The ratio of We's to I's is the best

indicator of the development of ateam.

-Lewis B. Ergen

Group Structure

January
2024
 Flow of the Session

What is group structure?

What kinds of roles are common in groups and how do they
influence members?
What are norms, how do they develop, and how do they work to
regulate behavior?

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 Group Structure

Groups are not unorganized, haphazard collections of individuals, but

organized systems of interactions and relationships regulated by group
structure

Everybody thought that anybody could do it.

Nobody realised that Everybody wouldn't do it.
It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody
when actually Nobody blamed Anybody.
 Group Structure

Characterized by underlying pattern of roles, norms, and

networksof relations among members that define and organize the
group

Develop standards of behaviour to protect its members from real or

imaginary outside dangers
There may be 2 types of groups broadly, based on structuring:
Formal Group: legitimate subunit of organisation to carry out a
specific work
Informal Group: created spontaneously by operant socio
psychological forces at work
 Group Properties - Roles

Roles specify the types of behaviours expected of individuals who

Occupy particular positions within the group

As members interact with one another, their role related activities

become patterned (role differentiation) according to:
Task roles pertaining to work activities of the group
Relationship roles pertainingto maintaining relationsamong
members

Thesame person rarely holds both the task and relationship roles
within the group
 Group PropertiesRoles...contd.

Role Expectations
How others believe a person
should act in a given situation

Psychological Contract
An unwritten agreement that sets out
what management expects fromthe
employee and vice versa

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 Role Socialization

Acquaint individuals with the norms of a given socialgroup

 Moreland and Levine's Theory of Group
Socialization
Describes the way roles are allocated to individuals and the ways in
which members transition through the roles of prospective member,
new member, full member, marginal member, and former member
Acceptance

Commitment
Divergence
Entry

Exit

Investig ation Socislisstion Maintenance Resocial isation Remembr snce

Recruitment Accommodstion/ Role Accommodation Tradition!

reconnaissence sssimilation negoti ation assim ilation reminiscence

Time
Role differentiation and role socialization processes often create stress
andtension for groups and group members
Role ambiguity occurs when behaviours associated with a role are
poorly defined

Roleconflict oCcurs when group members occupy two or more roles

that call for incompatible behaviours (inter-role conflict) or when
demands of a single role are contradictory (intra-role conflict)
When role fit is low, members do not feel that they match the
demands of their roles
 The Apolo Syndrome

"Working in Science or Technology is intellectually demanding.

Such teams, to be most effective, should therefore be
Composed of bright individuals"....
True or false? Why or why not?

condition where someone has an overty Teans of ighjy capable indiduas can, colacthely petorm
important view oftheir role within ateam. bady

Dr Meredith Belbin is one of the original 'gurus' of Team Building. In his first book on Management Teams (Belbin, 1981) he
reported some unexpectedly poor results with teams formed of people who had sharp, analytical minds and high mental ability
he called this the Apollo Syndrome.

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 The ApolloSyndrome...contd.

Reasons why Apollo teams finished at the bottom?

They spent excessive time in abortive or destructive debate, trying to pesuade other team members to adopt their own view, and demonstrating
afiair for spotting weaknesses in others' arguments. This led to the discussion equivalent of the deadly embrace'.
They had difficuties in their decision making, with litle coherence in the decisions reached (several presing and necessayjobswere often
omitted).
Team members tended to act along their Own favourite ines without taking account of what fellow members were doing, and the team proved
difficult to manage.
Insome instances, teams recognised what was happening b°t over compensated -they avoided confrontation, which equally led to problems in
decision making.
 Belbin Team Roles

Dr Raymond Meredith Belbin, the British

management theorist, known for researching into
(9) team work roles;

> In his 1981 book Management Teams, he

presented conclusions from his work studying how
members of teams interacted

Key conclusions: An effective team has members

that cover eight (later nine) key roles in managing
the team and howit carries out its work.

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 Belbin Team Roles

Implementer
Action Roles Shaper
Completer/Finisher

Coordinator
Belbin's Teamwork Theory
People Roles Team worker

Resource investigator

Planter
Cerebral Roles
Evaluator
(thinking, problem-solving)
Specialist

Now, lets find out who are yOu on a team...

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 Team Role Contribution Allowable Weakness

Thinking Creative, imaginative, free-thinking. lgnores incidentals. Too pre

Plant PL
Generates ideas & solves hard problems. occupied to fully communicate.

Sober, strategic and discerning. Sees Lacks drive and ability toinspire
Monitor Evaluator ME
alloptions and judges accurately. others.Can be overly critical.

Single-minded, self-starting, dedicated. Contributes only on a narrow

Specialist SP Provides rare knowledge and skills. front. Dwells on technicalities.

Challenging, dynamic, thrives on pressure. Prone to provocation.

Action Shaper SH Has drive to overcome obstacles. Offends people's feelings.

Practical, reliable, efficient. Turns ideas Somewhat inflexible. Slow

Implementer IMP
into actions and organizes tasks. to respond to new possibilities.
Painstaking, conscientious, anxious. Inclined to worry unduly.
Completer Finisher CF Finds errors. Polishes and perfects. Reluctant to delegate.

People Coordinator CO
Mature, confident, identifies talent. Can be seen as manipulative.
Clarifies goals. Delegates effectively. Offloads own share of the work.
Co-operative, perceptive and diplomatic. Indecisive in crunch situations
Team Worker TW Listens and averts friction. Avoids confrontation.

Outgoing, enthusiastic, communicative. Over-optimistic. Loses interest

Resource Investigator RI Explores opportunities, develops contacts once initialenthusiasm expires.
 Belbin Team Role Model

Does NOT
mean you need
nine peopleon
the team!

Each Individual likely has three of the following:

Natural or Preferred roles
What Ilike todo
Manageable roles
What I can do if needed
Least Preferred roles
What Iwish someone else would do
 A Balanced Team Needs
EXTERNAL
AWARENESS
Recognition, Relationships
Resource Investigator
THINKING POWER
EXPERTISE Creative, Unorthodox
LEADERSHIP Plant
VFocus, Knowledge V Considered, Strategic J Analytical,
Specialist Evaluative
Co-Ordinator Monitor
vUrgent, Driving Evaluator
Shaper
PRODUCTIVITY
PEOPLE SKILLS
Structured, Methodical
Sensitivity, Cohesion Implementer
Team Worker v Detailed, Perfectionist
Completer
Finisher

How Apollo Teams Succeed

There were successful Apollo teams, however, that were characterised by
the absence of highly dominant individuals, and
a particular style of leadership.
How to Prepare Individual
Reports