Group Functions PDF

Group Functions Three functions that influence the effectiveness and Productivity of groups are task functions, maintenance Functions, and self-interest functions. 1. Task Functions This is the primary reason for the establishment of a group. To achieve the task, they must have members that fu...

Group Functions Three functions that influence the effectiveness and Productivity of groups are task functions, maintenance Functions, and self-interest functions. 1. Task Functions This is the primary reason for the establishment of a group. To achieve the task, they must have members that fulfill Some or all the following roles: a) Initiating: by proposing tasks or goals, defining Problems and suggesting procedures for a solution. b) Information seeking: by requesting facts, seeking Relevant information, and asking for suggestions or ideas. c) Information giving: by offering facts, providing Information, stating beliefs, and giving suggestions or Ideas. d) Clarifying ideas: by interpreting and clarifying input, Indicating alternatives, and giving examples. e) Bringing closure: by summarizing, restating, and Offering solutions. F)Consensus testing: by checking for agreements and Sending up ‘trial balloons’. 2. Maintenance Behaviour Each group needs social-emotional support to be Effective. Some members of the group will take the lead in Providing this support which consists of the following ) Encouraging: by showing regard for other members and Providing positive response to their contributions. ) Improving group: by expressing group feelings, sensing Moods and relationships, atmosphere: and sharing feelings. ) Harmonizing: by reconciling differences and reducing Group tension. ) Compromising: by admitting errors and looking for Alternatives. ) Gate-keeping: by attempting to keep communications Flowing, facilitating the participation of others, and Suggesting procedures for sharing discussion. ) Standard setting: by reminding members of group Norms, rules, and roles. 3. Self-interest Behaviour This third function displayed by some individuals, members Generally take away from group performance and affects Task achievement at the expense of the group. Activities That identify self-interest behaviour are as follows:  ) Dominating: by displaying a lack of respect for others, Cutting them off, controlling not listening, and restating Other members’ suggestions with a different meaning, ) Blocking: by stifling a line of thought, and changing the Topic either away from the point of view or back to his or Her own interest, ) Manipulating: by providing self-serving information, or a Single point of view designed to achieve a decision that is Consistent with their position, D) Belittling: through put-downs, sneering at other’s point Of view, or making jokes about another member’s Contribution E) Splitting hairs: by nit-picking, searching for Insignificant details that delay a solution, or undermining Another person’s point of view Understanding Work Teams Analyze the Growing Popularity of Teams in Organizations Understanding Work Teams Analyze the Growing Popularity of Teams in Organization Why are teams popular? Teams can achieve an individual could never Accomplish. Teams are flexible and responsive to changing events. They can quickly assemble, deploy, refocus, and Disband. They are an effective means to democratizeOrganizations and increase employee involvement. They introduce a collaborative mindset. Differences between Work Groups and Work Teams A work group is defined as two or more individuals, Interacting and interdependent, who have come together to Achieve objectives. A work team is a group that interacts primarily to share Information and make decisions to help each member Perform within his or her area of responsibility. Work groups have no need or opportunity to engage in Collective work that requires joint effort. So, their Performance is merely the summation of each group Member’s individual contribution. There is no positive synergy that would create an overall Level of performance greater than the sum of the inputs. A Work team, on the other hand, generates positive synergy Through coordinated effort. Merely calling a group a team doesn’t automatically Improve its performance. Effective teams have certain Common characteristics. If management hopes to increase organizational Performance using teams, its team must possess these. Teams can make products, provide services, negotiate Deals, coordinate projects, offer advice, and make decisions 4 Types of team 1. Problem-solving teams 2. Self-managed work teams, 3. Cross-functional teams, an 4. Virtual teams. Characteristics of Effective Teams OR Team Effectiveness Model 1. Context: What Factors Determine The Success of a TeamThe four contextual factors most significantly related to Team performance are adequate resources, effective Leadership, a climate of trust, and a performance Evaluation and reward system that reflects team Contributions. I.Adequate Resources Teams are part of a larger organization system; every work Team relies on resources outside the group to sustain it. A Scarcity of resources directly reduces the ability of a team To perform its job effectively and achieve its goals. As one study concluded, after looking at 13 factors related To group performance, “perhaps one of the most Important characteristics of an effective work group is The support the group receives from the organization.”This support includes timely information, proper Equipment, adequate staffing, encouragement, and Administrative assistance. ii. Leadership and Structure Teams can’t function if they can’t agree on who is to do What and ensure all members share the workload. Agreeing on the specifics of work and how they fit together To integrate individual skills requires leadership and Structure, either from management or from the team Members themselves.It’s true in self-managed teams that team members absorb Many of the duties typically assumed by managers. However, a manager’s job then becomes managing outside (rather than inside) the team. iii. Climate of Trust Members of effective teams trust each other. They also Exhibit trust in their leaders. Interpersonal trust among Team members facilitates cooperation, reduces the need to Monitor each other’s behaviour, and bond members around The belief that others on the team won’t take advantage of Them. Team members are more likely to take risks and expose Vulnerabilities when they believe they can trust others on Their team. It allows a team to accept and commit to its Leader’s goals and decisions. iv. Performance Evaluation and Reward Systems How do you get team members to be both individually and Jointly accountable? Individual performance evaluations And incentives may interfere with the development of highperformance teams. Group-based appraisals, profit sharing, gainsharing, Small- group incentives, and other system modifications can Reinforce team effort and commitment. 2. Composition The team composition category includes variables that Relate to how teams should be staffed— the ability and Personality of team members, allocation of roles and Diversity, size of the team, and members’ preference for Teamwork. 1.Abilities of Members Part of a team’s performance depends on the knowledge, Skills, and abilities of its individual members. It’s true we Occasionally read about an athletic team of mediocre Players who, because of excellent coaching, determination, And precision teamwork, beat a far more talented group. But such cases make the news precisely because they are Unusual. ii. Personality of Members We demonstrated in that personality significantly Influences individual employee behaviour. Many of the Dimensions identified in the Big Five personality model are Also relevant to team effectiveness; a review of the Literature identified three. iii. Allocation of Roles Teams needs to agree on who is going to carry out whichRole (role allocation). This need not be fixed for the lifetimeOf the team, particularly in operational teams. You could, forExample, rotate the roles so that everyone takes a turn andThus gains experience of the different roles (as in some Forms of democratic team)Or you may want to allocate the crucial roles within theTeam to the people who would like to take them, are best Qualified to carry them out through prior or current Experience, or even to people who would like to take on anUnfamiliar role in order to gain experience of performingThat role iv. Diversity of Members How does team diversity affect team performance? The Degree to which members of a work unit (group, team, or Department) share a common demographic attribute, such As age, gender, race, educational level, or length of service In the organization, is the subject of organizational Demography. Organizational demography suggests that Attributes such as age or the date of joining should help us Predict turnover. v. Size of Teams Most experts agree, that keeping teams small is a key to Improving group effectiveness. The most effective teams Have five to nine members. And experts suggest using the Smallest number of people who can do the task. Unfortunately, managers often err by making teams too Large. It may require only four or five members to develop Diversity of views and skills, while coordination problems Can increase exponentially as team members are added. vi. Member Preferences Not every employee is a team player. Given the option, Many employees will select themselves out of team Participation. When people who prefer to work alone are Required to team up, there is a direct threat to the team’s Morale and to individual member satisfaction. 3. Processes The final category related to team effectiveness is processVariables such as member commitment to a common Purpose, establishmenit of specific team goals,team Efficacy, a managed level of conflict, and minimized social Lloafing. These will be especially important in larger teams And in teams that are highly interdependent. 1. Common Plan and Purpose Effective teams begin by analysing the team’s mission, Developing goals to achieve that mission, andcreating Strategies for achieving the goals. Teams that consistently Perform better have established a clear sense of what Needs to be done and how. ii. Specific Goals Successful teams translate their common purpose into Specific, measurable, and realistic performance goals. Specific goals facilitate clear communication. They also Help teams maintain their focus on getting results. Consistent with the research on individual goals, team Goals should also be challenging. Difficult but achievable Goals raise team performance on those criteria for which They’re set. So, for instance, goals for quantity tend to raise Quantity, goals for accuracy raise accuracy, and so on. iii. Team Efficacy Effective teams have confidence in themselves; they believe They can succeed. We call this team efficacy. Teams that Have been successful, raise their beliefs about future Success, which in turn motivates members to work harder. What can management do to increase team efficacy? Two Options are helping the team achieve small successes that Build confidence and providing training to improve Members’ technical and interpersonal skills. iv. Mental Models Effective teams share accurate mental models with Organized mental representations of the key elements Within a team’s environment that team members share. If Team members have the wrong mental models, which is Particularly likely with teams under acute stress, their Performance suffers. Fundamentals of Leadership and Motivation LEADERSHIP Leadership is the ability to get desirable action, Voluntarily and without force, from the followers. The success of a leader depends upon his qualities and Characteristics. These characteristics are natural in some Cases but there are many cases where these have been Developed by constant effort.Leadership is the process of influencing the subordinates So that they cooperate enthusiastically in the achievement Of group goals. Definition Leadership can be defined as the art of motivating a group Of people towards achieving a common goal. OR Leadership is the ability to convince others to achieve Defined goals enthusiastically. Characteristics of Leadership 1. Leadership is a process of influencing the group Members 2. Leadership is related to a situation. 3. Leadership is the function of motivating people to strive Willingly to attain organizational objectives. 4. Leadership helps in attaining the common objectives. 5. Employees must be satisfied with the types of Leadership provided 4. Creating confidence- Confidence is an important factor 5. Creating confidence- Confidence is an important factor 4. Creating confidence- Confidence is an important factor Which can be achieved through expressing the work efforts To the subordinates, explaining them clearly their role and Giving them guidelines to achieve the goals effectively. It is Also important to hear the employees with regards to their Complaints and problems. 5.Building morale- Morale denotes willing cooperation of The employees towards their work and getting them into Confidence and winning their trust. A leader can be a Morale booster by achieving full cooperation so that they Perform with best of their abilities as they work to achieve Goals. 6.Builds work environment- Management is getting Things done from people. An efficient work environment Helps in sound and stable growth. Therefore, human Relations should be kept into mind by a leader. He should Have personal contacts with employees and should listen To their problems and solve them. He should treat Employees on humanitarian terms. 7.Coordination- Co-ordination can be achieved through Reconciling personal interests with organizational goals. This synchronization can be achieved through proper and Effective coordination which should be the primary motive Of a leader. Leadership Styles 1.Authoritarian or Autocratic Leaders: This type of leader Drives their team through command and by dleveloping Faith in them. Such leaders order, assign dutiees and Responsibilities without coonsulting the employees oor caring For their opinion. An example of authoritative leadership gone bad could be When a manager chaniges the hours of work shifts for Employees without consulting anyone. 2.Democratic or consultative leaders: Democratic Leadership is an open leadership style that empowers Group members in the decision-making process. Example, a democratic leader might give the team a few Decision-related options in a company board meeting. 3.Persuasive Leaders: A persuasive leadership style Focuses on building relationships with employees in order To influence and inspire them to achieve their full potential Persuasive managers are able to use their excellent Interpersonal skills to persuade and motivate others Towards a common goaL. 4.Functional leaders: Instead of relying on a single leader,Functional leadership encourages collaboration and open Communication within the team. It focuses on teamwork, Adaptability, and empowering each team member based onTheir strengths. 5.Laissez faire leaders: Laissez Faire (allow-to-do) Leaders Does not lead, but leaves the group entirely to itself. Such Leaders use very little power and give a high degree of Independence in their working. These leaders are dependent On subordinates to set their own goals. MOTIVATION Today management pays more attention towards Motivation of employees. The main task of management is To direct the working force in such a way so that by their Collective efforts objectives of the enterprise are achieved. Definition Motivation is psychological act which attracts the workers To do more work and instigates. If the workers are Instigated, they will try to do more than the standard work And earn more for themselves which increases their living Standards According to Michael J. Jucius, “Motivation is the act of Stimulating someone or oneself to get a desired course Of action, to push the right button to get the desired Action”. Maslow’s Theory of Motivation Abraham Maslow is a well-known psychologist. His, Theory of Motivation is based on human needs. This theory Is popular as “Need Hierarchy Theory.” This is one of the Earliest and most popular models/theories of motivation. Maslow considered several needs to explain human Behaviour and proposed that these needs have a hierarchy, i.e. some needs are lower-order needs as compared to other higher-order needs. Hierarchy needs 1 physiological need 2 safety need 3 love nd belonging need 4 esteem need 5 need for self actualization Organisational Culture Organizational culture refers to a system of shared Understanding and meaning held by members that Distinguishes the organization from other organizations. Common Characteristics of Organizational CulturePrimary characteristics that capture the essence of an Organization’s culture:  Adaptability Detail orientation Results/ Outcome orientation People/ Customer orientations Collaboration/ Team Orientation Integrity Adaptability: The degree to which employees are Encouraged to be innovative and flexible as well as to take Risks and experiment. Detail orientation: The degree to which employees are Expected to exhibit precision, analysis, and attention to Detail. Results/ Outcome orientation: The degree to which Management focuses on results or outcomes rather than on The techniques and processes used to achieve them. People/ Customer orientation: The degree to which Management decisions take into consideration the effect of Outcomes on people within and outside of the organization. Collaboration/ Team orientation: The degree to which Work activities are organized around teams rather than Individuals. Integrity: The degree to which people exhibit integrity And high ethical standards in their work. FUNCTIONS OF ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE 1. Conflict reduction 2. Coordination and control 3. Reduction of uncertaints 4. Motivation 5. Competitive advantage CONFLICT AND NEGOTIATION STRATEGIES In spite of your best efforts, you may encounter situations Of conflict in the course of your work. How will you resolve Them? In fact, exposure to conflicting situations and seeking Their resolution is an ongoing process in life; one conflict Follows another. SOURCES OF CONFLICT A large number of potential sources of conflict exist in Organisational life as antecedent conditions and form a Realistic basis for some conflicts. 1. Competition for Limited Resources Any group exists for the purpose of attaining some goals Within the available resources. These resources may be Tangible like men, materials, and money or intangible like Power, status or the manager’s time. No organisation can Provide all the resources demanded by different units. If Resources are limited, different groups have to compete for These and many conflicts may arise in such a situation. 2. Diversity of Goals Different groups in an organisation perform different Functions and hence develop their own norms and goals. Theoretically, achievement of these goals should help an Organisation to fulfil its mission. But, in practice, it is Possible that goals of one group may not be compatible With the goals of another group. 3. Task Interdependence Groups in an organisation do not function independent of One another. They have to interact with one another in Order to accomplish their tasks. The sales department will Have nothing to sell unless the production people generate Power to meet the ever growing demand and for this the Finance department has to provide adequate funds. Thus Smooth interaction between various groups is essential for Efficient functioning of the organisation. 4. Differences in Values and Perception A lot of conflict is generated within organisations because Various groups within a organisation hold ‘conflicting’ Values and perceive situations in a narrow and Individualistic manner. Management-labour conflict is a Well-known example. Labour nurtures the feeling that Management is exploiting it, if despite making a profit, the Latter does nothing for the economic welfare of the former. 5. Organisational Ambiguities Conflict may emerge when two organisational units Compete over a new responsibility. Inter- group conflict Stemming from disagreement about who has the Responsibility for ongoing tasks is an even more frequent Problem. Newcomers to organisations are often struck by The ambiguity that exists about job responsibilities. 6. Introduction of Change Change can breed inter-group conflict. Acquisitions and Mergers, for example, encourage inter- group conflict, Competition, and stress. When one organisation is merged Into another, a power struggle often sets in between the Employees of the acquiring and acquired companies. 7. Nature of Communication One of the major fallacies abounding about conflict is that Poor communication is the cause of all conflicts. A typical Statement is: ‘if we could just communicate with each other Well, we could eliminate our differences.’ Since we have Very little time for communicating with one another, Considering the workload most of us have, conflict due to Poor communication can arise unknowingly. 8. Aggressive Nature of People Another factor that has immense potential for generating Conflict within an organisation is personality characteristics That account for individual differences. Evidence suggests That certain personality types – for example, individuals Who are highly authoritarian, arrogant, autocratic or Dogmatic – lead to potential conflict. Conflict Management Disagreements can arise in any organization. Having People in the workplace who know how to manage conflict Is key to keeping turnover low, productivity high and Customers satisfied Thomas’s framework In this framework, the primary conflict management tactics Are identified in two dimensions – cooperativeness (the Degree to which one party attempts to satisfy other party’s Concerns) and assertiveness (the degree to which one party Attempts to satisfy his or her own concerns). There are five conflict management tactics: competing, Collaborating, avoiding, accommodating and Compromising. Competing: In this, a person desires to satisfy one’s own Interests, regardless of the impact on the other party in the Conflict. Collaborating: A situation in which each party to a conflict Desires to satisfy fully the concerns of all parties. Avoiding: It is the desire of a person to withdraw from a Conflicting situation or suppress it. Accommodating: In order to maintain the relationship, One party may be willing to be self-sacrificing. Compromising: In this situation, each party to a conflicting Situation is willing to give and take something NEGOTIATION Conflict is inevitable. No matter what the size of Organisation is, conflicts prevail and affect each and every Individual whether associated with conflict or not. Negotiation spread through everyone in the organisation, Whether be it employees, management or other Stakeholders. There is the obvious labour bargaining with Management. The process of reaching at a mutual Agreement by the two or more parties is called Negotiation. It is one of the most commonly used and beneficial skills That a manager can develop. The manager need to hone Their negotiation skills keeping in mind the diversified Workforce, rapidly changing environment, shift towards Team and empowerment and Global business environment. THE PROCESS OF NEGOTIATION According to researchers, David A. Lax and James K Sebenius in their book “The manager as Negotiator” Developed a thought that all negotiation share four Common elements: 1. The parties involved are in some way interdependent. 2. The parties are in conflicts over goals and processes 3. The parties involved are motivated and capable of Influencing one another. 4. The parties believe they can reach an agreement There are 4 stage of negotiations Phase 1: Investigation and preparation: Means Accumulation of various factual information about the Issues and alternatives and gaining access to softer Information other concerned party’s interest, position, Personality, and style. Phase 2: Presentation: It means presentation of initial Orders and demand either in writing or orally. Care should Be adopted for choosing right words and self presentation To project the right image through effective verbal and non Verbal communication. Phase 3: Bargaining: Where managers tries to reach at a Mutual agreement with the help of various negotiating Strategies and tools. The manager should be concerned About facts and people. This thought can make his position Stronger. Active listening, feedback, persuasion, and the Various communication techniques and barriers all comes Into this phase. Phase 4: Agreement: It is the final and ultimate step where Negotiation comes to an end. Here the agreement is Finalised with the terms and conditions acceptable to both The parties. Organisational Power and Politics Power is understood as the ability to influence other People and events.In the words of White and Bednar, “Power is the ability, to Influence people of things, usually obtained through the Control of important resources.”Characteristics of Power The following are the characteristics of power : Specific : Power is specific in the sense that it may be exercised by Some people in some circumstances. Power may not be Exercised by all people in all circumstances Dependency : The main feature of power is dependency. The greater the Dependence of one person on you, the greater is the Amount of power you can exert on him 3) Expand or Contract : Power is elastic. People who are habituated to exercise Power, may try to acquire more power and expand it. In Some organisations, due to change in position of a manager In the organisation, that is, shift from one department to the Other may cause contraction in power. 4) Reciprocal Relationship : Power relationships in an organisation are reciprocal in Nature. Power exists due to relationship between two or More persons. It is based on two-way concept of Influencing others and being influenced. Sources of Power Interpersonal Sources of Power French and Raven identity five interpersonal sources of Power: reward power, coercive power, legitimate power, Expert power, and referent power. 1. Reward power: Reward power is an individual’s ability To influence others’ behaviour by rewarding their Desirable behaviour. Employees comply with requests And directives because of the authority of managers to Grant rewards in the form of praise, promotions, salary Increase, bonuses, and time-off. Reward power can Lead to better performance, but only as long as the Employee sees a clear and strong link’ between Performance and rewards 2. Coercive power: Coercive power is an individual’s ability To influence others’ behaviour by means of punishment For undesirable behaviour. For example, subordinates may comply because they Expect to be punished for failure to respond favourably to Managerial directives. Punishment may be major or minor, Depending on the nature of omission or commission. 3. Legitimate Power: Legitimate power most often refers To a manager’s ability to influence subordinates’ Behaviour because of the manager’s position in the Organisational hierarchy. Subordinates may respond to Such influence because they acknowledge the manager’s Legitimate right to prescribe certain behaviours. 4. Expert power: Expert power is an individual’s ability to Influence others’ behaviour because of recognised skills, Talents, or specialised knowledge. To the extent that Managers can demonstrate competence in analysing, Evaluating, controlling, and implementing the tasks of Subordinates, they will acquire expert power. 5. Referent power: Referent power is an individual’s ability To influence others’ behaviour as a result of being liked or Admired. For instance, subordinates’ identification with a Manager often forms the basis for referent power, This Identification may include the desire of the subordinates to Emulate the manager. Structural Sources of Power Much of the attention directed at power in organisations Tends to focus on the power of managers over subordinates. An additional perspective is that the characteristics of the Situation affect or determine power. Important structural Sources of power include knowledge, resources, decision Making and networks. 1. Knowledge as power: Organisations are information Processors that must use knowledge to produce goods And services. The concept of knowledge as power Means that individuals, teams, groups, or departments That possess knowledge are crucial in attaining the Organisation’s goals. Intellectual capital represents the knowledge, know-how, And competency that exists in the organisation. This Intellectual capital can provide an organisation with a Competitive edge in the marketplace. 2. Resources as power: Organisations need a variety of Resources, including money, human resources, equipment, Materials, and customers to survive. The importance of Specific resources to an organisation’s success and the Difficulty in obtaining them vary from situation to situation. 3. Decision making as power: The decision making process In an organisation creates more or less power differences Among individuals or groups. Managers exercise Considerable power in an organisation simply because of Their decision making ability. 4. Networks as power: The existence of structural and Situational power depends not only on access to Information, resources and decision making, but also on the Ability to get cooperation in carrying out tasks Political Perspective of Organisations If everyone in an organisation agree all the time, there will Be no politics. In other words, the potential for political Activity arises wherever disagreement exists. One factor Which can prompt disagreement is diversity. Some units in An organisation are more powerful than others and each May have different goals. POLITICS? Power and politics are closely linked. The distinction lies in Mobilisation. Control of material assets is a fundamental Source of power. In theory, organisational funds and Budgets are allocated objectively accordingly to each Department’s needs. In practice, managers can do better or worse according to Their willingness to play politics and their skill in doing so. People in organisations may try to create dependency in Order to increase their power or protect their interest. There are basically three forms of dependence: 1)Resource dependence 2)Psychological dependence 3) The ability to manage uncertainty. 1. Resource dependence exists where an individual or Department controls something vital to the organisation. For instance, railway signals staff and air traffic Controllers are organisationally powerful because their Knowledge is both unique and essential. In order to work Effectively, managers must delegate. Delegation is a Double-edged entity because it creates both freedom And dependence 2. Psychological dependence can be created by Subordinates by making themselves indispensable. A Famous historical example is Martin Bormann’s relationship With Hitler. Anyone wishing to see Hitler was obliged to Apply through Borman. Uncertainty is closely linked to Expert power. Organisations dislike uncertainty because it Makes planning difficult and implies risk and instability. 3. The ability to manage uncertainty is a political weapon. Organisational departments which reduce uncertainty Command particular power. The organisation acquires Greater power if knowledge is more central and difficult to Substitute. This explains why hospital consultants remain Powerful despite the creation of professional management Functions.