13. The Nature of Groups

Question 1

How does Handy define a group?

Answer 1

Any collection of people who perceive themselves to be a group

Question 2

What did Handy say are traits of a group?

Answer 2

• A sense of purpose or aim
• An identity
• Group norms
• Communication between members

Question 3

Who categorized 9 team roles?

Answer 3

Dr. Meredith Belbin

Question 4

What are the team roles categories by Belbin?

Answer 4

• Chairman
• Shaper
• Monitor/evaluator
• Company worker
• Resource-investigator
• Team worker
• PlantB
• Completer/finisher
• Specialist

Question 5

Who proposed the stages of team development?

Answer 5

Tuckman

Question 6

What are the stages of team development according to Tuckman?

Answer 6

• Forming
• Storming
• Norming
• Performing
• Dorming

Question 7

What is Tuckman’s forming stage?

Answer 7

Deciding whether to form a group and what it should be for.
- Slow and tentative

Question 8

What is Tuckman’s storming stage?

Answer 8

Competing for roles within the group

Question 9

What is Tuckman’s norming stage?

Answer 9

Establishing acceptable behaviour of group

Question 10

What is Tuckman’s performing stage?

Answer 10

Starting to get output from the group

Question 11

What is Tuckman’s dorming stage?

Answer 11

Starting to meet out of habit rather than need.

Not much is achieved and group should be disbanded

Question 12

How might management speed up Tuckman’s stages of development?

Answer 12

• Say what it’s for and who’s in it
• Assign the roles
• Say how often they should meet and when reports should be made

Question 13

What in Tuckman’s stages of development when the group composition changes?

Answer 13

Go through the stages again

Slight loss of performance

Question 14

What are two types of formal group?

Answer 14

• Teams
• Committees

Question 15

What’s the difference between a team and a committee?

Answer 15

Teams:
- Deliberately formed (not a difference)
- Specific objectives
- Bring mixed skills together
- Definite leader

Committees:
- Deliberately formed (not a difference)
- Concerned with decision making
- Has a chairman who coordinates committee
- Comprised of different departments so information is shared
- Formally recorded

Question 16

What are the differences between an effective and ineffective team?

Answer 16

Effective first, ineffective second:
Goals
- Understood and agreed
- Disagreement and lack of understanding
Contribution of members
- Every member participates
- Some members dominate while others say little
Listening
- Members listen and respond to points made
- Members appear to listen but simply reiterate own views hence no real interaction
Conflict handling
- Disagreement is tolerated and may be welcomed as creative step
- Ignored or suppressed
Decision making
- Consensus usually achieved
- Leader may decide or overrule. Votes may be taken where minorities aren’t happy
Assignment of responsibility
- People given clear action points to achieve
- Nothing allocated and points may not get done by anyone
Self evaluation
- Commonplace. Adjustments are made to keep group operating effectively
- Avoided and methods are static

Question 17

Why is a team leader essential for an effective team?

Answer 17

• Ensures everyone understands the teams goals and purposes
• Set the agenda for the meeting
• Ensure team-members know their roles
• Ensure all contribute
• Stop domination of the few
• Encourage consensus
• Protect minority views
• Record and follow up clear action points