Groups as the Fundamental Units of Organizations - Essay Example

Group Effectiveness Identify and explain the barriers to effective group functioning in modern organizations, and provide an analysis of the characteristics of highly effective groups. What steps can be taken to enhance group effectiveness? Introduction A group is a collection of two or more people who work with one another regularly to achieve common goals. Groups not only help organizations in accomplishing important tasks but also assist in maintaining a high-quality workforce by satisfying members’ needs. Task performance, member satisfaction, team viability and synergy are often cited as the important benefits of group formation. Broom (2002) suggests that groups have the potency to save organization’s time. The aforesaid advantages notwithstanding, groups also suffer from certain pitfalls. Status differentials, group norms, risky and cautious shifts, polarization and group think have been identified as principal pitfalls of groups. Barriers to Effective Group Functioning The following aspects act as barriers to effective group functioning in modern day organizations: Language differences: Group members may have different mother tongues and thus all of them may not be conversant with the same language. This may result in lack of communication or even miscommunication amongst group members which may act as a serious impediment to effective functioning of the group. Over emphasis on statuses: Status is defined as a social ranking within a group. Status can be a function of the title of the individual, level of pay, work schedule or seniority. Status help clarify relationships between group members by providing a clear definition of authority and responsibility. However over emphasis on statuses can lead to reduced interactions between group members and diminished frequency of communication thus jeopardizing the effectiveness of the group. Cultural differences: The world has become a global village. People from varied cultures and backgrounds are a part of the same group. This cultural diversity and complexity may hinder the social associations of members and they may not gel together as a unit. Ethics and values: Ethics and values have been put on the backburner these days and everyone looks for shortcuts to the accomplishment of jobs. Adoption of unethical means mars group performance in the long run. Strict adherence to structure: Flexibility is the name of the game. Still groups strictly adhere to the organizational structure which impedes their working. Absence of multitasking skills: The demands of present day business require individuals to be adept in more than just one skill. All group members may not be skilled enough to perform different jobs thus hampering effective performance. Poor Planning: One of the biggest impediments in the functioning of groups is poor planning. The group members need to take time out to plan exactly what is to be done, how it is to be done, by when it is to be done and by whom it is to be done. Role ambiguity: A group may flounder if its members do not have a crystal clear vision of the roles that they have to perform. In the absence of clearly defined roles, there can be redundancies and interruption in work resulting in wastage of precious resources. Role conflict: In case one or more members of the group have personal or ulterior motives, they will pursue that goal at the expense of the group objective. As a result, the real purpose of the group would be compromised. Lack of Trust: For teams to function effectively, every member needs to have confidence in the ability, capability and intention of other members. In the absence of such trust, the group cannot function effectively. Resistance to change: The present day business environment requires changes to be incorporated to match pace with competition. Some members in the group may be resistant to such changes which drag down the performance of the entire group. Work overload: If some members of the group are overburdened while the others are given very few or menial tasks, it will mar harmony in the group. Stress: Employees work under pressure and stress in the present day organizations. At times they are not able to vent out their true emotions and feelings. The high level of stress and pent up emotions act as a stumbling block to effective group functioning. Characteristics of Effective Groups Hackman (1990) puts forth three dimensions of group effectiveness; productive output, capability to work interdependently and growth and well being of members. Hersey and Blanchard (1988) suggest that mature groups would be more effective than immature groups. According to them maturity is affected by ability and willingness. While ability refers to the knowledge, experience and skill required to accomplish a task, willingness refers to the commitment and motivation required to accomplish the task. The characteristics of effective groups are as follows: Common goals: The starting point to attaining effectiveness in a group is to align individual goals to group goals. Thus, in effective groups, goals are clarified and modified so that individual and group goals are in sync. If goals are structured cooperatively, all members are committed to achieving them. Two-way communication: Effective groups are characterized by open, two-way communication. In such groups, emphasis is made on open and accurate expression of ideas and feelings. Schaub (2010) opines that feedback loops, wherein members are given feedback, either on a one-to-one basis or in a group, are extremely critical. Successful attainment of goals: Numerous studies have established the relationship between group efficacy and group performance. Higher levels of group efficacy have a positive effect on other dynamics of the group. Successful attainment of goals may lead to a heightened desire to continue working as a group and increased openness to learning from other group members leading to higher group effectiveness. Charismatic leader: The probability of a work group performing well increases if the leader is very knowledgeable and skillful. Fazzi (2011) suggests that the leader of the group should be charismatic, should have good communication skills and should be a good listener. He should be able to successfully convey the prerequisites for completing the task to the group members. Shared leadership: In effective groups, participation and leadership are distributed among all group members. Active problem solving: One of the characteristics of effective groups is active problem solving. In fact, members are encouraged to advocate their views and challenge the other’s opinion based on reasoning and logic. This exercise is seen as the key to high-quality decision making and problem solving. Small size: Small sized groups where members know each other personally are known to be more effective than big sized groups where members interact with each other only for professional work. Moreover, as group size increases, it becomes more difficult to get the group members to agree on common goals and activities. Joint decision making: In effective groups, consensus is sought for important decisions. In such groups, discussions are encouraged and decision-making procedures are matched with the situation. Integrative negotiations: Effective groups resort to integrative negotiations and mediation for the resolution of conflicts of interest. In this way agreements that leave all members satisfied are arrived at. Stress on interpersonal skills: Effective groups lay a lot of emphasis on Interpersonal skills. Cohesion in such groups is emphasized through high levels of inclusion, affection, acceptance, support and trust. Shared attitudes and values: Shared attitudes and values enhance group cohesion which in turn increases the effectiveness of groups. Working in a group of people who share the same opinions provides an individual with a kind of social validation. Steps to Enhance Group Effectiveness The conceptualization of team effectiveness is based on the logic of an input–process–output (I-P-O) formula. From a systems perspective, group inputs; nature of the task, goals, rewards, resources, technology, membership diversity, group size, form the foundation of group effectiveness. Group effectiveness can be enhanced through group facilitation, coordination and through the use of apposite computer-based technology that supports teams. The following steps should be undertaken to enhance group effectiveness: Increase status congruence: To ensure that the group functions effectively, effort should be made towards status congruence, a situation where all members agree on member status levels. If such a scenario is achieved, the major activity of the group is directed towards goal accomplishment. Make expectations clear: What is expected from the group as a whole and what is the role of each member must be communicated to the group in unambiguous terms. This clarity of thought in the minds of each member will propel the group towards effective functioning. Increase two-way communication: Brillinger (1998) posits that regular two-way communication; top-bottom as well as bottom-top will enable clarity of doubts, if any, in the minds of group members. Bottom-up communication, if positively accepted acts as a motivator for group members and enhances effectiveness. Design interdependent tasks: The camaraderie in the group increases if the jobs are interdependent. Members tend to help each other to tide over difficult tasks by working together. Recognize and reward team effort: The management should take due care to appreciate the collective work done by the group. Such recognition and appreciation motivates the group to do well in their other endeavors and thus enhances effectiveness. Set group goals: Management should set goals for the group. These goals may then be broken down into individual tasks. Evaluation should be done on the basis of achievement of group goals. Manage group diversity: Deluga (1994) avers that a group tends to function better if the norms, values and beliefs of all members are respected, howsoever diverse they may be. Group diversity can, in fact, turn out to be a boon as the group in enriched through diverse ideas. Select team members with complementary skills: Due diligence should be made while selecting group members. It should be ensured that members with complementary skills form a group. Prichard (1999) opines that the effectiveness of a team will be enhanced when members adjust themselves according to their relative strengths, expertise and abilities. Conclusion Groups are the fundamental units of organizations. While groups help in the accomplishment of numerous tasks in the organization, maintaining their effectiveness is an uphill task for various reasons. In the present day business organizations cultural diversity, stress, work overload and language barriers typically hinder the effective functioning of the groups. In order to get the most out of groups, it needs to be ensured that groups have the requisite characteristics namely common goals, charismatic leader, two-way communication and joint decision making. It has been established that small sized groups and the ones that lay more emphasis on integrative negotiations and interpersonal skills tend to be more effective. Removing the impediments that hinder the effectiveness of groups can do wonders for an organization. Increasing status congruence, setting group goals, selecting members with complementary skills, among others, are time tested techniques to increase group effectiveness. References Brillinger, R. 1998, "The Skilled Facilitator: Practical Wisdom for Developing Effective Groups", Canadian HR Reporter, , no. 0838228, pp. G7-G7. Broom, M.F. 2002, “From effective groups to powerful teams”, Incentive, vol. 176, no. 11, pp. 66-66. Campion, M.A., Medsker, G.J. & Higgs, A.C. 1993, “Relations between work group characteristics and effectiveness: Implications for designing effective work groups”, Personnel Psychology, vol. 46, no. 4, pp. 823-823. Deluga, R.J. 1994, "Can work groups be made more effective? YES!", The Academy of Management Perspectives, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 105-105. Fazzi, C. 2011, "How to be an Effective Leader of Diverse Groups: Crossing the Divide: Intergroup Leadership in a World of Difference", Dispute Resolution Journal, vol. 66, no. 1, pp. 89-89. Moore, S. 1999, “Understanding and managing diversity among groups at work: key issues for organisational training and development”, Journal of European Industrial Training, vol. 23, no. 4, pp. 208-208-217. Hackman, J. R. (1990).Work teams in organizations: An orienting framework. In J. R. Hackman (Ed.), Groups that work (and those that don’t) (pp. 1-14). San Francisco: Jossey- Bass. Hersey, P. and K. H. Blanchard (1988). “Management of Organizational Behavior: Utilizing Human Resources”. 6th Ed. Prentice-Hall, New Jersey. Prichard, J.S. & Stanton, N.A. 1999, "Testing Belbins team role theory of effective groups", The Journal of Management Development, vol. 18, no. 8, pp. 652-652-665. Schaub, L. 2010, "Three Essential Agreements of Effective Groups", Communities, , no. 148, pp. 6-6-7. “The Skilled Facilitator: Practical Wisdom for Developing Effective Groups”, 2000, Communities, no. 109, pp. 63-63. Read More