lOMoARcPSD|6292023

ORGS 1136 - week 5 notes

Organizational Behaviour (Nipissing University)

StuDocu is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university

Downloaded by Tara FG (tfarhidgallo@yahoo.ca)
 lOMoARcPSD|6292023

ORGS 1136 – week 5 notes

Group – two or more people with common interests, objectives, and continuing interaction

Work Team – a group of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common mission,
performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable

Formal Groups – official or assigned groups gathered to perform various tasks

 need ethnic, gender, cultural, and interpersonal diversity

 need professional and geographical diversity
 Use others ideas to find new ways to learn

Informal Groups – unofficial or emergent groups that evolve in the work setting to gratify a variety of
member needs not met by formal groups

 Pulled together at last moment usually

Problems with groups??

 Who is right
o Sometimes hard to come to a consensus
o Cannot agree on steps to follow
 Who will lead
o Butt heads
 What steps to follow
o “How we should we do this?”
 Equal contribution
o “Social loafing” – everybody does work except for one person
o Different goals so one person may exert more effort into the project
 Withholding
o Someone comes up with an idea but doesn’t tell the group (maybe even builds off
somebody else’s idea) – then runs to the boss and tells them
 Manipulation
o “Computer broke down, can’t edit”, “can’t find any research”, “Sick”, “Dog died”

Why work in groups?

 Whole worth more than the sum of its parts

o More opinions to take into consideration
o Overlook weakness and play into strengths
 Provide a greater ability to solve problems
o Time efficient to split up work
 Offer rich and diverse ideas
o Different opinions
 Give emotional support
o Offer help in areas that you are comfortable
 Spark creativity and innovations

Downloaded by Tara FG (tfarhidgallo@yahoo.ca)

 lOMoARcPSD|6292023

 Learn from others

o Different opinions
 Have a stake in the process and solution
o You are more likely to accept the situation

Characteristics of a well-functioning group:

 Relaxed, comfortable, informal atmosphere

 Task well understood and accepted
 Members listen well and participate
 People express feeling and ideas
o Do not criticize
 Conflict and disagreement center around the ideas or methods
o Only focus on the task at hand; ex. If somebody is late do not say “Oh you’re late”
maybe remind what time the meeting starts at
 Group aware of its operation and function
 Consensus decision making

Tuckman’s five stage model of group development:

Forming Storming Norming Performing Adjourning

Little agreement Conflict Agreement and Clear vision and Task completion
Unclear purpose increased clarity consensus purpose Good feeling
Guidance and of purpose Clear roles and Focus on goal about
direction Power struggles responsibilities achievement achievements
(manager) Coaching Facilitation Delegation Recognition
(manager) (manager) (manager) (manager)

Group roles:

Leader –

 Characteristics
o Initiate the actions, make decisions, control
 Define and limit projects
 Map out who will perform which tasks
o Ask people what their strengths are and assign tasks accordingly

Downloaded by Tara FG (tfarhidgallo@yahoo.ca)

 lOMoARcPSD|6292023

 Set the agenda

Participant –

 Characteristics
o Trust others to lead, take on an assigned role
 Get involved
 Be organized
 Keep your word
 Focus on ideas not people
 Play fairly

Negotiator –

 Characteristics
o Good troubleshooters who bring others together
 Ask questions
 Look for links in the ideas
o Make sure everybody’s ideas are heard
 Reflect what you hear being said

Recorder/Organizer –

 Keep minutes/notes
 Setting the agenda
 Set times, durations, schedule
 Record keeping
 Sometimes “pulls the project together” at the end

Group Conflict:

 Develop a plan for managing conflict

o Ground rules
 Watch for signs of conflict
o Body language; whispered comments
 Agree to respect differing opinions
o Everyone can voice their opinion, attack the idea not the person
 Address the conflict
o The sooner the better
 Refrain from pairing off with others
o Engage with the entire group

Downloaded by Tara FG (tfarhidgallo@yahoo.ca)