This document defines groups and teams, and discusses various aspects of group dynamics and decision making. It provides definitions of groups and characteristics of formal and informal groups. It also summarizes models of group development, including Tuckman's five stage model and the punctuated equilibrium model for temporary groups. Norms, decision making techniques like brainstorming, nominal group technique, Delphi technique, and dialectic decision making are also outlined.

1. ORGANIZATIONAL
BEHAVIOUR
Topic: Groups and Teams

2. Definition of a Group
 A group can be defined as several individuals who come together
to accomplish a particular task or goal.
 A group is a collection of people who interact with one another;
accept rights and obligations as members and who share a
common identity.
 The various interactions that take place among the members of a
group comprise group dynamics. The term ‘group dynamics’ was
popularized by the management thinker Kurt Lewin in the 1930s.

3. Characteristics
 (a) 2 or more persons (if it is one person, it is not a group)
 (b) Formal social structure (the rules of the game are defined)
 (c) Common fate (they will swim together)
 (d) Common goals (the destiny is the same and emotionally connected)
 (e) Face-to-face interaction (they will talk with each other)
 (f) Interdependence (each one is complimentary to the other)
 (g) Self-definition as group members (what one is who belongs to the
group)

6. Types of Formal Groups
 Command groups consist of a supervisor and the subordinates that report to that
supervisor.
 Task groups consist of people who work together to achieve a common task.
Members are brought together to accomplish a narrow range of goals within a
specified time period.
 A functional group is created by the organization to accomplish specific goals
within an unspecified time frame.

7. Types of informal Groups
 Interest groups usually continue over time and may last longer than general informal
groups.
 Friendship groups are formed by members who enjoy similar social activities, political
beliefs, religious values, or other common bonds.
 A reference group is a type of group that people use to evaluate themselves. The main
objectives of reference groups are to seek social validation and social comparison. Social
validation allows individuals to justify their attitudes and values while social comparison
helps individuals evaluate their own actions by comparing themselves to others.

8. Informal Organization
 The informal organization may be defined as “a network of personal and
social relationships that arise spontaneously as people associate with one
another in a work environment. It is composed of all the informal groupings of
people within a formal organization.”
 Information groups are of three categories
 • Horizontal
 •Vertical
 •Mixed

9. Impact of the Informal Organization

10. The Five-Stage Model of Group Development-
Tuckman in 1965

11.  1) FORMING: Introduction, discussion on project guidelines, objectives, their roles.
 The team leader should ensure that all of the members are involved in determining
team roles and responsibilities and should work with the team to help them
establish how they will work together
 2) STORMING: Team members compete with each other for status and for
acceptance of their ideas.
 Team members compete with each other for status and for acceptance of their
ideas.
 The team leader needs to be adept at facilitating the team through this stage -
ensuring the team members learn to listen to each other and respect their
differences and ideas.

12.  3) NORMING: Begin to work more effectively as a team.
 No longer focused towards individual goals, They respect each other's opinions and value their
differences.
 Rather than compete against each other, they are now helping each other to work toward a
common goal.
 In this stage, the team leader may not be as involved in decision making and problem solving
since the team members are working better together.
 4)PERFORMING: Teams are functioning at a very high level. The focus is on reaching the goal as
a group. The team members have gotten to know each other and trust each other.
 They can make decisions and problem solve quickly and effectively.
 When they disagree, the team members can work through it and come to consensus without
interrupting the project's progress.

13.  5) ADJOURNING:
 Project is coming to an end and the team members are moving off into
different directions.
 This stage looks at the team from the perspective of the well-being of the team
rather than from the perspective of managing a team through the original four
stages of team growth.
 Each of the individuals on the project will be moving to other projects within
the organisation, but no one is going to be on the same project

14. Punctuated-Equilibrium Model
 Primarily due to the task allocated and the time period involves, temporary
groups do not have the capacity (or interest) to progress through the five
stage group-development model .
 Temporary groups are usually formed with the expectation of completing a
task within a limited time period and then disbanding (adjourning).
 Often these groups are formed from representatives or experts from various
parts of the organization that bring particular skills to the project

15. 1. Early stage/meeting:
 The general agreement of the project/team is usually outlined at the very first
meeting.
 At this initial meeting it is even possible that a timetable, along with deadlines
and responsibilities, is allocated to various members of the group.
 Because this is a temporary group, it is most likely that the group’s tasks will be in
addition to their usual workload. As a consequence, the individual members will
have a conflict of competing priorities and, as a result, there is a tendency to
delay action on the new project.
 This means that in the early part of the group’s timetable there is a relatively high
amount of inertia and lack of progress.

16. 2. Mid-stage/meeting
 Generally around halfway through the project’s deadline, there will be a follow-up
meeting for the temporary group, in order to check-in on progress to date.
 This transition will drive more action and the progression/completion of key tasks,
often in a short period of time.
 However, once things are back on track, there is a potential for a second period of
inertia – as individual members tend to relax having completed their own immediate
priorities and tasks.

17. 3. End-stage/meeting
 Near the end of the project (that is, the deadline is looming), there is a significant
level of workload undertaken in trying to complete and finalize the project as a team.
This occurs as often the finalization of the overall project usually needs to be
coordinated as a team effort.
 The stages (outline the tasks/responsibilities – inertia – progress tasks at the midpoint
– inertia – rush to complete project by the deadline), represents a stop/start pattern
of work commitment.
 This pattern of stop/start work load is referred to as the “punctuated-equilibrium
model”.
 When it is out of equilibrium (project task not being adequately progressed according
to the deadline) then activity will occur.

18. Punctuated-Equilibrium Model

19. Groups-Norms
 Acceptable standards of behavior within a group that are shared by
the group’s members.

20. Group Decision Making
 Group decision making is a type of participatory process in which multiple
individuals acting collectively, analyze problems or situations, consider
and evaluate alternative courses of action, and select from among the
alternatives a solution or solutions.
 Nominal group technique
 Delphi Technique
 Brainstorming
 Dialectic Decision method

21. i. Brainstorming:
 This technique involves a group of people, usually between five and ten, sitting
around a table, generating ideas in the form of free association.
 The primary focus is on generation of ideas rather them on evaluation of ideas.
 Brainstorming technique is very effective when the problem is comparatively
specific and can be simply defined.
 A complex problem can be broken up into parts and each part can be taken
separately at a time.

22. ii. Nominal Group Technique (NGT)
 This approach is more structured.

 Members generate ideas for solving the problem on their own, in silence and in writing.
 Members do not interact with each other so that strong personality domination is
avoided. It encourages individual creativity.
 The group coordinator either collects these written ideas or writes then on a large black
board .
 The idea with the highest aggregate ranking is selected as the final solution to the
problem.

23. iii. Delphi Technique:
 It obtains the opinions of experts physically separated from each other and unknown
to each other.
 This insulates group members from the undue influence of others.
 For example, the technique could be used to understand the problems that could
be created in the event of a war.

24. Steps in Delphi Technique:
 1. The problem is identified and a sample of experts is selected.
 2. Each expert completes and returns the initial questionnaire.
 3. The results of the questionnaire are compiled at a central location and the central
coordinator prepares a second questionnaire based on the previous answers.
 4. Each member receives a copy of the results along with the second questionnaire.
 5. Members are asked to review the results and respond to the second questionnaire.
 6. The process is repeated until a consensus is reached.

25. iv. Didactic interaction:
 This technique is applicable only in certain situations, but is an excellent method
when such a situation exists.
 The type of problem should be such that it results in a yes-no solution. For
example, the decision may be to buy or not to buy, to merge or not to merge.
 Since, in such a situation, there must be advantages as well as disadvantages of
either of the two alternatives, the group required to make the decision is split
into two sub-groups, one favoring the “go” decision and the other favoring the
“no go” decision.
 The first group lists all the “pros” of the problem solution and the second group
lists all the “cons”. These groups meet and discuss their findings and their
reasons. After the exhaustive discussions, the groups switch sides and try to find
weaknesses in their own original viewpoints. This interchange of ideas and
understanding of opposing viewpoints results in mutual acceptance of the facts
as they exist so that a solution can be built around these facts and opinions
relating to these facts and thus a final decision is reached.

26. Team Versus Group
 Work Group : A group that interacts primarily to share information and to make
decisions to help each group member perform within his or her area of responsibility.
 Work team: A group whose individual efforts result in a performance that is greater
than the sum of the individual inputs

27. Types of Teams
Problem-Solving Teams
Groups of 5 to 12 employees from the same department who meet for a few hours each
week to discuss ways of improving quality, efficiency, and the work environment.
Self-Managed Work Teams
Groups of 10 to 15 people who take on the responsibilities of their former supervisors.
Cross-Functional Teams
Employees from about the same hierarchical level, but from different work areas, who
come together to accomplish a task.( Task forces & Committees )
Virtual Teams
Teams that use computer technology to tie together physically dispersed members in
order to achieve a common goal.

29. Quality circle
 A quality circle or quality control circle is a group of workers who do the same
or similar work, who meet regularly to identify, analyze and solve work-
related problems.
 Normally small in size, the group is usually led by a supervisor or manager
and presents its solutions to management; where possible, workers
implement the solutions themselves in order to improve the performance of
the organization and motivate employees.
 The most well-known example would be Toyota, which helped to pioneer the
concept decades ago. These circles continue to meet on a regular basis to
identify potential problems and get them resolved as efficiently as possible.