Chapter 7 - Groups and Teamwork

Question 1

What is a “group”

Answer 1

• A collection of two or more people acting interdependently to achieve a common goal
• Interaction and interdependence are the defining factors of a group

Question 2

What are “formal work groups”

Answer 2

• Groups created by an organization with the intent to achieve organizational goals
• Most common formal work group consists of a manager and the employees reporting to the manager

Question 3

What are “informal work groups”

Answer 3

Groups that form naturally due to common interests among organization members

Question 4

What are the 5 stages of group development

Answer 4

1) Form
2) Storm
3) Norm
4) Perform
5) Adjourn

Question 5

What is the “punctuated equilibrium model”

Answer 5

A model that shows how groups with deadlines are affected by their first meetings and crucial midpoints

Question 6

What are the 3 stages of the punctuated equilibrium model?

Answer 6

1) Phase 1
2) Midpoint transition
3) Phase 2

Question 7

What happens in the “form” stage of group development

Answer 7

• Group members try to make sense of the new, ambiguous environment and “test the waters,”
• Members are dependent on each other

Question 8

What happens in the “storm” stage of group development

Answer 8

Conflict often emerges as members start assigning responsibilities

Question 9

What happens in the “norm” stage of group development

Answer 9

Members recognize interdependence, resolve conflict, and become more cohesive

Question 10

What happens in the “perform” stage of group development

Answer 10

Since conflicts are resolved, group members devote all their energy to the task at hand, members display creativity and mutual assistance

Question 11

What happens in the “adjourn” stage of group development

Answer 11

Rites and rituals occur to acknowledge the group’s success, group members provide emotional support for one another

Question 12

What happens in Phase 1 of the Punctuated Equilibrium Model

Answer 12

• Phase 1 begins at the first meeting and ends at the midpoint
• Members develop assumptions, approaches, and precedents that last halfway through the group’s life

Question 13

What happens during the Midpoint Transition in the Punctuated Equilibrium Model

Answer 13

The midpoint transition marks when group members begin changing their approaches and assumptions
- Occurs about halfway through a group’s life

Question 14

What happens during Phase 2 of the Punctuated Equilibrium Model

Answer 14

Changes from the midpoint transition are adapted

Question 15

What are the consequences of group size on performance?

Answer 15

• Larger groups report higher dissatisfaction as diverse perspectives increase conflict
• Much harder to manage and motivate larger groups (process losses)
• Larger groups make communication more difficult

Question 16

What are the consequences of diversity on performance?

Answer 16

• Higher diversity among group members can make communication more difficult and causing them to take more time in the form, norm, and storm stages
• Once these stages are over, there is little difference between a diverse and nondiverse work group
• Highly diverse groups can sometimes perform better since there are multiple perspectives on the matter

Question 17

What are “norms”

Answer 17

A set of social behavioral expectations that group members have about each other

Question 18

What are Descriptive vs Prescriptive norms

Answer 18

• Descriptive: Shared beliefs about what is typical/usual
• Prescriptive: Shared beliefs about what people should do

Question 19

Why do norms get developod?

Answer 19

• Norms serve as a psychological security so that we know how to behave without discomfort or disruption, and avoid social confusion
• Norms develop when coworkers share attitudes with one another and act on them

Question 20

What are some examples of common workplace norms?

Answer 20

• Performance norms
• Dress norms
• Reward allocation norms

Question 21

What are “roles”

Answer 21

• Positions in a group that have a set of expectations attached to them
• “Packages” of norms attached to specific members of the group

Question 22

What is “role ambiguity”

Answer 22

Role ambiguity occurs when there is a lack of clarity in the job outcome/goals, and methods to achieve this goal (can lead to stress and dissatisfaction)

Question 23

What is “role conflict”

Answer 23

Role conflict arises when despite clarity of expectations, a group member is incompatible with their expectations

Question 24

What are the 4 types of role conflict?

Answer 24

1) Intrasender role conflict
2) Intersender role conflict
3) Interrole conflict
4) Person-role conflict`

Question 25

What is "intrasender role conflict"

Answer 25

- When a single role sender gives you two conflicting orders that cannot be followed at the same time - E.g. A manager tells you to provide "deep, personalized attention" to every customer while simultaneously demanding you keep each interaction under two minutes to increase volume

Question 26

What is "intersender role conflict"

Answer 26

- When two or more different role senders give an individual competing or contradictory expectations for their role - E.g. A store manager tells a cashier to strictly follow the "no returns without a receipt" policy, while a frustrated customer demands a refund without one, forcing the cashier to choose which person to satisfy

Question 27

What is "interrole conflict"

Answer 27

- When the requirements of two or more different roles held by the same person clash, making it difficult to fulfill the obligations of one without neglecting the other - E.g. A working parent experiences conflict when they are required to stay late for a critical business meeting while simultaneously needing to pick up their child from daycare before it closes

Question 28

What is "person-role conflict"

Answer 28

- When the requirements of a job clash with an individual’s personal values, ethics, or specific skill set - E.g. An environmentally conscious employee is tasked by their company to draft a marketing campaign that downplays the ecological damage caused by a new factory

Question 29

What is "status"

Answer 29

The rank or social position accorded to group members in terms of prominence, prestige, and respect

Question 30

What are Formal vs Informal status systems

Answer 30

- Formal:Management publicly acknowledges individuals with higher status and indicates them by giving them tangible markers of status like titles, pay packages, bigger offices, etc - Informal: Status system that lacks the active identification of those with higher status, but operate just as effectively

Question 31

What are the consequences of status differences?

Answer 31

- People tend to like communicating with people the same status as them or higher, which can make it difficult for communication - Individuals with a higher status tend to have a bigger impact on the decision being made, but there is no guarantee that the person with the highest status is the most knowledgeable on the subject

Question 32

What is "group choesiveness"

Answer 32

The degree to which a group is attractive to its members

Question 33

What are the 5 factors influencing cohesiveness?

Answer 33

1) Threat and competition (groups work better when they are threatened/in competition) 2) Success (groups become more cohesive after accomplishing a goal) 3) Member diversity 4) Group size (bigger group size tends to decrease cohesiveness) 5) Toughness of initiation (harder initiation makes a group more attractive)

Question 34

What is "social loafing"

Answer 34

The tendency to withhold physical or intellectual effort when performing a group task

Question 35

What are the 2 forms of social loafing?

Answer 35

1) Free rider effect 2) Sucker effect

Question 36

What is the "free rider effect"

Answer 36

Worker lowers their effort to get a "free ride" at the expense of their fellow group members

Question 37

What is the "sucker effect"

Answer 37

Worker lowers their effort because of the feeling that others are free riding

Question 38

What are the 5 ways to counteract social loafing?

Answer 38

1) Make individual performance more visible 2) Make work more interesting 3) Increase feelings of indispensability 4) Increase performance feedback 5) Reward group performance

Question 39

What is a "group dilemma"

Answer 39

When the interests of the group, and each individual group member do not align perfectly

Question 40

What are the 5 strategies to solving group dilemmas?

Answer 40

1) Punish free riders 2) Gossip about free riders 3) Morality/guilt shame 4) Establish laws 5) Powerful leaders

Question 41

"A work group is effective when...."

Answer 41

1) Its output is acceptable to management and to users in other parts of the organization 2) Group members’ needs are satisfied rather than frustrated by the group 3) The group experience enables members to continue to work together

Question 42

What are the 7 qualities of effective work teams?

Answer 42

1) Psychological safety (members feel like they can take risks and disagree) 2) Inclusiveness 3) Team reflectivity (The extent to which teams deliberately discuss team processes and goals and adapt their behavior accordingly) 4) Shared mental models (Team members share similar information about how they should interact and what their task is) 5) Capacity to improvise if plan doesn't go as expected 6) Collective efficacy (The team has a collective mindset that they are able to complete difficult tasks) 7) Team resilience (A team’s capacity to bounce back from setbacks or adversity)

Question 43

What are Additive vs Conjunctive vs Disjunctive tasks?

Answer 43

- Additive: Group performance is the sum of all the individual group members performance (Ex. Building a house) - Conjunctive: The group performance is limited by the performance of the worst group member (Ex. Rowing team) - Disjunctive: Group performance is dependent on the performance of the best group member (Ex. Escape room)

Question 44

What are "self-managed work teams"

Answer 44

Work groups that have the opportunity to do more challenging work with little supervision (groups regulate their member’s behavior)

Question 45

"Self-managed work teams should be....."

Answer 45

"Small, stable, and smart" - Size: Big enough to avoid understaffing, small enough to prevent process losses - Stability: Self-managed teams are highly interdependent, meaning members have to be stable at all times - Expertise: Group members should be highly knowledgeable on the topic as a whole

Question 46

What are the 3 ways to support self-managed teams?

Answer 46

1) Training (technical training, social skills, business training, language skills, etc) 2) Rewards 3) Management (managers should act as coaches that encourage the team to be independent, while mediating external relations like Unions)

Question 47

What are "virtual teams"

Answer 47

Work groups that use technology to collaborate across space, time, and organizational boundaries

Question 47

What are "cross-functional teams"

Answer 47

Teams that bring people with different functional specialties together to better invent, design, or deliver a product or service

Question 48

What are some advantages of virtual teams?

Answer 48

- Around-the-clock work - Access to global talent - Cost efficiency - Increased flexibility - Reduced commute times

Question 49

What are some challenges with virtual teams?

Answer 49

- Difficulty building trust - Risk of miscommunication - "Zoom fatigue"