Groups, teams, & teamwork Flashcards
(44 cards)
Why do people join groups?
Organizational functions
Individual functions
What are the organizational functions of joining a group?
Accomplishing tasks beyond capabilities of the individual and it is helpful for making complex decisions
What are the individual functions of joining a group?
Satisfies the need for affiliation and social identity.
Allows employees to share ideas and beliefs
Reduces anxiety and feels of powerfulness
What makes a group a team?
Specific roles
Common purpose
Performing goals
Mutual accontability
What makes a group a team?
Specific roles
Common purpose
Performing goals
Mutual accountability
Principles of teamwork
Members…
support each other
give and recieve feedback
believe interdependence is a virtue
view themselves as a collective
recognize the need for a leader
What makes a team effective?
Were expectations met?
Did members feel competent and satisfied with the experience?
Can the group meet up to work together again?
Tuckman’s stage model - Stages of group development
Stages of groups are based on major issues and common problems that are dealt with during development
To improve group functioning, we should be able to understand those issues and problems
5 stages of Tuckman’s model
Forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning
Norming stage 1
Getting to know each other
Uncertainty and anxiety rises
Leader should clarify the purpose and build familiarity among team members
Storming stage 2
Assigning roles and responsibilities to team members
Role overload, role conflict, role ambiguity can arise
Leader should formally and clearly assign work ( and specific roles)
Assign work based on member capability and work flow
Norming stage 3
Formal and informal standards of behavior are developing
Examples: How we communicate, make decisions, etc.
bad habits can develop (ineffective patterns of behavior)
Leader should clearly communicate expectations, role model, and reinforce desired behaviors
Why do we have norms?
Increase predictability of behavior
Keep things running smoothly
How do norms develop?
Explicit statements by leaders or group members
Critical events in group’s history
Adopt first pattern of behavior developed
Carryover from past experiences
Performing stage 4
The team is performing the tasks assigned to accomplish goals/ objectives
Ineffective team functioning/ performance issues can be problematic
Leader should understand effective leadership techniques, motivation, and attidues
Adjourning stage 5
Tasks have been performed
Objectives accomplished (or given up)
Members disband
People reflect on experience
What kind of leadership is needed in early stages of the group?
A leader who eliminates ambiguity, imposes structure, and reinforces good behavior (can use transformational leadership)
What kind of leadership is needed in later stages of the group?
A leader who provides direction and motivation. They should inspire employees (transformational leadership)
Social loafing
The tendency for people to exert less effort on a task when they are performing in groups, compared to when they are performing the same task alone.
Why does social loafing occur?
Equity theory - we all have the same rewards… why should I try harder than my coworker?
Loss of personal accountability - my contributions are not easily identifiable so why should I try hard?
How can we decrease social loafing?
Increase personal accountability
How can we increase personal accountability?
Allow members to punish/reward each other
- feedback forms after group project - rating each other
Stepladder technique
- 2 people work together, everyone else works alone. The person who is working alone presents to group and than switch and repeat
That will increase personal accountability because people know their contributions are identifiable
Social loafing callout
Social loafing is when someone is capable of doing a task but doesn’t because they are in a group.
It is not that they are too busy or do not have the time. In order to social loaf, you need to be free to do the task but choose not to .
Conformity and obedience
social influence can cause people to behave in ways they typically would not
