The Differences between Teams and Groups - Research Proposal Example

TEAMS AND GROUPS Name Institution Professor Course Date Table of Contents 1.0 1.0 Introduction The recognition of the subsistence of informal and formal groups in any firm and a comprehension of the fundamental processes entailed have established a profound impact on the outlook and functioning of managers in the contemporary workplace. Reasonably, there is a great deal of concern in creating effective teams and groups. Organisational theorists have studied work group and teams dynamic for many years. This paper reviews available literature on teams and groups and highlights the differences between teams and groups. The paper is portioned into sections where the second section of the paper underscores the methodology used, the third section defines teams and groups and highlight the differences and similarities between groups and teams. The paper culminates with a concrete conclusion. 2.0 Methodology Given that this paper seeks to underscore the views of different authors regarding teams and groups, only secondary sources will be utilised. As a result, the methodology used entails a systematic review of relevant literature relating to teams and groups. A wide assortment of sources that include journal articles, electronic sources and books will be used. The articles and books will be accessed online as well as through the university library where practical key words will be used to aid in the literature search. 3.0 Literature review 3.1 Teams Before people are considered a team, they first have to be a group. However, not all groups are teams. According to Crafford, Moerdyk, O Neill and Schlecter (2006, p.62), teams consist of two or more people who acknowledge that they are dependent or interdependent on one another, and who want to attain a common goal. This definition is supported by Mukherjee (2009, p.190) who defines a team as a special type of group whose members hold complementary skills and are devoted to a common goal or set of goals for which they hold themselves mutually responsible. While working together as a team every team member hold a specific function or role to fulfil. Even though every person in a team hold different set of skills, when these skills are integrated, they facilitate attainment of a common purpose or goal. 3.2 Groups A group, on the other hand, can be two or more people who come together to reach a goal via their mutual dependence (Crafford et al.2008, p.63). Crafford and associates (2008, p.61) further assert that a group exists if group members interact with one another. Members of a group many belong to the group because they have personal requirement and objectives to attain. For instance, the call to socialise and the need to belong can be satisfied if a person joins a group. These individual requirements may be more essential compared to the goals of a group (Boundlesss 2015). Group members centre on their individual roles in the group and are held accountable and rewarded on individual basis. Group members share standards, principles and beliefs concerning areas of common interest. They share information to make decisions and assist other members to accomplish their tasks. According to Plester (2015, p.102), workplace goals come in a multiplicity of forms and are established for a variety of diverse purposes. Some groups are formed for specific workplace projects and tasks while some are formed simply based on workplace friendships. 3.3 Differences and Similarities Organisational theorists have studied work group and team dynamics. It is essential to acknowledge and comprehend the disparities and similarities between work groups and teams. Although teams and groups are often utilised interchangeably, there are several disparities between the two terms (Fritz 2015). With respect to the size, a team is usually limited in number of members while in a group, number of members may be large or medium. A team is critically selected while a group can be accidental or random. According to Mukherjee (2009, p.190), a team focus on collective performance while a group is involved in information sharing. Skills of team members are complementary while those of group members are varied. Members of a group are individually held accountable while in a team, accountability is mutual and individual. This assertion is supported by Crafford et al (2006, p.63), who assert that group members focus on individual responsibilities and are held individually accountable while a team as a whole is held responsible for attainment of the team goals,. Accountability in a team is both collective and individual. As regards leadership, leadership in a team is shared or rotate among team members but in a group, it is fixed and individual. A team focuses on dynamic interaction while a group focuses on togetherness West and Lyubovnikova (2012 p.27) asserts that unlike in groups, team members demonstrate interdependence shared objectives and boundedness. However, both teams and groups consist of two or more persons. According to Crafford et al. (2006, p.63), a group only subsists if group members interact with one another. Similarly, a team only exists if team members interact with one another. This suggests that there must be an aspect of interaction in both teams and groups. Both teams and groups play a crucial role in any organisation. According to Henningsen and Henningsen (2015, p. 188), organisations regularly rely on teams or groups to make crucial decisions. This is because decision making usually entails a social influence among team or group members. 4.0 Conclusion Teams and groups are essential element in any organisation. Both the teams and groups exist when people come together and interact with one another. In addition, two or more individuals form both teams and groups. However, not all groups are teams. This is because a team comprises of two or more people who recognise that they are dependent or interdependent on one another and who want to attain common goals. On the contrary a group consists of two or more people who come together to complete a given task through mutual dependence on each other with the aim of attaining individual goals. From the above analysis, teams are more effective than groups because team members hold complementary skills and they are collectively and individually held accountable. 5.0 Reference List Boundless 2015, ‘Differences between groups and teams’, Boundless.com. Retrieved from https://www.boundless.com/management/textbooks/boundless-management-textbook. Crafford, A, Moerdyk, A, O Neill, C & Schlecter, A 2006, Industrial psychology, South Africa, Pearson Prentice Hall. Fritz, R 2015, ‘ Differences between group work and team work’, Chron. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/differences-between-group-work-team-work-11004.html. Henningsen, D & Henningsen, M 2015, ‘ A preliminary examination of perceptions of social influence in group decision making in the workplace’, Journal of Business Communication, vol.52, no.2, pp.188-204. Mukherjee, K 2009, Principles of management and organisational behaviour, Second Edition, India, McGraw-Hill Companies. Plester, B 2015, The complexity of workplace humour: Laughter, jokers and the dark side of humour, UK, Springer. West, M & Lyubovnikova, J 2012, ‘Real teams or pseudo teams? The changing landscape needs a better map,’ Industrial and Organisational Psychology, vol, 5. No.1, pp. 25-55. Read More