Summary
Summary BUS2018F: Organisational behaviour exam notes
- Institution
- University Of Cape Town (UCT)
Detailed summary of Organisational behaviour section section for BUS2018F. Includes all lecture info and textbook summary.
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Ch8: Group Dynamics & Team WorkWhat is a group?
Definition
2 or more interacting individuals
o Social interaction
Have a stable and consistent pattern of relationships between them
o Stability
Share common goals/interests
o Common goals/interests
Perceive themselves as a group
o Mutual recognition that they are a group
Social Interaction
Members must have an influence on each other
Influence through their interactions
o Verbal
Sharing strategies
o Nonverbal
Exchanging smiles
Stability
Must possess a stable structure and relationships that
o Keep members together
o Keep members functioning as a unit
Common goals/interests
Mutual interest
o Chess club
o Brought together by their common interest of playing chess
Common goal
o Study group delegating the task of making notes
o Common goal of getting good marks and lightening their workload
Mutual interest & common goal
o Employees and owners of a small mathematics tutoring business
o Common interest of mathematics
o Common goal of making money
,Mutual recognition that they are a group
Must perceive themselves as a group
o Recognize one another as members of the group
o Can distinguish these members from nonmembers
Examples
o Chess club
Know who is part of the group
Can recognize people who aren’t part of the group
o Shoppers in a checkout line
Don’t identify with the other shoppers
Nothing in common
Little interaction, stability, or common ground
,Types of groups
Formal groups
Description
Group and hierarchy formally written down
Designed to direct members towards an organizational goal
Command groups
Formal connections between individuals within the organization
Determines
o Who reports to who
o Who can legitimately give orders to who
Don’t choose to be put into this group
o Rather placed by others
Example
o Supervisor
o Employees under the supervisor
Task groups
Formed around & focused on completing a task
Comprised of individuals with the specific skills needed
o Regardless of their position in the organization’s hierarchy
No hierarchy
o Work as equals on a task
Standing committees
o Permanent task groups
Ad hoc committees/task forces
o Temporary task groups
o Formed to complete a specific once off task
,Informal groups
Description
Not written down
Interest groups
Come together because of a common interest
Friendship groups
Formed because people get along
Why people join groups
Satisfy mutual interest
Security
Satisfying social needs
Self esteem
,5 Stage model of group development
Description
By Tuckman & Jenson
Stages have varying lengths depending on the context
Can regress to previous stage
1) Forming stage
More about relationships than work
Not very productive
2) Storming stage
Working out hierarchy
Conflict apparent
Not very productive
3) Norming stage
Develop roles
Usually informal
Group now starts working
4) Performing stage
Group its most productive
Runs smoothly
5) Adjourning stage
Added later
Sense of grief from members when a good group comes to an end
,Punctuated equilibrium model
In a group that’s given a task
Period of equilibrium
o Last till half way to the deadline
o Discuss, but do very little
Period of change
o From halfway to the deadline
o Group makes changes
o Then make final changes
o Task then completed
,Group Structure
Norms
Informal rules
o Not the formal rules written down in company documents
o The norms can be the different ways formal rules are interpreted
Example
Keep your office door open
Prescriptive norms
o Group expectations regarding what is supposed to be done
Proscriptive norms
o Group expectations regarding what is not supposed to be done
Status
Prestige or rank
o Given to individuals or groups
Example
o The parking situation at UCT
Higher a persons’ status, the better parking spot they get
Formal status
o Prestige someone has because of their formal position in the org.
Status symbols
o Objects reflecting one’s position in the organizational hierarchy
Cohesiveness
How well the group members get along
The strength of group members’ desires to remain a part of the group
The better they get along, the more they would want to
o Remain part of the group
o Want to work together
Too much cohesiveness
o Lowers productivity
Focus more on relationships than the task
o Inhibits decision making
Don’t want to challenge their “friend’s” ideas
, Roles
Typical behavior
o That characterizes a person within a particular group
A person can be different depending on which group they are in at that time
o Shy and introverted with friend group 1
o Confident and loud with friend group 2
Unclear roles
o Leads to stress and anxiety
Role incumbent
o A person holding a particular role
Role expectations
o The behaviors expected of a person in a particular role
Role ambiguity
o Confusion
o Arises from confusion from not knowing what is expected of you in
your role
Role differentiation
o Tendency for various specialized roles to emerge as a group develops
Different role categories
Task orientated roles
o Description
Get things done and achieving goals
o Different types of people who take up this role
Initiator-contributors
Recommend new solutions to group problems
Information seekers
Attempt to obtain the necessary facts
Opinion givers
Share own opinions with others
Energizers
Stimulate the group into action whenever interest drops
Relations-orientated role
o Description
Bringing people together and motivate employees
o Different types of people who take up this role
Harmonizers
Mediate group conflicts
Compromisers
Shift own opinions to create group harmony
Encouragers
Praise and encourage others
Expediters
Suggest ways for the group to operate more smoothly
Self orientated roles on next page
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