MODULE 7: GROUP BEHAVIOUR AND TEAM BUILDING

Quadrant 2

Animations:

1. Bridge's Story - A Teamwork Aniboom Animation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nci9e1lHtwY

2. Effective Team Work & Collaboration

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsndhCQ5hRY

3. The meaning of TEAM. Together Everyone Achieves More !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9mdHMtxOjY

4. Ants Teamwork animation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrhrBwQtYQU

5. The POWER of a TEAM - Together Everyone Achieves More

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xevQ2yTyK9Y

6. Foundations of Group Behavior

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4COK6qUbe5Q

Visuals:

1. Science Of Persuasion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFdCzN7RYbw

2. Five stages of group development

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKf51o8YxOs

Illustrations:

1. Five Dysfunctions of a Team http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtB6D9tIjl8

2. The Five Stages of Group Development

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_gptRmpFyk

3. Challenging behaviours in small group teaching

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR8Wk1DTvXg

4. Free Team Building Exercises in Management & Leadership Books

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4GUZspslY0

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Video demonstrations:

1. Conflict resolution Http://eport.education.illinois.edu/view/view.php?Id=450

2. Organizational culture: Principles of Management

Https://www.youtube.com/watch?V=yedcjdv2mgc

3. Team building Videos Http://www.supportrealteachers.org/teambuilding-videos.html

4. Inspirational - Team Building - Work Related uplifting

Http://www.youtube.com/watch?V=ue3hcvhtzzy

5. Build a tower, build a team Http://www.ted.com/talks/tom_wujec_build_a_tower.html

6. Organization group behavior Http://www.youtube.com/watch?V=ymn4dmzasbg

7. Introduction to Organizational Behavior

Http://www.youtube.com/watch?V=TC7A9PmMPwE

8. Organizational behavior Http://www.youtube.com/watch?V=jt83u-TFCSA

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Quadrant 3

Questions: Answer the following Questions on your own (Indicative/brief answers are provided at the end of the module):

1. What are groups?

2. How does group behaviour emanate?

3. Explain the reasons for individuals to form groups

4. Describe the main stages of development of a group

5. With the help of a schematic diagram, explain the group behavioural model

6. Define Team.

7. List the characteristics of a team

8. What are the benefits of teams to the organization as well as individuals who make up the team?

9. How team members’ roles are defined?

10. What are the steps involved in team/group decision making?

11. What are the ways in which group decisions are made?

12. Explain the strengths and weaknesses of group decision making

13. What is group conflict?

14. Differentiate between the terms, Role identity, Role perception, and Role expectation

15. Differentiate between formal and informal groups

16. What are the characteristics of a cohesive group?

17. What is a group meeting? What are its objectives?

18. What are the three views towards conflicts?

19. What are group norms? Explain

20. Explain the process of conflict management

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Quizzes:

(Solutions are provided at the end of the module):

A. Choose the Appropriate Answer:

1. Which of the following groups is defined by organization structure?

a) Informal

b) Formal

c) Interest

d) Friendship

2. Informal groups are ………………… in nature

a) Non-permanent

b) Permanent

c) Rigid

d) Formal

3. Informal groups

a) Appear due to the need for social contact

b) Are dangerous to the work progress

c) Are determined by the organization structure

d) Function after the working hours

4. Employees of different department and levels taking lunch together represents

a) A formal group

b) Command structure

c) Task group

d) Informal group

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5. The stages in the development of a group are:

a) Birth, growth, maturity and decline

b) Forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning

c) Introduction, high productivity, decline

d) Idea generation, implementation, termination

6. The stage in group development characterized by uncertainty is

a) Forming

b) Norming

c) Warming

d) Stroming

7. The stage of group development witnessing close relationships and cohesiveness is

a) Forming

b) Storming

c) Norming

d) Adjourning

8. …………………… stage represents the groups’ energy channelized toward the task on hand

a) Performing

b) Forming

c) Norming

d) Adjourning

9. During the conflict stage of group development process, conflict between members is over

a) Power & authority

b) Finances

c) Interpersonal relations

d) security

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10. A cross functional team has

a) Selected employees of department

b) Not more than 5 members

c) Managers and non-managers

d) Specialists from various functions

11. Physically dispersed team members linked-up electronically represent

a) Virtual team

b) Cross functional team

c) Informal team

d) Formal team

12. What is at the core of Trust in a team?

a) Power

b) Integrity

c) Participation

d) Cohesiveness

13. Which is nor a relevant view of conflict

a) Traditional view

b) Intersectionist view

c) Interactionist view

d) Human relations view

14. ‘All conflicts are harmful and must be avoided’ is the view of

a) Traditional view

b) Intersectionist view

c) Interactionist view

d) Human relations view

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15. …………………. view believes conflict as natural and inevitable

a) Traditional view

b) Classical view

c) Interactionist view

d) Human relations view

16. …………………. view believes some conflicts are absolutely necessary for team’s effective performance

a) Traditional view

b) Functional view

c) Interactionist view

d) Human relations view

17. Group decisions have an edge over individual decisions when ………… is desired

a) Acceptance of solution

b) Speed in decision making

c) Effective decision

d) Clear responsibility for decision

18. Others expectation of your behaviour in a role is called as

a) Role model

b) Role identity

c) Role expectation

d) Role perception

19. Which of the following is not an external constraint imposed on the group?

a) Group composition

b) Authority of superiors

c) Company rules and regulations

d) Company’s performance review system

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20. Which of the following is not a conflict management technique?

a) Compromising

b) Aggravating

c) Expand the resources

d) Use of authoritative command

B. State Whether True or False:

1. Any gathering of people can be defined as a group

2. Cohesive team members take the ‘we’ perspective rather than ‘I’ perspective

3. Role identity is what other members expect from one’s role

4. Norms clarify role expectations

5. In a group development process, cohesion follows conflict stage

6. A lot of uncertainty exists bout the objective of the group in conflict stage

7. The pursuit of self-interest at work in the face of real or imagined opposition is called Organizational politics.

8. A virtual team means a team that does not exist

9. Managers who keep their promises are well trusted by their employees

10. Members of a group are interdependent

C. Fill in the Blanks with Appropriate Words:

1. Members of the group tend to follow the group and resist external influence. This characteristic is due to ………………… of the group.

2. Rejection of a member by the group is called ……………

3. General standards of conduct within the group is called its ………..

4. The first stage of group development process is …………..

5. The team members geographically far spread, but linked electronically are constitute ……………… team

6. …………………. conflicts adversely affect group performance

7. ……… conflicts are acceptable and to be encouraged

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8. ………………….. conflicts are with regard to how the work is done

9. ...................... conflicts are always detrimental to groups objectives

10. Withdrawal from the conflict is termed as conflict ………………….

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D. Cross Word:

1 2 Left to Right

1 1. Geographically dispersed team members connected electronically form ……….. team

2. The set of behaviors identified as consistent with a role is role ………

3 3. An emotional disturbance resulting from a clash of opposing points in a team is called ………….

2 4. …….. achievement becomes paramount in performing stage (Reverse)

4

Top to Bottom

1. All conflicts are to be avoided as they are harmful is the ……. view

2. …………… conflicts are to encouraged

3. A member’s understanding of his role in a team is role ……….

3 4 4. During Norming stage the group ……… norms to be followed (Reverse)

Assignment: (Answer the following questions with the help of web course material in Quadrant 1 and Supplementary reading material in Quadrant IV)

1. What are the characteristics of group conflicts?

2. Explain the process involved in conflict?

3. What are the conflict management techniques? Explain

4. Discuss the external conditions hat have a bearing on the group structure and behaviour.

5. What is role conflict? When a member of a group is likely to experience it?

6. What are the roles that need to be played by members of a group?

7. Discuss the organizational strategy to build better working groups

8. What is cohesiveness in a group? How can it be built?

9. Explain the manner in which extent of group cohesiveness and strength of performance norms affect the group’s productivity

10. Define team. Compare it with a group.

11. What are the criteria that underlie the selection of team members?

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12. What are the benefits and drawbacks of participatory decision making?

13. Discuss the steps involved in group problem solving process.

14. What is politics of participation? What are factors that determine the same?

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Quadrant 4

Supplementary reading:

1. Harold Koontz, H. Weihrich, and A.R. Aryasri,

Principles of Management, Tata McGraw-Hill, New Delhi, 2004.

2. Harold Koontz and H. Weihrich,

Essentials of Management, Tata Mc Graw-Hill, New Delhi, 2005

3. Hersy, Paul and Kenneth Blanchard,

Management of Organizational Behaviour, PHI, 2003

4. What is group behaviour? Http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-group-behavior.htm

5. Groups and Group Behavior Http://jupapadoc.startlogic.com/compresearch/papers/JCR07-4.pdf

6. The study of group behaviour during four decades

Http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/66635/10.1?Sequence=2

7. Selected full-text books and articles on group behavior

Http://www.questia.com/library/communication/business-and-organizational-communication/group-behavior

8. Difficult Group Behaviours Http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/difficult-group-behaviour.html

9. Effective Behavior Management

Http://ohioline.osu.edu/4h-fact/0022.html

10. Team Building Http://edweb.sdsu.edu/people/arossett/pie/Interventions/teaming_1.htm

11. Team Building in the Workplace

Http://education.qld.gov.au/staff/development/performance/resources/readings/team-building-workplace.pdf

12. Organizational behavior’s study notes, free exam papers and exercises

http://en.docsity.com/en/study-notes/psycology-and-sociology/1179/organization-behaviour

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Wiki development on the course/Other resources:

1. Group behaviour Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_behaviour

2. Group dynamics Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_dynamics

3. Social groups Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_group

4. Intergroup conflicts Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_behaviour#Intergroup_conflict

5. Organizational behaviour Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organizational_behavior

6. Team building Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team_building

7. Organizational theory Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organizational_theory

8. Herd behaviour Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herd_behavior

Open content in the internet:

1. Building and leading effective teams

Http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/sloan-school-of-management/15-316-building-and-leading-effective-teams-summer-2005/

2. Team Building and Leadership in Projects

Http://www.youtube.com/watch?V=mnvbifjbiug

3. Team building and participation Http://www.youtube.com/watch?V=uac-I_G-8M8

4. Individuals, Groups, and Organizations

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/sloan-school-of-management/15-341-individuals-groups-and-organizations-fall-2006/

5. Organizational behavior http://ocw.njit.edu/som/hrm/hrm-301/index.php

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Case studies:

1. 3 Case studies on group behaviour Http://www.scribd.com/doc/2553619/Case-Studies

2. Building an inter-disciplinary team

Http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/chevron/decision-making-in-an-uncertain-world/building-an-inter-disciplinary-team.html#axzz2oo3xgj7e

3. Using teamwork to build a better workplace A Chartered Management Institute case study

Http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/cmi/using-teamwork-to-build-a-better-workplace/team-working-in-practice.html#axzz2oo3xgj7e

4. Creating a new way of working based on trust A Blue Circle Cement case study

Http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/blue-circle-cement/creating-a-new-way-of-working-based-on-trust/introduction.html#axzz2oo3xgj7e

5. Partnerships with people A Department of Trade and Industry case study

Http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/department-of-trade-and-industry/partnerships-with-people/introduction.html#axzz2oo3xgj7e

Anecdotal information:

1. Team building stories Http://teammaccoy.blogspot.in/

2. Increase your team productivity with measurable results - Success Stories

Http://www.teamresultsusa.com/success-stories/

3. Bhagavad Gita and Management

Http://www.vedah.net/manasanskriti/gita.html

4. Bhagavad Gita and Management

Http://inamayaj.blogspot.in/2006/08/bhagavad-gita-and-management.html

Historical development:

1. How Does Social Behavior Evolve?

http://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/how-does-social-behavior-evolve-13260245

2. he Evolution of Social Behavior: Cooperation and Conflict

http://www.nimbios.org/press/akcay

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3. Evolution of in-group favoritism http://www.nature.com/srep/2012/120621/srep00460/full/srep00460.html

4. The History of Team Building http://managementhelp.org/blogs/team-performance/2011/06/08/the-history-of-team-building/

5. History of Team Building http://www.becauz.com/history-of-team-building/

6. History of Team Building http://www.innovativeteambuilding.co.uk/pages/history.htm

7. The familiar history of team building

http://suddenteams.com/teams-blog/familiar-history-team-building-part-1

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MODULE 7: GROUP BEHAVIOUR AND TEAM BUILDING

Answers to Questions and Quizzes of Quadrant 3

Answers to Questions: Answers are only brief and indicative. Expand on them as appropriate.

1. When two or more individuals, interacting and interdependent, have come together to achieve particular objectives, then we call it as a group.

2. Group behaviour emanates from the causes that contribute to the group’s thinking and effectiveness. When the group is well structured, has well defined role and status hierarchy, has able leadership, has well developed norms and strong cohesiveness, it is more likely to have greater groupthink. Groupthink is defined as “the deterioration of mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgement in the interest of group solidarity.” As groups function and interact with other groups, they develop their own unique set of characteristics including structure, cohesiveness, roles, norms and processes. As a result, groups may cooperate or compete with other groups, and intergroup competition can lead to conflict.

3. Individuals want to form (or want to be in) groups for the following reasons:

° To reduce insecurity experienced when alone

° To enhance the status by identifying with an important group

° It provides a feeling of self-worthiness in individuals

° Often groups help to acquire and exercise power which otherwise is not possible

° When the task needs more than one person to achieve the goals

4. Stages in the development of group are: a) Forming: characterized by a considerable amount of uncertainty about the

group’s purpose, structure, and leadership. Members are testing the waters to determine what types of behavior are acceptable.

b) Storming: characterized by conflicts within the group. Members accept the existence of the group, but show resistance to the constraints the group imposes on their individuality. Conflict also prevails over who will control the group.

c) Norming: Characterized by close relationships and cohesiveness. A strong sense of group identity and fellow men-ship prevails. This stage is complete when the group structure crystallizes and the group has accepted a common set of group norms.

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d) Performing: Group becomes fully functional. Group energy shifts from gaining mutual understanding to performing the tasks at hand.

e) Adjourning: Wrap-up of activities in ad hoc groups. High task performance is no longer the group’s top priority. Instead, focus is directed toward wrapping up activities and disbanding the group.

5. As groups are a part of the bigger organization, external conditions such as organizational strategy, infrastructure, and culture are imposed on the group. Group members bring with them the resources such as abilities, knowledge, skills, characteristics and attitude, that they wish to, and the performance of the group is influenced by them. Group structure gets defined by the identification of roles and their functions such as task oriented roles, maintenance roles, and individual roles.

When there is a contradiction between one’s perception of his role and the role expectation by other members, role conflict arises. The group is assigned a task such that group members will have sufficient autonomy about how to go about their work. Cohesiveness gets built into the group. The task will have a visible outcome which will have significant consequences for others.

6. Team is a specific form of a group made up of individuals who work together in a coordinated effort.

7. Characteristics of team:

° Members share a common identity

° They have common goals and objectives

° Share a common leadership

° Share success and failures

° They cooperate and collaborate

° They have membership roles

° They make effective decisions

External conditions

imposed on the group

Group member

resources

Group structure

Group process

Group task

Performance and

satisfaction

Group behaviour model

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8. Benefits to the organization:

° Productivity and quality of production increases

° Industrial relations improve

° Employee morale gets a boost

° Overhead costs reduce. Benefits to the individuals:

° Work becomes less stressful

° Responsibility is shared

° Greater feelings of self-worth

° Rewards and recognitions are shared

9. Members of the team settle into individual roles by mutual consent and common agreement. Such roles include both task and processes aspects of the team’s interaction. The roles they assume may be for giving information, seeking information, initiating, standard setting, clarifying, summarizing and consensus testing among others.

10. The process through which the group/teams make decisions typically involves the following steps: a) Clarify the purpose of the decision b) Establish criteria c) Separate the criteria d) Generate options e) Compare options f) Identify the risk in each option g) Make decision by choosing the best option

11. Group decisions are made based on :

° Authority

° Minority

° Majority

° Consensus

° Unanimity

12. Strengths of group decision making: Groups can pool more complete information, knowledge and other inputs to the decision making process. They consider diverse views and hence are more likely to have better approaches to solve problems. Group’s performance is often better than that of the best individual in it. Not only that the quality of a

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group’s decision is high, but its acceptability is also high. Weaknesses of the group decision making:

Decisions made tend to be time consuming in case of groups rather that an individual. The group exerts conformity pressures on members. The desire to be accepted and seen as important can result in an individual suppressing his disagreement. Some members may dominate and highjack the decision making process, which may result in ineffective decisions. Responsibility and accountability for decision and its outcome are difficult to fix on an individual in a group decision making.

13. A conflict is an emotional disturbance resulting from a clash of opposing points of view or from an inability to manage those points f view with realistic and moral considerations.

14. Role identity: This is a set of attitudes and behaviors identified as consistent with a role. Role perception: One’s view of how he/she is supposed to think or behave in a given situation is his/her role perception. Role expectation: This is the set of attitudes and behaviors what others expect you have in a given situation.

15. Formal groups are the groups that are legitimately identified by the organization’s constitution. They are defined by the organization’s structure, with clear designation of work responsibility and authority. In these groups, the expected behaviors of its members are prescribed by the organization and are directed towards the organizational goals. Informal groups are alliances that are neither formally structured nor organizationally determined. These groups get formed naturally in the work environment in response to the members’ need for social contact and affiliation.

16. Cohesive groups are characterized, among others, by:

° clear purpose

° enthusiastic participation

° civilized disagreement

° open communications

° purposeful listening

° informal climate

° consensus decision

° clear role and work assignment

° consistency between role perceptions and expectations

° shared leadership

° style diversity and

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° self-assessment of members.

17. A group meeting is an act or process to gather for a common purpose. The purpose of meeting may be to:

° share information,

° receive information,

° generate new ideas,

° solve problems,

° evolve consensus,

° mobilize support from others for one’s ideas,

° make recommendations and

° motivate employees, etc.,

18. The three views of conflict are as follows: a) Traditional view: All conflicts are dysfunctional and are to be avoided. b) Human relations view: Conflicts are inevitable c) Interactionist view: There should constructive conflicts

19. Groups norms are the standards of behavior that are accepted and shared by its members. They determine what members are supposed/not supposed to do under given circumstances. They identify the roles of every member. Norms vary among groups, communities, and societies, but they all have them.

20. Conflict management techniques include: a) problem solving, b) setting super-ordinate goals, c) expansion of resources, d) conflict avoidance, e) smoothing differences, f) compromising, g) using authoritative command, and h) altering human and structural variables in the group.

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Answers to Quizzes:

A. Choose the correct answer

1. b 9. a 17. a

2. a 10. d 18. c

3. a 11. a 19. a

4. d 12. b 20. b

5. b 13. b

6. a 14. a

7. c 15. d

8. a 16. c

B. State Whether True or False

1. False 9. True

2. True 10. True

3. False

4. True

5. True

6. False

7. True

8. False

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C. Fill in the Blanks

1. cohesiveness 9. relationship

2. ostracism 10. Avoidance

3. norms

4. Orientation

5. virtual

6. Dysfunctional

7. Functional

8. Process

D. Cross Word:

T F Left to Right

V I R T U A L U 1. Geographically dispersed team members connected electronically form ……….. team

A N 2. The set of behaviors identified as consistent with a role is role ………

D P E C 3. An emotional disturbance resulting from a clash of opposing points in a team is called ………….

I D E N T I T Y 4. …….. achievement becomes paramount in performing stage (Reverse)

T R A I

I C L A O G

O E U N Top to Bottom

N P M A 1. All conflicts are to be avoided as they are harmful is the ……. view

A T R L 2. …………… conflicts are to encouraged

L I O 3. A member’s understanding of his role in a team is role ……….

C O N F L I C T 4. During Norming stage the group ……… norms to be followed (Reverse)

N

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