GROUPS IN THE

ORGANIZATION
Chapter 9
 INTRODUCTION

It is important to study groups because

groups are everywhere in the society. They
can deeply affect individual behavior. The
behavior of individuals in a group is key
to the group's success or failure.
 THE NATURE OF GROUPS

The work group is the primary means by which

managers coordinate individual behavior to
achieve organizational goals. Individuals form
or join groups because they expect to satisfy
personal needs.

A group is a small number of people who identify

and interact with one another because of a
common interest, bond and goal.
 THE NATURE OF GROUPS

Evidence suggests that groups typically

outperform individuals when the tasks involved
require a variety of skills, experience, and
decision making.
 THE NATURE OF GROUPS

Groups are often more flexible and can quickly

assemble, achieve goals, and disband or move on
to another set of objectives. Many organizations
have found that groups have many motivational
aspects as well. Group members are more likely
to participate in decision-making and problem-
solving activities leading to empowerment and
increased productivity. Groups complete most of
the work in an organization; thus, the
effectiveness of the organization is limited by
the effectiveness of its groups.
 TYPES OF GROUPS

There are several ways of classifying groups.

Groups may be differentiated on the bases of
relative permanency and degree of formality.
 Formal Groups

The three types of formal groups are command,

task, and affinity groups.

1. Command groups are relatively permanent work

groups established by the organization and
usually are specified on an organization chart.

An example of a command group is an academic

department chairman and the faculty members in
that department.
 Formal Groups

2. Task groups, although also established by the

organization, are relatively temporary and exist
only until the specific task is accomplished.
Task groups are also commonly referred to as
task forces.

Examples of assigned tasks are the development

of a new product, the improvement of a
production process, or the proposal of a
motivational contest.
 Formal Groups

2. Task groups

Other common task groups are ad hoc committees,

project groups, and standing committees.

• Ad hoc committees are temporary groups created

to resolve a specific complaint or develop a
process.
 Formal Groups

2. Task groups

• Project groups are similar to ad hoc committees

and normally disband after the group completes
the assigned task.

• Standing committees are more permanent than ad

hoc committees and project groups. They
maintain longer life spans by rotating members
into the group.
 Formal Groups

3. Affinity groups are formed by the

organization, are composed of employees at the
same level and doing similar jobs, and come
together regularly to share information and
discuss organizational issues.
 Informal Groups

Informal groups tend to be employee centered

groups whose aims and intentions may be
different to those of the official organisation.
They tend to draw their norms from themselves.
Their first loyalty is to their fellow group
members. Their goals are decided as to what is
right for them. Their behavior is derived from
interpersonal relationships. They are less
permanent, primarily meet social needs, and
their group leadership is likely to be exercised
on a charismatic basis rather than authoritarian
one.
 Informal Groups
Friendship and interest groups are the two types
of informal groups.

1. In friendship groups, the affiliation among

members arises from close social relationships
and the enjoyment that comes from being
together. Friendship groups are formed by
members who enjoy similar social activities,
political beliefs, religious values, or other
common bonds. Members enjoy each other's company
and often meet after work to participate in
these activities.
 Informal Groups

2. Interest groups usually continue over time

and may last longer than general informal
groups. The common bond in interest groups is
the activity in which the members engage.
Members of interest groups may not be part of
the same organizational department but they are
bound together by some other common interest.
The goals and objectives of group interests are
specific to each group and may not be related to
organizational goals and objectives.

An example of an interest group would be

 Informal Groups

There are four main reasons in the formation of

informal groups:

1. The perpetuation of the informal group

"culture" - Culture in this context means a set
of values, norms and beliefs which form a guide
to group acceptance and group behavior.
 Informal Groups

2. The maintenance of communication system -

Groups want all the information that affects
their welfare, either negatively or positively.
If groups are not apprised of policies and
motives behind actions, they will seek to tap
into formal communication channels and spread
information among group members.
 Informal Groups

3. The implementation of social control -

Conformity to group culture is enforced by such
techniques as ridicule, ostracism and violence.
 Informal Groups

4. The provision of interest and fun in work

life - Many jobs are monotonous and fail to hold
workers' attention. Work may also offer few
prospects. Workers may try to compensate by
interpersonal relations provided by the group
and in such activities as time wasting by
talking, gambling, practical joking and
drinking.
 STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT

In 1965 Tuckman fashioned the idea that groups

usually develop in five stages: forming,
storming, norming, performing and adjourning.
Although the stages are sequential, they may
overlap. A group that does not fully develop
within each stage will not fully mature as a
group, resulting in lower group performance.
 STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT

1. Forming - The first stage which is forming

refers to the initial formation of the group,
and is where the group may still be seen as a
collection of individuals. It is also where
tasks have to be understood, resources and
information acquired, individuals have to get to
know one another and no one will want to seem
less informed than the other. There is still
considerable reliance on the leader at this
stage.
 STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT

2. Storming - The storming stage represents that

period when problems begin to be faced more
openly than in the earlier stage. Individuals
begin to question or challenge the task and have
to confront emotional issues between themselves.

This stage can lead to disagreement and conflict

within the group. This was true within my own
group, as each member strove to ensure that
their own personal agenda was met. Each member
of the group stood to have their daily working
practice changed, and thereby stood to gain or
 STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT

3. Norming - In norming conflicts are settled,

new standards are developed by members, and co-
operation begins. The group agrees individual
requirements and expectations and develops their
own forms of acceptable behavior. This stage did
see some agreement between my group members, as
an outline of the duties began to emerge, and it
was evident that most members would benefit from
the revision.
 STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT

4. Performing - In the performing stage, the

group is now working effectively both in terms
of its goals and its internal relationships.
Teamwork develops and solutions are found. In
this stage saw the completion of the revision,
and was where the group was working together in
a co-operative manner. Members had their
personal agenda's met in a fair and democratic
way. For the few who were not initially happy,
solutions were found via group consultation.
 STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT

5. Adjourning - The last stage, adjourning

underlines the fact that a group's life will
eventually come to an end as people move on
elsewhere in the organisation or as the original
purpose is attained and the job is completed.
 GROUP PERFORMANCE FACTORS

Four additional factors affect group

performance: composition, size, norms, and
cohesiveness. The homogeneity of the people in
the group affects the interactions that occur
and the productivity of the group. The effect of
increasing the size of the group depends on the
nature of the group's tasks and the people in
the group. Norms help people function and relate
to one another in predictable and efficient
ways. Norms serve four purposes: they facilitate
group survival, simplify and make more
predictable the behaviors of group members, help
the group avoid embarrassing situations, and
 GROUP PERFORMANCE FACTORS

1. Group composition is often described in terms

of homogeneity or heterogeneity of the members.
A group is homogeneous if the members are
similar in one or several ways that are
important to the work of the group like age,
work experience, education, technical specialty
or cultural background. A group is heterogeneous
if the members differ in one or more ways that
are important to the work of the group.
Heterogeneity on age and tenure is found to be
related to turnover.
 GROUP PERFORMANCE FACTORS

Groups of different ages and experiences tend to

frequently change group membership. A
homogeneous group is likely to be more
productive if group task is simple, cooperation
is vital, the group task is in order or speedy
action is necessary. A heterogeneous group is
likely to be more productive when the task is
complex, needs collective effort and demands
creativity.
 GROUP PERFORMANCE FACTORS

2. Group size can vary from 2 people to a very

large number of people. Small groups of two to
ten are thought to be more effective because
each member has ample opportunity to participate
and become actively involved in the group. Large
groups may waste time by deciding on processes
and trying to decide who should participate
next.
 GROUP PERFORMANCE FACTORS

Group size will affect not only participation

but satisfaction as well. Evidence supports the
notion that as the size of the group increases,
satisfaction increases up to a certain point. In
other words, a group of six members has twice as
many opportunities for interaction and
participation as a group of three people. Beyond
10 or 12 members, increasing the size of the
group results in decreased satisfaction. It is
increasingly difficult for members of large
groups to identify with one another and
experience cohesion.
 GROUP PERFORMANCE FACTORS

3. Group norms are acceptable standards of

behavior within a group that are shared by the
members of the group. Norms define the
boundaries of acceptable and unacceptable
behavior. They are typically created in order to
facilitate group survival, make behavior more
predictable, avoid embarrassing situations, and
express the values of the group. Each group will
establish its own set of norms that might
determine anything from the appropriate dress to
how many comments to make in a meeting. Groups
exert pressure on members to force them to
conform to the group's standards.
 GROUP PERFORMANCE FACTORS

The norms often reflect the level of commitment,

motivation, and performance of the group. The
majority of the group must agree that the norms
are appropriate in order for the behavior to be
accepted. There must also be a shared
understanding that the group supports the norms.
It should be noted, however, that members might
violate group norms from time to time. If the
majority of members do not adhere to the norms,
then they will eventually change and will no
longer serve as a standard for evaluating
behavior. Group members who do not conform to
the norms will be punished by being excluded,
 GROUP PERFORMANCE FACTORS

4. Group cohesiveness refers to the bonding of

group members and their desire to remain part of
the group. Many factors influence the amount of
group cohesiveness. Generally speaking, the more
difficult it is to obtain group membership the
more cohesive the group. Groups also tend to
become cohesive when they are in intense
competition with other groups or face a serious
external threat to survival. Smaller groups and
those who spend considerable time together also
tend to be more cohesive.