Chapter 11 EFFECTIVE WORK GROUPS AND TEAMS. CHAPTER 11 Effective Work Groups and Teams Copyright ©...

chapter

1111EFFECTIVE WORK

GROUPS AND TEAMS

CHAPTER 11 Effective Work Groups and Teams

Copyright © 2002 Prentice-Hall

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Social Loafing• Social loafingSocial loafing: The tendency for individuals to

exert less effort when they work in a group than when they work alone.

• Proposed causes of social loafing:– Lack of connection between inputs and outcomes– Perception that individual efforts are unnecessary or

unimportant– Both causes are linked with group size

• Sucker effectSucker effect: A condition in which some group members, not wishing to be considered suckers, reduce their own efforts when they see social loafing by other group members.

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Ways to Reduce Social Loafing

• Make individual contributions identifiable

• Make individuals feel that they are making valuable contributions to a group

• Keep the group as small as possible

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Advice to Managers• Whenever feasible, make individual contributions or individual

levels of performance in a group identifiable, and evaluate these contributions.

• When work is performed in groups, let each member know that he or she can make an important and worthwhile contribution to the group.

• When you are unable to evaluate individual contributions to a group, consider having group members evaluate each other’s contributions and rewarding group members on the basis of group performance.

• Keep work groups as small as possible while making sure that a group has enough resources (member knowledge, skills, experiences) to achieve its goals.

• Whenever feasible, make individual contributions or individual levels of performance in a group identifiable, and evaluate these contributions.

• When work is performed in groups, let each member know that he or she can make an important and worthwhile contribution to the group.

• When you are unable to evaluate individual contributions to a group, consider having group members evaluate each other’s contributions and rewarding group members on the basis of group performance.

• Keep work groups as small as possible while making sure that a group has enough resources (member knowledge, skills, experiences) to achieve its goals.

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Task InterdependenceThompson’s model of group tasks helps managers identify

Task characteristics that can lead to process losses.The most effective ways to distribute outcomes or rewards to group members to generate high motivation.

The model is based on the concept of task interdependence, which is the extent to which the work performed by one member of a group affects what other members do. There are three types:

Pooled Task InterdependenceSequential Task InterdependenceReciprocal Task Interdependence

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Task InterdependencePooled Task Interdependence: each member of a group makes separate and independent contributions to group performance.Sequential Task Interdependence: requires specific behaviors to be performed by group members in a predetermined order.Reciprocal Task Interdependence: the activities of all work group members are fully dependent on one another so that each member’s performance influences the performance of every other member of the group.

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Task InterdependenceAs task interdependence moves from pooled to sequential to reciprocal interdependence, the potential for process losses increases because

Identifying individual performance becomes increasingly harder.Coordination becomes more difficult.

The potential for process gains also increases as task interdependence becomes more complex because of the increased likelihood of synergy.

Synergy: A process gain that occurs when members of a group acting together are able to produce more or better output than would have been produced by the combined efforts of each person acting alone.

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Advice to Managers• When a group task involves pooled interdependence, allocate

individual tasks to group members to avoid duplication of effort, and evaluate individual levels of performance and reward group members for their individual performance.

• When a group task involves sequential interdependence, do as many of the following as feasible: Monitor on-the-job behaviors of group members. Reward group members for group performance. Assign workers with similar ability levels to the same group. Reward workers for good attendance. Have multiskilled workers available to fill in when needed.

• When a group task involves reciprocal interdependence, do as many of the following as feasible: Keep group size small. Make sure that each group member knows that he or she can make a contribution. Reward group members for group performance. Increase physical or electronic proximity of members. Encourage clear and open communication. Encourage members to help one another as needed.

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Signs of CohesivenessLow cohesivenessLow cohesiveness: Information flows slowly within the group, the group has little influence over its members’ behavior, and the group tends not to achieve its goals.Moderate cohesivenessModerate cohesiveness: Group members work well together, there is a good level of communication and participation in the group, the group is able to influence its members’ behavior, and the group tends to achieve its goals.Very high cohesivenessVery high cohesiveness: Group members socialize excessively on the job, there is a very high level of conformity in the group and intolerance of deviance, and the group achieves its goals at the expense of other groups.

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Consequences of High Cohesiveness(Table 11.1)

Consequences ofHigh Cohesiveness

A high level ofparticipation and communicationwithin the group

A high level of conformity to group norms

Group goalaccomplishment

Advantages

Group members are more likely toperform behaviors necessary forthe group and organization toachieve their goals, informationflows quickly in the group, andturnover may be relatively low.

The group is able to control itsmembers’ behavior to achievegroup goals.

The group achieves its goalsand is effective.

Group members may wastetime socializing on the joband chatting about nonworkmatters.

Excessive conformity within the group may result in resistance tochange and failure to discard dysfunctional norms.

Group members may notcooperate with other groupsas much as they should.

PotentialDisadvantages

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Disadvantages of High Cohesiveness(Table 11.2)









DisadvantagesDisadvantages

Group members waste time socializingon the job and chatting about nonworkmatters.

Group members behave in ways that aredysfunctional for the organization.

The group achieves its goals at theexpense of organizational goals.

Group members waste time socializingon the job and chatting about nonworkmatters.

Group members behave in ways that aredysfunctional for the organization.

The group achieves its goals at theexpense of organizational goals.

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Advice to Managers• If group and organizational goals are aligned and group

cohesiveness is very low, try to increase cohesiveness by decreasing the size of the group, increasing the level of similarity of group members, introducing some element of competition with other groups, giving special rights or privileges, and encouraging “small successes.”

• If group and organizational goals are aligned and group cohesiveness is very high, try to lower it by increasing group size, introducing more diversity within the group, discouraging competition with other groups, and encouraging cooperation.

• If group and organizational goals are not aligned, do not try to increase cohesiveness. Try to realign group goals with organizational goals by ensuring that group members benefit when their efforts help the organization achieve its goals.

• If group and organizational goals are aligned and group cohesiveness is very low, try to increase cohesiveness by decreasing the size of the group, increasing the level of similarity of group members, introducing some element of competition with other groups, giving special rights or privileges, and encouraging “small successes.”

• If group and organizational goals are aligned and group cohesiveness is very high, try to lower it by increasing group size, introducing more diversity within the group, discouraging competition with other groups, and encouraging cooperation.

• If group and organizational goals are not aligned, do not try to increase cohesiveness. Try to realign group goals with organizational goals by ensuring that group members benefit when their efforts help the organization achieve its goals.

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Important Organizational GroupsThe Top Management TeamTop Management Team is the team of managers who report to the chief executive officer (CEO).Self-Managed Work TeamsSelf-Managed Work Teams are teams in which team members have the autonomy to lead and manage themselves and determine how the team will perform its tasks.Research and Development TeamsResearch and Development Teams are usually cross-functional teams that are formed to develop new products.Virtual TeamsVirtual Teams are teams in which a significant amount of communication and interaction occurs electronically rather than face to face.

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Conditions for Self-Managed Teams1. The group must be truly self-managing.2. The work performed by the group must be

sufficiently complex and result in some sort of finished end product.

3. Managers in the organization must support and be committed to the use of self-managed work teams.

4. Members of successful self-managed work teams must be carefully selected to ensure that the team has the right complement of skills and expertise to get the job done.

5. Team members need to have the ability to work with others and the desire to work as part of a team.

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Chapter 11 EFFECTIVE WORK GROUPS AND TEAMS. CHAPTER 11 Effective Work Groups and Teams Copyright ©...

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