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Chapter 7
Groups and Teams: Working Well With Others
FOCUS
Work groups are important because they influence the overall behavior and performance of
individuals in the workplace. People tend to join groups for four common reasons--social
connection and affiliation with people, the power that comes from greater security in numbers,
increased self-esteem from belonging to a certain group, or the desire for greater goal
accomplishment through group involvement and help. Teams go one step farther and help groups
work together toward achieving these objectives, but the team members are dependant upon each
other to realize the goals. There are many benefits derived from using team whenever possible.
Teamwork is known to increase productivity and services. By understanding how to be an
effective team member, how to build a good team, and how to use communication and
networking in team situations, students can more successfully contribute to their team
experiences and have a clear understanding of team concepts
CHAPER PREVIEW
OBJECTIVES
After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
7.1 Explain the structure and function of groups in the workplace.
7.2 Identify benefits and types of workplace teams.
7.3 List roles and characteristics of effective team members.
7.4 Explain the stages of team development.
7.5 Describe strategies for creating and leading teams.
TEACHING-LEARNING SUGGESTINGS
Supplemental Exercise 7.1 with T.M. 7.1
Introduce the chapter with the question, “What would our lives be like without group
interactions?” Listen to and observe student responses and encourage open discussion on the
effects they believe groups have. Follow with a discussion about the differences between a group
and a team. Use this discussion to emphasize the different types of groups (formal and informal)
and teams students interact with every day. The instructor should draw attention to Figure 7.2 for
visual clarity. The instructor may want to have students list various groups/teams with which
they come in contact daily and discuss comparisons in small groups or as a complete class. Use
Teaching Master 7.1 to illustrate the variety of groups and teams that can exist and interact within
an organization.
Answers to Jump Start
1. Answers may vary but should center on the facts presented – with the increased
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2. Student answers will vary depending on their level of experience. The instructor should
7.1 GROUPS AT WORK
A group is two or more individuals who are aware of one another, interact on a regular basis, and
perceive themselves to be a group. All groups have a common thread–the purpose of satisfying
needs, be they organizational needs or individual needs. We join in many group settings
throughout our waking hours. The key for students is to understand the importance of groups,
today and in the future, and to learn how groups function.
Discuss Figure 7.1 briefly to reinforce the relationship of group behavior and morale to
performance and productivity. Positive behavior increases productivity while a negative group’s
behavior can create roadblocks and negative productivity. Emphasize that understanding how a
group makes decisions, works well together, and solves problems can affect the other parts of the
organization’s overall performance and success.
Answers to Ask Yourself
1. Answers will vary depending on student involvement and participation in various
2. This discussion should be interesting and may create some humor among the students.
Answers to In the News
Answers should include social connection and goal accomplishment as two of the possible
answers and encourage discussion of others as mentioned. The need for affiliation may be one of
7.2 TEAMS AT WORK
Working in teams tends to improve decision making and problem solving and provides more
ideas and information for increased productivity and improved output. Organizations may have
several types of teams operating at the same time–one of the more common types today is the
virtual team.
Answers to Technical Connection
Answers to Ask Yourself
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7.3 WORKING AS A TEAM
The purpose of this chapter is to present the need for using effective team concepts in today’s
changing work environment. Teamwork is known to increase productivity and improve quality in
products and services. By understanding how to be an effective team member, how to build a
good team, and how to use communication and networking in team situations, students can more
successfully contribute to their team experiences.
Discuss Figure 7.3 with T.M. 7.2, Informal Roles of Team Members. Introduce the most common
types of informal roles team members exhibit and discuss how role ambiguity can occasionally
arise. Use Teaching Master 7.2 to illustrate the talking points.
Discuss Figure 7.4, Characteristics of a Good Team Player. The instructor should introduce the
ways a team member can make the team experience a good one by using the five items preceding
the figure and conclude the discussion with the five strongest characteristics of a good team
player. The instructor should focus on the importance of human relations skills in team
interactions.
Answers to Ask Yourself
7.4 TEAM GROWTH
Teams tend to grow through distinct stages as they mature. Great results are achieved when
people work in a true team effort. Studies show that employees like participating in group or
team activities and appreciate opportunities to contribute ideas to improve operations. Teamwork
creates a cycle of positive dynamics with each part reinforcing the other.
Supplemental Exercise 7.2
The instructor should ask the class to function as a team to discuss how they might improve the
overall efficiency and effectiveness of the registration process at their college or institution.
Functioning as a single team, the students should openly discuss how they might influence the
process, what changes they would make, and how they would implement those changes. Involve
each team member in the process. Students should identify the pitfalls and plusses to their
proposals. Students should be encouraged to participate openly in determining how the team
could influence and improve the overall registration process. Students could be asked to prepare
a report of the team’s findings and recommendations or to prepare a step-by-step outline of how
the team arrived at a consensus approach. Include in the post-activity discussion what conflicts
surfaced and how these conflicts were managed to reach final consensus.
Answers to Ask Yourself
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Supplemental Exercise 7.3 with T.M. 7.3
Using Teaching Master 7.3, Identifying The Stages of Development, encourage students to share
occasions when they may have experienced one or more of these stages and what events occurred
in each stage.
Answers to the Ethics Connection
7.5 CREATING EFFECTIVE TEAMS
There may be two leaders within a group–a formal leader and an informal leader. The formal
leader is officially given certain rights or authority over other group members and a degree of
legitimacy. There is often an informal, or emergent leader without formal appointment or formal
recognition who often exerts more power than the formal leader. Organizations support teams by
encouraging employee involvement and accepting team decisions. There are many challenges
facing a team, but building an effective team often produces the best results.
Discuss Figure 7.5, Responsibility of a Team Leader. Encourage a discussion about each of the
points of responsibility presented in the list. Ask students to prioritize the list and working in
groups of three or more, report their findings. This should present interesting and varied
discussion on leadership attitudes. Follow by observing the pointers for leading virtual teams.
This information will also be beneficial in preparing for Chapter 9 on leadership.
Answers to Ask Yourself
1. Student answers will vary but should pinpoint that small class participation is the
2. The instructor should encourage class discussions centering on team experiences
KEY TERM DEFINITIONS
Group Two or more individuals who are aware of one another, interact on a regular basis, and
perceive themselves to be a group.
Formal group Designated by an organization to fulfill specific tasks or accomplish certain
organizational objectives.
Functional group Type of formal groups, the functional group is made up of managers and
subordinates assigned to certain positions in the organizational hierarchy that together fulfill a
specific, ongoing function.
Task group Type of formal group formed for a specific reason with members drawn from various
parts of the organization to accomplish a specific purpose.
Ongoing committee Relatively permanent groups that address organizational issues on a
continuous basis.
Ad hoc committee Has a limited life, serving only a one-time purpose and disbanding after
accomplishing it.
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Informal group Forms spontaneously when members with similar interests get together
voluntarily.
SUGGESTED RESPONSES TO REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Studying group dynamics is important because groups can satisfy needs within individuals;
2. Experience shows that use of team concepts usually increases productivity and substantially
3. Be a willing team player by contributing to the team’s overall purpose. By knowing your role,
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4. Groups evolve through four stages on their way to maturity. These stages are: 1) forming—
5. Factors influencing group effectiveness include change in the behavior of individual group
6. As the leader of a group or team today, your responsibilities would be very easy because you
SUGGESTED RESPONSES TO CRITICAL THINKING
1. Answers will vary. The instructor can facilitate the discussion by naming a group or team in
2. Student answers will vary. The instructor should point out that norms differ in groups
3. Some of the more important roles in groups are the dominator, blocker, harmonizer, and
4. Student answers will vary. Have students fully develop the problem to be solved and describe
5, Student answers will. Have students describe the purpose of the team and why they were
ANSWERS TO CASE STUDIES
Answers to 1 (A Company Crisis)
1. Anita should form teams with appropriate representation to study and make
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2. Answers will vary depending on student experience and perceptions of the situation.
3. Students may vary their responses and limit their answers to only one or two of the different
Answers to 2 (Who’s the Boss?)
1. Robert was promoted into a formal group and he was the very formal leader. Kendra was the
2. The group’s effectiveness was influenced by a change in behavior of individual group
3. Robert could have recognized Kendra as the emergent leader, worked with her, and taken
HUMAN RELATIONS IN ACTION
Instructor should first solicit suggestion for the movies from the students to encourage strong
participation in the idea and to get current, relevant movies the student will enjoy analyzing. The
instructor may want to provide a few examples to get the creative process going. This is an
interesting exercise and illustrates the full development of group and teams and the interactions of
the members. Some choices will be about funny movies and some will be about serious movies,
but they should all focus on the development of the group and how the teams progress, take on
roles, and become dependant upon one another. Students should prepare their presentations with
creative style and interest and bring them back for presentation to the class.
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