Group Functioning in Modern Organizations - Coursework Example

Insert Name Title Tutor Date Group functioning in modern organizations Introduction The proper functioning of organizations depends on the performance of the groups within those organizations. Collective group success or failure determines how the organization will perform. Groups in organizations function in various environments and in each of them there are challenges. They face a number of common barriers to their success which do derail the activities of an organization. Proper tackling of these barriers results in effectiveness. This essay focuses on the barriers that groups face in organizations in the way of their day to day functions. It also carries an analysis of the characteristics that highly effective groups have and finally examines the steps that need to be taken in order to enhance the effectiveness of the groups. Barriers to effective group functioning in modern organizations In order for a group to operate well it has to go over a number of barriers. Some of the barriers that hinder effective performance in groups include communication barriers, lack of trust, lack of consensus, failure to understand the members’ roles and the common goal of the group. The first barrier can come when members fail to take in what the others say because they put it differently. In communication when team members are not good listeners there could be some misunderstanding which could lead to bad handling of matters. Another barrier could arise when people approach things from a different angle because they do not understand where their group members are coming from Forsyth (2010). From the above sentiments, there could result into lack of trust. Where group members do not trust one another they cannot work as a team anymore because of prevalent suspicion. There could also be a failure in making consensus because of different ways of decision making. Consensus is important in decision making if the group and organization are to move forward. Failure to understand the roles of each member is another barrier. Working together and interdependence is necessary for the group to move on. Interaction must be promoted at work to enhance harmony McShane, Olekalns, and Travaglione (2010). When there is good interaction and coordination the problem solving is made easier. When some members fail to understand the roles of others then the smooth flow of activities and roles is curtailed. Members must have enough knowledge of how they need to accomplish their tasks. This knowledge can include individual competencies and information relating to the goals of the group. Failing to define the common goal of the organization or the group could cause failure in performance. The members may therefore fail to buy into that goal. The shared goals of the team must be understood to the team members as well as what each member can contribute to the group that is important to the group’s success. Some group members enjoy the team’s social interaction and so they can adjust naturally to function in a group. Others like being individual contributors. When people fail to understand the common goal it is not easy for them to force themselves to work together in team work to accomplish its objectives Forsyth (2010). Characteristics of highly effective groups Teams that are highly effective in their operations have certain characteristics that can be found in them all. To start with a group that is effective needs to understand the big picture. Every member understands the context of the work of the group to a high degree. Members understand how their jobs are relevant and how it affects the effectiveness of the efforts of the rest of the team. When the big picture is understood it promotes commitment, collaboration and quality. In an effective team there are common goals. The goals are simple, measurable and relevant to the task of the group. Every goal has key metrics that are measurable which each group member can access and which are used for determining the effectiveness of the group McShane et al (2010). In an effective group work is done in collaboration as a unit. Members are aware of their interdependency and they work collaboratively. Collaboration and interdependency help to reduce the behavior of blaming others and bring about opportunities for improvement and learning. Without interdependency in reward and responsibility blaming behavior comes about to erode the effectiveness of the team Forsyth (2010).Another characteristic of an effective group is strong leadership. Leaders are important to effective teams since they bring the members together and set the vision. The way the members are handled individually by the leader determines how effective the group will be. Praises and recognition are given to every performing member in public. Strong leaders are demanding, controlling but they are personable and flexible. Strong leaders have no hidden agenda and play no favoritism. Another important characteristic is trust. Teams that are highly effective are normally based on trust which exists between the leader and the team and among the group members. In such groups the members understand that some team members might be in the spotlight at times but at long last all should shine. When there is trust there are no politics to be practiced. There is no criticism behind other people’s backs. Is present, criticism is open, constructive and good natured. Every member has an understanding of his weaknesses and strengths and cannot be bothered by good natured comments given by a group member about a weakness. Group members receive support from the others. Respect is also a characteristic since team members must respect their leader and each other as well. This respect is founded on the members’ ability to make their contributions. Every member of the group understands and values the capabilities of the others and when they keep on contributing there is respect. Respect is obtained naturally and those who do not get respect do not survive in the team Carstein, & West (2001). Unity is an important characteristic of a highly effective group. In such a group there is a sense of belonging, family and connectedness. The unity of the team faces challenges though. Loyalty is important where group members maintain loyalty to their leader and to each other. Loyalty overcomes the boundaries of companies, projects and other forms of organization Robbins (2001).The group has complementary skills. Each member brings his contribution to the table which makes the work bigger. The ideas that people contribute normally lead to other ideas that feed the thoughts of others. Members are free to admit that they do not know since no body is expected to have perfection. Highly effective teams communicate openly and often. There is direct open communication in which words are not carefully chosen and members do not fear to speak what they think. Each member understands the capabilities and roles of the other members. Mutual trust and respect make it possible for members to have open communication and to bring forth their ideas. This is not to say that they do not agree. Respectful debate and disagreement form part of healthy communication in a group. However the debates are not tense. Some members of the group may communicate in silence with looks, nods and smiles taking the place of words Carstein, & West (2001). Highly effective teams have no selfishness among the members. The ‘I’ is not referred to but the ‘we’. The members of the group do not go out to seek credit but they understand that they will get credit where it is due. Members in such a team have no business trying to outshine each other so that their leaders can notice and praise them. The leader has a big role to play here because if he creates an environment that is competitive and unhealthy then team members begin seeking recognition Mohrman, Cohen and Mohrman.   Steps that can be taken to enhance group effectiveness In order to develop, design and support a team that is highly effective it is important to use certain guidelines. First there should be set goals for the results that the group should produce. Goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, and relevant and time bound (SMART). Input from the rest of the team members must be included in designing and wording the goals. Goals should then be written down to be communicated and discussed with the other members. There should also be SMART objectives that can help to measure how effective the team is. Apart from the goals and objectives a mechanism should be designed for good consistent communication with the members of the group Guzzo & Dickson (1996). For a group to be effective there should be regular access to similar information by all members about the group’s membership, accomplishments, purpose and status. Communication can be done through meetings, status reports, emails and newsletters. Within the structure of the organization s procedure should be defined for the people to make their decisions and solve their problems effectively. When confronted with problems the group should have a procedure known to every member with which decisions can be made. The procedure should clarify that in making decisions consensus should be sought in a given timeframe and incase there is no consensus a majority vote should be used Robbins (2001). Staffing procedures like recruiting, training replacing and organizing should be put into place. When the members of the group pass through a systematic process that is organized then the new members know that the group is not disorganized and that the role they play has value within that group. An effective group should be able to identify the expertise and roles necessary in the group for it to achieve its plan and purpose. Staffing is done according to plan and not personalities. New members should be taken through a systematic process before they join the group Ezzamel, Willmott (1998). The group’s membership should also be determined. One should take into consideration the expertise required to attain the goals including the areas of skills and knowledge. Diversity in perspectives and values should be included to ensure strong discussion and ideas. The membership of the team should be determined in terms of the expertise that the team could need to attain group goals. In the group the role of the leader should be assigned so that members can follow the systems and practices as the leader emphasizes on them. Identification of the needs for resources like materials, training, and supplies should also be done. This should be done beginning with the analysis of the goals and purpose and what is required to attain them. There are many other steps that can be taken in order to enhance the effectiveness of a group. All depends on the unique make up of the group and the environment it operates in Carstein, & West (2001). Conclusion In conclusion a group or organization requires certain measures to attain or maintain effectiveness. There are barriers that prevent the effective functioning of groups as well. Certain steps should then be taken to ensure that a group becomes and remains effective. All these things have been tackled in this essay. Barriers to proper functioning include improper communication, lack of trust, lack of consensus, failure to understand the members’ roles and the common goal of the group. The highly effective group is characterized by many things such as proper communication, interdependency, respect and trust good leadership, lack of selfishness, unity and mutual understanding. When these things and many others are being practiced then a group is highly effective. Finally the paper looks at the steps that need to be used in enhancing the effectiveness of a group. These steps include SMART goals and objectives, staffing procedures, identifying the needs for resources and determining the membership of the group. References Ezzamel M, Willmott H. (1998), "Accounting for teamwork: a critical study of group-based systems of organizational control" Administrative Science Quarterly Carstein, K. W., & West, M. A (2001). Minority dissent and team innovation: The importance of participation and decision making. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86, 1191-1201. Forsyth, D.R. (2010). Group Dynamics, 5th Edition. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth. McShane, S., Olekalns, M. and Travaglione, T. (2010) Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim, McGraw Hill, Sydney Guzzo R. A, Yost P. R, Campbell R. J & Shea G.P 1993, Potency in Groups. Articulating a construct British journal of social psychology 32: 87-106 Guzzo R. A & Dickson M. W. 1996, Teams in organizations: Recent research on performance and effectiveness. Annual Review of Psychology 47: 307-336. Mohrman S .A, Cohen S.G and Mohrman A. M 1995, Designing team based organizations. New forms for knowledge work. Sanfrancisco: Jossey-Bass. Montana P. J. and Charnov B. H. (2008) Managerment: Leadership and Theory, Barron's Educational Series, Inc., Hauppauge, New York, 4th English edition, 2008. Miner, J. B. (2005). Organizational Behavior: Behavior 1: Essential Theories of Motivation and Leadership. Armonk: M.E. Sharpe. Robbins, S. P. (2001 (Ninth). Organizational behavior Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.   Read More