Groups and Teams
Groups or teams can evolve into high performing, extremely effective, useful tools in any organization if developed and managed correctly. Demographic characteristics and cultural diversity can impact the behavior of groups or teams in positive and some negative ways. Diversity may impede the initial progress of a group; however, the long range benefit to creating high performing teams is great. An effective group is one that achieves high levels of task performance, member satisfaction, and team viability (Schermerhorn, Hunt & Osborne, 2003, p. 2).
A team or group is two or more people working together to achieve common goals. Members of a group are usually dependent on each other and have regular interactions in order to reach a goal. They actively work together as a unit in order to fulfill a purpose. Organizations rely on groups to accomplish specific tasks. An effective group is one that achieves high levels of task performance, member satisfactions and team viability (Schermerhorn, Hunt & Osborne, 2003, p. 2).
Synergy, the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, is also part of an effective group. If a group has synergy then they are able to accomplish far more than they would working as individuals. Synergy is crucial in group organizations if they want to be competitive and productive. Groups within organizations improve creativity, implement better decision making processes, increase commitment to goals, offer control and help to offset the size of a large organization. There are many types of groups within organizations including formal, informal, task groups and virtual groups.
Group size and dynamics can affect performance. The larger the group, the more help there is to accomplish tasks. Although, a larger group can bring problems with communication, coordination and management. Dynamics or how a group works together in order to deal with issues can also affect performance.
Groups and teams have several stages of development in order to be considered effective; forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. Forming is the first stage and is primarily the initial entry into a group and getting to know each other stage. The storming stage of group development is a period of high emotionality and tension among the group members (Schermerhorn, Hunt & Osborne, 2003, p. 9). During t...
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...ity within a high performing team is respected and embraced. Different opinions and ideas are welcomed and discussed. Team members are involved in clear problem solving procedures and they plans tasks completely before acting. Synergy is critical to team success. Management should reward team successes. High performance teams are high-energy, collaborative process groups. They are the playground and work center for capable people with strong, respectful voices who understand and appreciate the power of aligning diverse perspectives (Schutz, 1999, p 1).
In conclusion, groups or teams that are high performing, and critical to the success of any organization, are rich in diversity, synergy, team work. More can be accomplished, greater achievements and productivity gained, when groups or teams are used in organizations.
References
Cummings, Jonathon. (2001). Work groups, structural diversity, and knowledge sharing in a global organization. Management Science. (pgs. 1 ? 13).
Schutz, Susan. (1999). Building high performing teams: putting the "I" back in teamwork. Ezine. (pgs. 1-2)
Schermerhorn, J. R., Hunt, J. G. & Osborne, R. N. (2003). Organizational Behavior
Workers feeling, which includes competitive compensation and reward strategies, professional growth and development, career paths and succession plans and the organizations leadership and culture are contributing factors of employee engagement
Boston, MA: Pearson Sivarethinamohan, R. R., & Aranganathan, P. P. (2011). Determinants of employee engagement
Since 2000, sales of organic foods in the United States have grown roughly 200%, and are expected to generate 42 billion dollars in 2014 (“US Organic Food Industry”, para. 1). This makes organics the fastest growing portion of the entire food industry, and worthy of keeping an eye on. The surge of growth was caused in part by the USDA release of its national standards for organic products in 2002, which subsequently prompted consumer demand for food that was healthier and better for the environment, and the popularization of “health food” stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s that market to these consumers (Callard, 2009).
Rich, B., Lepine, J., & Crawford, E. (2010). Job engagement: Antecedents and effects on job performance. Academy Of Management Journal, 53(3), 617-635. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
What is groupthink? There is a simple definition for it, but is it truly that simple? The term groupthink refers to the inclination of group members to have the same opinions and beliefs; it frequently leads to mistakes. It often occurs without an individual being aware of it. Conflict is considered to be a harmful element when related to groups, but conflict is good when considering groupthink because it helps to eliminate the existence of a groupthink. The explanation sounds simple enough, but it is more complex than the description given.
"An increasingly important element of a positive work environment is the fostering of employee engagement. Engaged employees are not just satisfied with their work or loyal to the organization, but are energized about their contributions to the workplace and willing to go above and beyond their job description to contribute to the organization’s mission. A key component of engagement is that employees feel that the organization cares about and values their contributions."
Do employees care about corporate responsibility and ethical behavior? Reviewing the impact of an organization’s perceived corporate responsibility and ethical behavior on employee engagement
A broad definition of an engaged employee means that the employee is satisfaction with their job. Job satisfaction is hard to measure because it is based on feelings, beliefs or knowledge. It is a psychological aspect which influences every employee. When people are satisfied they feel fulfilled and happy. An average adult spends most of their life at work, because of this they want that portion of their life be somewhat satisfying and pleasant (Kumar, 2013). An employee’s job performance and job satisfaction are almost synonymous. You cannot be happy in your job and be unsatisfied. There are various definitions of an engaged employee, but the main points that define what an engaged employee are: feel satisfied with their work, take pride in their organization, enjoy and believe in their work, understand the link between their job and the organization’s mission, feel valued by their employer, are fully committed to their employer and their role in the company, and exert extra effort to contribute to the business success. (SHRM,...
Effective teams must be developed, not just formed. A group is not a team. Members of a group may sometimes work together, but members of a team always work together. The team need not all be in the same place to be working together. “With a group, the whole is often equal to or less than the sum of its parts; with a team, the whole is always greater” (Oakley, Brent, Felder and Elhajj, 2004). A team, as defined above, has certain characteristics that make it effective. Not all of these traits are present when a team is in the forming stage. Tea...
In his study about psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work, Kahn have shown that there are three psychological engagement elements that can influence an individual’s behaviour in relation to their job function. The elements are 1) meaningfulness - rewards from engagement, 2) safety - higher willingness to engage, and 3) availability - readiness to engage (Kahn, 1990). Because of his work, Kahn is widely regarded as the pioneer of employee engagement and his findings are still engaged and found in many references about employee
The employee engagement has become a hot topic of discussion in the corporate world. There is no single accepted definition of engagement or recognised approach for measuring or raising it. HRM Practitioners have involved in quite a lot of study to understand employee engagement and its impact on the performance of the organisation. According to them, employee engagement is a level of commitment and involvement of employees towards their organisation and its value. An engaged employee works with his/her colleagues to improve their productivity within their job, for the ultimate benefit of the organisation.
Here are some figures that display how Employee engagement practices have bolstered up the efficiency and productivity of the employees and in return have augmented the profits of the companies. According to a new meta-analysis that was conducted by the Gallup organisation amongst 1.4 million employees, the organisations that focus on employee engagement practices to a large extent have reported 22% increase in productivity. These practices even impr...
In order for a work place to be successful and beneficial to everyone involve in the company, teams needs to be form, and each team must have a goal in mind. Employees must come together to accomplish a common goal. Teamwork will not only benefit those involve in the project but it will also have a huge impact in your business.
Realizing that a group can become a high performance team is important. Accomplishing this goal is invaluable, advantageous and profitable. Once able to operate from a group to the high performing team is a great step into preparation into the big business world. Leaders and members must also realize not only how to accomplish this but that some problems will and can arise from different demographic characteristics and cultural diversity. That is if one is in such a group, which the probability would be quite high.
A group can be define as ‘any number of people who (1) interact with one another; (2) are psychologically aware of one another and (3) perceive themselves to be a group’ (Mullins, L, 2007, p.299). Certain task can only be performed by combined effort of a group. Organisation can use groups to carry out projects, which will help to achieve its overall aim. However, for the group to be successful they must understand what is expected of them and have the right skill to complete the task. . (Mullins, L, 2006)