Organizational Behavior Managing People and Organizations 11th Edition Griffin Solutions Manual

Organizational Behavior Managing
People and Organizations 11th Edition

Griffin Solutions Manual
Visit to Download in Full: https://testbankdeal.com/download/organizational-behavior-
managing-people-and-organizations-11th-edition-griffin-solutions-manual/
CHAPTER 9
Foundations of Interpersonal and Group
Behavior
CHAPTER OVERVIEW
In Chapter 1 we noted the pervasiveness of human behavior in organizations and the importance of
interactions among people as critical to achieving important outcomes for organizations. Indeed, a great
deal of all managerial work involves interacting with other people, both directly and indirectly and both
inside and outside the organization. This chapter is the first of seven that deal primarily with
interpersonal processes in organizations. We begin by reinforcing the interpersonal nature of
organizations. We then introduce and describe numerous elements of one important aspect of
interpersonal relations, group dynamics.
CHAPTER LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
1. Discuss the interpersonal nature of organizations.
2. Define a group and illustrate their importance in organizations.
3. Identify and discuss the types of groups commonly found in organizations.
4. Describe the general stages of group development.
5. Discuss the major group performance factors.
6. Discuss intergroup dynamics.
7. Describe group decision making in organizations.
8. Foundations of Interpersonal and Group Behavior
LECTURE OUTLINE
I. The Interpersonal Nature of Organizations. Interpersonal relations and group processes are a
pervasive part of all organizations and a vital part of all managerial activities.
A. Interpersonal Dynamics. The nature of interpersonal relations in an organization is as varied
as the individual members themselves.
B. Outcomes of Interpersonal Behaviors. A variety of things can happen as a result of
interpersonal behaviors. Recall from Chapter 4, for example, that numerous perspectives on
motivation suggest that people have social needs. Interpersonal relations in organizations
can be a primary source of need satisfaction for many people. Figure 9.1 presents a three-
phase model of group dynamics. In the first phase, the reasons for forming the group
determine what type of group it will be. A four-step process of group development occurs
during the second stage; the precise nature of these steps depends on four primary group
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible we bsite, in whole or in
part.
Chapter 9: Foundations of Interpersonal and Group Behavior 93
performance factors. In the final phase, a mature, productive, adaptive group has evolved.
This model serves as the framework for our discussion of groups in this chapter
II. The Nature of Groups. Groups can be defined in terms of perceptions, motivation, organization,
interdependencies, and interactions. We will define a group as two or more persons who interact
with one another such that each person influences and is influenced by each other person. Our
definition does not state that group members must share a goal or motivation, although groups
often have goals.
A. Formal Groups are established by the organization to do its work. Formal groups include
command groups, which are relatively permanent; task groups, which are relatively
temporary; and affinity groups. In organizations, most employees work in command groups,
typically specified on an official organization chart. Task groups usually are established to
solve a particular organizational problem. The members of most task groups remain
members of their command groups, or departments, and continue to carry out the normal
duties of their jobs. Affinity groups are relatively permanent collections of employees from
the same level in the organization who meet on a regular basis to share information, capture
emerging opportunities, and solve problems. Teams are becoming increasingly popular in
organizations today.
B. Informal Groups. Informal groups are formed by their members and are of two types:
friendship groups, which are relatively permanent, and interest groups, which may be shorter
lived. In friendship groups, the association among the members results from friendly
relationships and the pleasure that comes from being together. Interest groups are organized
around a common activity or interest, although friendships among members may develop.
II. Stages of Group Development. Group development usually occurs in four stages: (1) mutual
acceptance, (2) communication and decision making, (3) motivation and productivity, and (4)
control and organization (refer to Figure 9.2). Because stages and activities overlap, it is difficult
to determine exactly when a group moves from one stage to another.
A. Mutual Acceptance. Typical activities at this stage include making acquaintances; sharing
information; discussing subjects unrelated to tasks; testing one another’s reactions,
knowledge, and expertise; and being defensive and quibbling.
B. Communication and Decision Making. Typical activities at this stage are expressing
attitudes, establishing norms and goals, and discussing tasks openly.
C. Motivation and Productivity. Typical activities at this stage include cooperating, working on
tasks as a team, and being creative.
D. Control and Organization. Typical activities at this stage are working independently,
assigning tasks according to ability, and being spontaneous and flexible.
E. Groups that go through all four stages and develop into a mature group become more
effective than other groups. They will be interdependent, coordinated, cooperative,
competent, motivated, and have good communication.
F. As group membership changes, groups may need to go through some of the development
stages with the new members.
III. Group Performance Factors. There are four basic group performance factors: composition, size,
norms, and cohesiveness.
A. Group Composition. Composition usually is described in terms of the homogeneity or
heterogeneity of group members.
1. A group is homogeneous if members are similar in one of several traits, such as age,
work experience, education, technical specialty, or cultural background.
2. A group is heterogeneous if the members differ along one or more dimensions.
3. Certain task variables make a homogeneous or heterogeneous group more effective
than its counterpart.
part.
94 Chapter 9: Foundations of Interpersonal and Group Behavior
a) A homogeneous group is more likely to be productive in situations where the

group task is simple, group tasks are sequential, cooperation is needed, or quick
action is required.
b) A heterogeneous group is more likely to be productive in situations where the
task is complex, requires a collective effort, demands creativity, or requires
thorough deliberations rather than speed.
4. A homogeneous group tends to have less conflict, fewer differences of opinion, easier
communication, and more interaction.
5. A homogeneous group is preferable for a task that requires cooperation and speed.
6. For a task that requires complex analysis of information and creativity in arriving at the
best possible solution, a heterogeneous group is preferable.
B. Group Size. The size of a group can vary from two members to as many members as can
interact with and influence one another.
1. Having a large number of people in a group increases the number of resources
available and may enable the group to complete a large number of relatively
independent tasks.
2. The larger the group, the more complex the interactions and communications.
3. With larger groups, it is much more likely that interactions and communications will
be formalized.
4. Increasing the size of a group may inhibit participation of some members and increase
absenteeism.
5. Large groups may present more opportunities for interpersonal attraction, leading to
more social interactions and fewer task interactions. Social loafing is the tendency of
some members of groups to not put forth as much effort in a group situation as they
would working alone.
6. Interactions among individuals in groups often depend on the group’s size. In a small
group, interactions can be frequent. Large groups often divide into subgroups, because
the size of the group prevents frequent interaction among all members. Subgroups tend
to develop among those who interact most frequently. Subgroups may be beneficial or
harmful, depending on the group’s mission.
C. Group Norms. A norm is the expected behavior or behavioral pattern in a certain situation.
Group norms usually are established during the second stage of group development and are
carried forward into the maturity stage. Norms make group interactions much easier,
because they limit the number and variety of behaviors that people encounter.
1. Norms serve four purposes.
a) They facilitate group survival. Groups tend to reject deviant behavior that does
not contribute to goal accomplishment or to the survival of the group if it is
threatened.
b) They simplify and make more predictable the behaviors expected of group
members.
c) They help the group avoid embarrassing situations.
d) They express the central values of the group and identify the group to others.
2. Norms usually regulate group members’ behaviors rather than their thoughts or
feelings. The pressures to conform to group norms can be very powerful determinants
of group performance.
D. Group Cohesiveness. Group cohesiveness results from all forces that act on members to
remain in the group. The forces that create cohesiveness are attraction to the group,
resistance to leaving the group, and the motivation to remain a member of the group. Group
cohesiveness is related to several aspects of group dynamics (refer to Figure 9.3).
1. Cohesiveness generally is higher in homogeneous groups, in groups that are fully
developed (mature), and in groups whose size facilitates productive interactions.
part.
.
2.
Group cohesiveness may be increased by intergroup competition or by the presence of
an external threat.
3. Goal accomplishment often increases the cohesiveness of a group, because people
want to be identified with a winner and to be regarded as competent and successful.
4. Studies have shown that highly cohesive groups are more effective at achieving their
goals than are groups low in cohesiveness. However, highly cohesive groups are not
necessarily more productive in an organizational sense than groups with low
cohesiveness. When a group’s goals are compatible with the organization’s goals, a
cohesive group probably will be more productive than one that is not cohesive (refer to
Figure 9.4).
5. Cohesiveness may be a primary factor in the development of certain problems.
Groupthink, for example, occurs when a group’s overriding concern is a unanimous
decision rather than critical analysis of alternatives.
IV. Intergroup Dynamics.
A. Many organizations are increasing their use of cross-functional teams to address complex
and increasingly important organizational issues. The result is a heightened emphasis on the
teams’ interactions with other teams. Groups that actively interact with other groups by
asking questions, initiating joint programs, and sharing their team’s achievements usually
are the most productive.
B. In the model of intergroup interactions, three primary factors are shown to influence
intergroup interactions (refer to Figure 9.5).
1. The characteristics of the interacting groups.
2. The organizational setting within which the groups interact.
3. The task and situational bases of the interactions.
V. Group Decision Making in Organizations. Several issues surround how groups make decisions:
group polarization, groupthink, and group problem solving.
A. Group Polarization. This tends to occur when the average group member’s postdiscussion
attitude is more extreme than the average prediscussion attitude.
1. Features of group discussion that contribute to polarization are the following:
a) When individuals in group discussion discover that their opinions are shared by
others, they may feel more strongly about their opinions.
b) Persuasive arguments by members of the group can encourage polarization.
c) Diffusion of responsibility among group members may make an individual
willing to support a more extreme decision.
2. If it’s known that the members of a group are leaning toward a particular decision
before a discussion, the group’s postdecision position probably will be even more
extreme.
B. Groupthink. This is a mode of thinking in which people engage when they are deeply
involved in a cohesive in-group and when the members’ striving for unanimity overrides
their motivation to appraise alternative courses of action realistically. The trend toward
increasing use of teams in organizations may increase instances of groupthink because of the
susceptibility of self-managing teams to this type of thought.
1. Symptoms of Groupthink. Eight well-defined symptoms are manifest:
a) An illusion of invulnerability.
b) Collective efforts to rationalize or discount warnings.
c) An unquestioned belief in the group’s inherent morality.
d) Stereotyped views of “enemy” leaders.
e) Direct pressure on a member who dissents from the group’s viewpoint.
f) Self-censorship of deviations from the apparent group consensus.
g) A shared illusion of unanimity.
h) The emergence of self-appointed “mindguards.”
part.
2. Decision-Making Defects and Decision Quality. Decisions produced by defective

processes may succeed but they are less likely to succeed.
3. Prevention of Groupthink. See Table 9.2. These suggestions on how managers can
reduce the probability of groupthink in group decision making are all designed to
facilitate the critical evaluation of alternatives and discourage the single-minded
pursuit of unanimity. These prescriptions fall into four categories, depending on
whether they apply to the leader, the organization, the individual, or the process.
C. Participation. Early management theories advocated a clear separation between the duties of
managers and workers. Other approaches have urged that employees be allowed to
participate in decisions to increase their ego involvement, motivation, and satisfaction.
Research shows that some employees find participation in the decision-making process both
motivating and enriching, while other employees regard it as a waste of time and a
management imposition. Whether employee participation in decision making is appropriate
depends on the situation. In tasks requiring an estimation, prediction, or judgment of
accuracy—usually referred to as judgmental tasks—groups are usually superior to
individuals. In problem-solving tasks, groups generally produce more and better solutions
than do individuals, but they take longer. Complex problems are better handled by groups;
fairly straightforward ones by individuals. Group decision making often creates greater
interest in the task.
D. Group Problem Solving. Three popular techniques for tapping the problem-solving
capabilities of groups are brainstorming, the nominal group technique, and the Delphi
technique.
1. Brainstorming. Brainstorming is most often used in the idea generation phase of
decision making for problems that are new to the organization and have major
consequences. In brainstorming, the group convenes specifically to generate
alternatives. The members present ideas and clarify them briefly; after the ideas have
been recorded and distributed to members for their review, the alternatives are
evaluated. Brainstorming is intended to generate new ideas and solutions by
stimulating group members’ creativity and encouraging them to build on the
contributions of others.
2. The Nominal Group Technique.
a) In the nominal group technique (NGT), a group of individuals convene to address
an issue. After the issue is presented, each individual independently generates a
written list of ideas; no discussion is allowed during this time. Then members
take turns reporting each item to the group. After all the ideas have been
presented, the members may or may not discuss them and continue to build on
them. Members privately rank their preferences among the ideas presented. After
voting, the group may discuss the results and continue to generate and discuss
ideas. The generation-discussion-vote cycle continues until an appropriate
decision is reached.
b) Two advantages of the NGT are that it helps overcome the negative effects of
power and status differences among group members and can be used in the
problem exploration, alternative generation, and evaluation phases of decision
making.
c) The primary disadvantage of the NGT is that its structured nature may limit
creativity.
3. The Delphi Technique. Developed by the Rand Corp., the Delphi technique is a
method of systematically gathering the judgments of experts for use in developing
forecasts. It is designed for groups that do not meet face to face.
a) After recruiting participants, the manager develops a questionnaire and sends it to
the experts, who return the completed questionnaire to the manager. The manager
part.
.
summarizes the responses and reports back to the experts with another
questionnaire. This cycle is repeated as many times as necessary to generate the
information the manager needs.
part.
b) The Delphi technique is useful when experts are physically dispersed or when
anonymity is desired. It also prevents the intimidation problems characteristic of
decision-making groups.
c) Unfortunately, the technique eliminates the often fruitful results of direct
interaction among group members.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND POSSIBLE RESPONSES

1. Why is it useful for a manager to understand group behavior? Why is it useful for an
employee?
Answer: Familiarity with the concepts of group behavior enables a manager to help the work
groups under her or his supervision become effective. For an employee, familiarity with group
behavior concepts helps the person interact more effectively with others in a group setting.
2. Our definition of a group is somewhat broad. Would you classify each of the following
collections of people as a group? Explain why or why not.
a. 70,000 people at a football game.
b. Students taking this course.
c. People in an elevator.
d. People on an escalator.
e. Employees of IBM.
f. Employees of your local college bookstore.
Answer: The textbook defines a group as two or more persons who interact with one another such
that each person influences and is influenced by each other person. According to that definition,
only two groups in the list would constitute a group: the students taking this course (in this class
only) and the employees of the local college bookstore. The IBM employees constitute too large
and too dispersed a collection of people to permit interaction and influence. The same is true of
70,000 people at the football game. The people in the elevator and those on the escalator are not
groups (unless some interaction and influence occurs of which we are unaware.
3. List four groups to which you belong. Identify each as formal or informal.
Answer: The textbook categorizes groups as (1) formal groups (command groups and task groups)
and (2) informal groups (friendship groups and interest groups). Students may belong to
fraternities or sororities, student organizations, church groups, social groups, friendship groups,
and/or work groups, as just a few examples.
4. Explain why each group you listed in question 3 formed. Why did you join each group?
Why might others have decided to join each group?
Answer: Although groups are formed for many reasons, the one typical overriding reason is to
achieve some goal. Thus, students should try to define the goals of the groups to which they
belong. According to the textbook, people usually join groups because of interpersonal attraction,
the activities of the group, the group goals, and satisfaction of affiliation needs. People also join
groups because of attraction to people and goals outside the group.
part.
.
5. In which stage of development is each of the four groups listed in question 3? Did any group
move too quickly through any of the stages? Explain.
Answer: The textbook describes four stages of group development: (1) mutual acceptance, (2)
communication and decision making, (3) motivation and productivity, and (4) control and
organization. Moving too quickly through a stage probably reflects some group deficiency or
shortcoming, such as a lack of cooperation or poor communication, either of which would lower
performance.
6. Analyze the composition of two of the groups to which you belong. How are they similar in
composition? How do they differ?
Answer: The textbook discusses the composition of groups in terms of homogeneity and
heterogeneity. A group is homogeneous if the members are similar in one or several traits and
heterogeneous if they differ along these dimensions. The traits used for analysis may include age,
work experience, education, technical specialty, or cultural background.
7. Are any of the groups to which you belong too large or too small to get their work done? If
so, what can the leader or the members do to alleviate the problem?
Answer: If a group is too small, additional members might be recruited or the task might be
redefined to make it manageable for the group. If a group is too large to accomplish its goal, the
problem might be alleviated by the formation of subgroups.
8. List two norms each for two of the groups to which you belong. How are these norms
enforced?
Answer: The textbook defines a norm as the expected behavior or behavioral pattern in a certain
situation. Young organizations may not yet have norms or may have vaguely defined norms. More
mature groups have explicit norms of behavior. Students might compare group norms for
similarities and/or differences. They might also consider whether the norms are related to group
goals.
9. Discuss the following statement: “Group cohesiveness is the good, warm feeling we get from
working in groups and is something that all group leaders should strive to develop in the
groups they lead.”
Answer: Students probably will agree with the statement that “group cohesiveness is the good,
warm feeling that we get from working in groups,” but they should note that group cohesion also
has some negative effects on group performance. Therefore, the group leader should manage
group cohesiveness to maximize its positive impact and minimize its negative impact.
10. Consider one of the groups to which you belong and describe the interactions that group has
with another group.
Answer: Students may provide examples of friendship groups or student clubs of which they are
members and describe their group’s interactions with other such groups. They should use the
model in Figure 11.5 as a guide to describing the characteristics of the interacting groups, the
organizational setting, and the bases for the interactions.
11. Recall a situation in which you may have encountered or observed groupthink (either as a
member of a group or as a target or simple observer).
Answer; Students may have some difficulty recalling such a situation but often, given enough
time (perhaps in between class meetings) they will. Ask them what the outcome was and what
effects the groupthink decision had.
part.
EXPERIENCING ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
Learning the Benefits of a Group

Purpose: This exercise demonstrates the benefits a group can bring to accomplishing a task.
Format: Students perform the same task both individually and as part of a group.
Procedure:
Part 1: Students need a pen or pencil and an 8 x 11 sheet of paper. Have them work alone and do the
following:
1. Write the letters of the alphabet in a vertical column down the left side of the paper: A–Z.
2. Randomly select a sentence from any written document and read out loud the first 26 letters in
that sentence. Instruct students to write these letters in a vertical column immediately to the right
of the alphabet column. Everyone should have identical sets of 26 two-letter combinations.
3. Ask students to think of a famous person whose initials correspond to each pair of letters and to
write the name next to the letters (for example, MT, Mark Twain). Give them ten minutes. Only
one name per set is allowed. One point is awarded for each legitimate name, so the maximum
score is 26 points.
4. After time expires, have students exchange papers with other members of the class and score each
other’s work. Settle any disputes about the legitimacy of names. Students should keep their scores
for use later in the exercise.
Part 2: Divide the class, as evenly as possible, into groups of five to ten people. Instruct each group to
follow the procedure given in Part 1, writing the letters of the alphabet down the left side of a sheet of
paper, but this time in reverse order: Z–A. Dictate a new set of letters for the second column. The time
limit and scoring procedure are the same. The only difference is that the groups will generate the
names.
Part 3: Each team identifies the group member who came up with the most names. Create a new group
of these “best” students. Then all groups repeat Part 2, but this time the letters from the reading will be
in the first column and the alphabet letters will be in the second column.
Part 4: Each team calculates the average individual score of its members on Part 1 and compares it with
the team score from Parts 2 and 3. Write the groups’ average individual scores and the team scores for
each group on the board.
Source: John E. Jones and J. William Pfeiffer (eds.), adapted from The Handbook for Group
Facilitators. Copyright © 1979 Pfeiffer, an imprint of Jossey-Bass, Inc., Publishers. Reprinted by
permission of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Follow-Up Questions and Possible Responses

1. Are there differences in the average individual scores and the team scores? What are the
reasons for the differences, if any?
Answer: Students probably will find that team scores are higher than individual scores. Research
suggests that groups are more effective than individuals at generating ideas and fact finding.
Groups tend to outperform individuals on these tasks because (1) the group has a greater sum total
of knowledge and information; and (2) the group generates a greater number of approaches to the
problem.
part.
.
2. Although the team scores in this exercise usually are higher than the average individual
scores, under what conditions might individual averages exceed group scores?
Answer: Individual average scores might exceed group scores when there is a problem in group
dynamics. As depicted in Figure 9.2, the initial stage of group development may reflect poor
group performance owing to defensiveness, quibbling, mutual testing, and discussing subjects
unrelated to the task. Other factors might include issues of group dynamics, such as group
dominance, pressures to conform, and solution-mindedness. The score of the team of “best”
members may not have the best score in Part 3 because of the learning by other members of some
of the techniques used by that team and the potential motivating impact of trying to beat the team
of “best” members.
BUILDING MANAGERIAL SKILLS

Exercise Overview: A manager's interpersonal skills refer to her or his ability to understand what
motivates individuals and groups. Clearly, then, interpersonal skills play a major role in determining
how well a manager can interact with others in a group setting. This exercise will allow students to
practice their interpersonal skills in relation to just such a setting.
Exercise Background: Students are to imagine that they have just been transferred to a new position
supervising a group of five employees. The business is fairly small and has few rules and regulations.
Unfortunately, the lack of rules and regulations is creating a problem that you (the person in charge)
must now address.
Specifically, two of the group members are non-smokers. They are becoming increasingly vocal about
the fact that two other members of the group smoke at work. These two workers feel that the secondary
smoke in the workplace is endangering their health and want to establish a non-smoking policy like that
of many large businesses today.
The two smokers, however, argue that since the firm did not have such a policy when they started
working there, it would be unfair to impose such a policy on them now. One of them, in particular, says
that he turned down an attractive job with another company because he wanted to work in a place
where he could smoke.
The fifth worker is also a non-smoker, but says that she doesn't care if others smoke. Her husband
smokes at home anyway, she says, and so is used to being around smokers. It is easy to imagine that if
the two vocal non-smokers are not appeased, they may leave. At the same time, you (the student who is
imagining that he or she is in charge) also think that the two smokers will leave if you mandate a no
smoking policy. All five workers do good work, and you do not want any of them to leave.
Exercise Task: With this information as context, students are asked to explain the nature of the conflict
that exists in this work group, and develop a course of action for dealing with the situation.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Group Cohesiveness
This exercise lets students analyze the level of group cohesiveness in one of the groups to which they
belong. Obviously, there are no right or wrong answers to this instrument. If others in the class are in
the same group, it is sometimes quite interesting for students to describe the same group, then to discuss
the similarities and differences in how they perceive the group.
part.
MINILECTURE
Workplace Violence
Introduction
Workplace violence is a fearful trend in the American workplace. According to the FBI, there are an
estimated 225,000 occurrences of workplace violence in the United States each year, and it is the
number one growing homicide in the country. In addition, many instances of workplace violence are
never reported. A 1994 Justice Department study determined that nearly one million crimes of all types
occur in the workplace during a given year and that more than half go unreported.
Determining just exactly what constitutes workplace violence has generated considerable discussion.
Some people define workplace violence broadly and include in the definition any language or actions
that make an employee feel uncomfortable. Other people define workplace violence more narrowly and
restrict it to acts of bodily injury inflicted by one person on another. In any event, the growing increase
in violence in the workplace is causing increasing anxiety and fear among American workers.
Causes and Victims of Workplace Violence

There are many causes of workplace violence. The most common cause is stress, which if often tied to
an economic, psychological, or organizational problem. Layoffs, “downsizing,” and anxieties caused by
mergers are additional causes. Although acts of violence by disgruntled ex-workers tend to make the
headlines, it’s not the most prevalent kind of workplace violence according to several studies. Most
workplace violence occurs between people who interact with one another on a daily basis. The largest
segment of attackers (44 percent) is customers, patients, and clients. Coworkers and bosses account for
86 percent of all harassment at work, one-third of threats and one-fourth of workplace attacks.
Warning Signs
There are several warning signs that employers can look for in their efforts to prevent workplace
violence. The most common warning signs or “red flags” displayed by employees who are at risk to
commit workplace violence include:
• Dramatic behavior or personality change.
• Sudden onset of hostile behavior.
• Chronically disgruntled attitude.
• Obsession with weapons.
• Tendency to be unwilling to accept legitimate criticism.
• Showing an interest in recently publicized violent acts.
• Holding a grudge.
• Showing little involvement with coworkers (a loner).
• Making direct or veiled threats.
part.
.
Ways of Preventing Workplace Violence

The first step in preventing workplace violence is to make the workplace itself as safe as possible. Steps
that are recommended to improve the physical safety of the workplace include the following:
• Provide adequate lighting for parking lots and entrances.
• Encourage workers to walk to the parking garage in groups.
• Trim hedges so attackers cannot hide behind them.
• Change the locks regularly.
• Make sure that work areas have accessible telephones on which people can easily dial emergency
numbers.
Other steps can be taken to make the workplace as safe as possible. A confidential background check
on each new employee should be conducted. A growing number of firms are also implementing a “zero
tolerance” policy in regard to threats, intimidation, and any acts of violence in the workplace.
Statements pertaining to these issues should be placed in employee policy manuals. Another suggestion
is the implementation of a violence prevention program, including informing all employees of the steps
to follow if a serious threat develops or a violent act takes place.
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISE

Egg Drop
Purpose: This exercise will help students learn and understand group dynamics.
Format: Divide the class into groups of various sizes four, eight, twelve, and sixteen. Each group
should be given a plastic bag with 12 Popsicle sticks, (available in craft stores) a roll of tape, and a raw
egg. Instructors will also need newspaper, paper towel and maybe a tarp. The groups are given fifteen
minutes to build an egg support structure that will protect the egg when dropped. At the end of fifteen
minutes, one person drops each structure from the same height to see if the eggs survive. If multiple
eggs survive, another drop is started from a greater height, standing on a chair or desk as needed. After
the eggs break students should analyze the group dynamics.
1. How did group size effect group performance? How did group behavior differ? Did success or
failure affect group behavior?
2. Did group norms emerge? Was the group cohesive? Why or why not?
3. Was there a leader? If yes, how was the leader chosen? Was there groupthink or polarization?
VIDEO CASE FOR DISCUSSION

The Scoop on Teamwork
Summary
According to VP of Marketing Kevin Myers, teamwork at Cold Stone Creamery, a chain of some 1,400
ice cream outlets, has a lot to do with the customer pyramid. Teamwork is the only way to cut
through to the customer and work with all the elements of the customer pyramid to deliver innovation
and happiness to ice cream lovers. Cold Stone works from the customer, the crew, the franchisee, the
part.
area developer, the members of the creamery, and the marketing department. This variety of people,
divisions, and tasks explains why teamwork is critical in reaching the customer.
Case Questions and Possible Responses
1. Both the video and the case written to accompany it consistently use the terms team or
teamwork. In Chapter 10, we use four criteria to characterize a team as
a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common
purpose, common performance goals, and an approach for which they hold themselves
mutually responsible.
This chapter, however, focuses on groups rather than teams and characterizes a formal group
as “formed by an organization to do its work.” Would group be a better term than team for
characterizing the relevant activities at Cold Stone Creamery? If so, why? If not, why not?
[Hint: Which of the four criteria for a team specified in Chapter 10 seems least applicable to
the nature and function of a customer “team” at Cold Stone?
Answer: It would be better to use the term team to characterize the activities at Cold Stone
Creamery because Cold Stone has a small number of people with complementary skills committed
to a common purpose and common performance goals. This describes, by definition, a team. At
Cold Stone, the crew, the franchisee, the area developer, the members of the creamery, and the
marketing employees focus and coordinate their efforts to reach their goal of satisfying the
customer. By contrast, the definition of a group does not state that group members must share a
goal.
2. In what ways might Cold Stone’s Top Customer Team function as a formal group? As a
command group? A task group? An affinity group? In what ways might it make use of the
various forms of group problem solving—brainstorming, the nominal group technique, and the
Delphi technique?
Answer: As the diagram of the customer pyramid shows, the Top Customer Team consists of one
or more people from management, production, area development, finance, marketing and supply
chain. The Top Customer Team functions as a formal group because it does the work of the
organization by carrying out the mission of making people happy. The team is a command group
because it works with franchisees to deliver a “happy” customer experience. The Top Customer
Team functions as a task group by solving problems. The team is an affinity group because
members are from the same level in the organization who meet regularly to share information,
capture opportunities, and solve problems. Since the Top Customer Team focuses on innovation, it
could use brainstorming, the nominal technique, and the Delphi technique to generate new ideas
and programs to improve customer service. The birthday club and gift cards are examples of
innovations that may have been generated through group problem solving.
3. Cold Stone has been opening foreign outlets since 2007, when it launched its first store in
Japan, and now boasts more than 1,500 locations in 16 countries.† “Internationally,” says Lee
Knowlton, “we do the same thing” when it comes to designing operations around teamwork.
At the same time, he admits that
it’s not easy opening up any business overseas. There’s all kinds of challenges. So having a team
that’s really working together, committing to fighting through these barriers, is key.
What are some of these “challenges” or “barriers”? In what ways will the company’s top foreign
business customers differ from its top U.S. business customers? What kinds of modifications are
probably necessary in the company’s approach to the “customer pyramid”?
part.
.
Answer: Challenges include cultural differences between Japan the U.S. The Hofstede studies (see chapter
2) show that Japan ranks high on collectivism and power distance whereas the U.S. ranks high on
individualism and low on power distance. This means that the Japanese work well in a group situation but
would expect group not individual rewards. High power distance means that the Japanese respond more to
a hierarchical structure and inequality in authority whereas Cold Stone uses a horizon team structure.
Also, it is challenging to develop group norms globally, and norms express the central values of a group.
Knowlton explains that the core values of Cold Stone are the same worldwide, but the “brand benefits”
and “buy-in” differ for foreign business customers. In the U.S, the top three levels of the customer
pyramid account for 20 percent of the customers and 80 percent of the revenues; however, the situation
may differ in Japan. Therefore, the focus on efforts to enhance customer value may differ in Japan.
4. In January 2012, a group of more than 120 franchisees in Florida sued Cold Stone over the
company’s use of revenue received from vendor rebates and gift card sales. In particular, the
franchisees wanted to know how much of this revenue was spent on brand marketing.‡ Why do you
suppose this dispute arose? Which members of our proposed Top Customer Team are most closely
involved in activities leading up to the dispute? Which Team members will probably be most closely
involved in resolving it?
Answer: Answers will vary. The dispute may have arisen because of a communication breakdown
regarding expenditures on brand marketing. The characteristics of the interactions between the
franchisees and the Top Customer Team included their frequency, how much information was exchanged,
and the type of interaction that occurred. These characteristics played an important role in the fallout
between the two sides. The members of the Team most closely involved in activities leading up to the
dispute are from marketing and finance. These members will probably be most closely involved in
resolving the dispute in conjunction with Cold Stone’s legal team.
part.

Organizational Behavior Managing People and Organizations 11th Edition Griffin Solutions Manual

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Organizational Behavior Managing People and Organizations 11th Edition Griffin Solutions Manual

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Organizational Behavior Managing

People and Organizations 11th Edition

CHAPTER LEARNING OBJECTIVES

a) A homogeneous group is more likely to be productive in situations where the

2. Decision-Making Defects and Decision Quality. Decisions produced by defective

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND POSSIBLE RESPONSES

EXPERIENCING ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR

Learning the Benefits of a Group

Follow-Up Questions and Possible Responses

BUILDING MANAGERIAL SKILLS

Causes and Victims of Workplace Violence

Ways of Preventing Workplace Violence

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISE

VIDEO CASE FOR DISCUSSION

Case Questions and Possible Responses

You might also like