement complex decisions.
feelings of insecurity and powerless6. Socialize and train newcomers.
ness.
5. Provide a problem-solving mechanism
for personal and interpersonal problem

Teams

Team: A small number of people with complementary

skills who are committed to a common purpose,
performance goals, and approach for which they hold
themselves mutually accountable.
The Evolution of a Team
A work group becomes a team when:
Leadership becomes a shared activity.
Accountability shifts from strictly individual to both
individual and collective.
The group develops its own purpose
or mission.
Problem solving becomes a way of life,
not a part-time activity.
Effectiveness is measured by the groups
collective outcomes and products.

Group/team effectiveness
Organizing work around intact groups.
Having groups charged with selection, training, and
rewarding of members
Using groups to enforce strong norms for behaviour, with
group involvement in off-the-job as well as on-the-job
behaviour.
distributing resources on a group rather than an individual
basis.
Allowing and perhaps even promoting inter-group rivalry so
as to build within-group solidarity.

Three factors that seem to play the major

role in determining group effectiveness
1. Task interdependence how closely group
members work together.
2. Outcome interdependence whether, and how,
group performance is rewarded.
3. Potency members belief that the group can be
effective.

Social Norms

Norm: An attitude, opinion, feeling, or action -shared by two or more people -- that guides their
behavior.
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

Trust
Trust: Reciprocal faith in 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).

Dysfunctions of groups and teams

Norm violation and role ambiguity/conflict
The groupthink, conformity problem
Risky shift phenomenon
Dysfunctions in perspective
Social loafing

Norm violation and role

ambiguity/conflict
Group norms that are violated can result in antisocial
behaviour.
Gaps between the perceived roles as dictated by norms
and the individuals reaction to the role can exist.
Role ambiguity occurs when the individual employee is
unclear about the dictates of a given situation doesnt
know what he is supposed to be doing
Role conflict occurs when the member is asked to perform
conflicting tasks or is required to perform a task that
conflicts with his/her personal values.

Groupthink, conformity problem

Irving Janis calls dysfunction of highly cohesive teams
GROUPTHINK a deterioration of mental efficiency, reality
testing, ands moral judgement that results from in-group
pressures.
Groupthink results from the
pressures on the individual members
to conform and reach
consensus.
There is no realistic appraisal of alternative
courses of action in a decision, and deviant,
minority or unpopular decisions are suppressed.

 Some symptoms
There is the illusion of invulnerability. There is excessive
optimism and risk taking.
There is the unquestioned belief in the groups inherent
morality
There are rationalizations by the members of the group to
discount warnings.
Those who oppose the group are stereotyped as evil, weak or
stupid.
There is self-censorship of any deviation from the apparent
group consensus.
There is the illusion of unanimity. Silence is interpreted as
consent.
There is direct pressure on any member who questions the
stereotypes. Loyal members dont question the direction of
the team.
There are self-appointed mindguards who protect the group
from adverse information.

Skills and Best Practices: How to Prevent

Group Think
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

Risky shift phenomenon

A group may make more risky decisions than the individual
members would on their own.
Group discussion enhances the initial tendency of
individual members in a given direction.

Social Loafing
Occurs when members reduce their effort and performance levels when
acting as part of the group.
Primary causes include lack of performance feedback within the group,
tasks that are not intrinsically motivating, situations in which the
performance of others will cover for the reduced effort, and the
sucker effect of not wanting to do more than the perception of effort
being given by others.
Cultures dominated by individual, self-interest values are more likely to
have groups that experience loafing.
More likely to appear in large teams.
To avoid loafing, keep teams smaller, specialize tasks, measure
individual performance, and select only motivated employees when
building teams.