Leaders and Leadership: Understanding and Managing Organizational Behavior

Week 8

Groups often consider effective collaboration to achieve their objectives. Workgroups can either be formal or informal depending on the needs that they want to fulfill in an organization. Some of the formal work groups include the task, command, team, and self-managed groups; while the informal groups include interest and friendship groups (Jennifer and Gareth, 2012). Group formation is a process that begins by getting to know each other and then storming, norming, and finally disbanding.

Groups have a variety of characteristics ranging from the size, composition, status, function, social facilitation, and efficacy. Both small and large groups have their costs and benefits, and organizations form groups based on which characteristics best serves them. Deciding on whether to have a small, big, heterogenous or homogenous group is a very critical question for any organization. Cohesiveness is fundamental in any group for the achievement of its objectives; and so, managers should focus on this to decide the group characteristics to consider during team selection (Jennifer and Gareth, 2012). However, the organization’s nature and objectives as well as production line influences the group characteristics.

Additionally, groups require control mechanisms to enable members to contribute to the group's goals effectively. Any group should have an outline of their roles, norms, as well as the rules that guide them. A group's effectiveness can be evaluated through the organization's gains or losses; the efficiency is enhanced through innovation and communication. The major problems associated with most group's motivation or performance are either social loafing or sucker effect. Therefore, groups should work on reducing social loafing to enhance collaboration hence achieve the goals of the group.

Reference:

Jennifer M. George and Gareth R. Jones (2012). Leaders and Leadership: Understanding and Managing Organizational Behavior. Pearson Education, lnc. Publishing as Prentice Hall.