A group is defined as two or more individuals, interacting and interdependent, who have come together to achieve particular objective. Groups can be either formal or informal. By formal groups, we mean those defined by the organization’s structure, with designated work assignments establishing tasks. In formal groups, the behaviors that one should engage in are stipulated by and directed toward organizational goals.the six members making up an airline flight crew are an example of a formal group. In contrast, informal groups are alliances that are neither formally structured nor organizationally determined. These groups are natural formations in the work environment that appear in response to the need for social contact. Three employees from different departements who regularly eat lunch together are an example of an informal group.
It’s possibleto further subclassify groups as command, task, interest, or friendship groups. Command and task groups are dictated by the formal organization, whereas interest and friendship groups are informal alliances.
A command group is determined by the organization chart. It is composed of the individuals who report directly to a given manager. An elementary school principal and her 18 teachers from a command groups, as do the director of postal audits and his five inspectors.
Task groups, also organizationally determined, represent those working together to complete a job task. However, a task group’s boundaries are not limited to its immediate hierarchical superior. It can cross command relationships for instance, if a college student is accused of a campus crime, it may riquire communication and coordination among the dean of academic affairs, the dean of students, the registrar, the director of security, and the student’s advisor. Such a formation would constitute a task groups. It should be noted that all command groups are also task groups, but because task groups can cut across the organizations, the reverse need not be true.
People who may or may not be aligned into common command or task groups may affiliate to attain a specific objective with which each is concerned. This is an interest group. Employees who band together to have their vacation schedules altered, to support a peer who has been fired, or to seek improved working conditions represent the formation of a united body to further their common interest.
Groups often develop because the individual members have one or more common characteristics. We call these formations friendship groups. Social alliances, which frequently extend outside the work situation, can be based on similar age or ethnic heritage, support for Notre Dame football, interest in the same alternative rock band, or the holding of similar political views, to name just a few such characteristics.
Informal groups porvide a very important service by satisfying their members social needs. Because of interactions that result from the close proximity of workstations or task interactions, we find that workers often do things together like play golf, commute to work, take lunch, and chat during coffe breaks. We must recognize that these types of interactionss among individuals, even though informal, deeply affect their behavior and performance.
There is no single reason why individuals join groups. Because most people belong to a number of groups, it’s obvious that different groups provide different benefits to theirs members. Exhibit 9-1 summarizes the most popular reasons people have for joining groups.
Working in groups requires a certain amount of trust. Are you a trusting person? The self assessment feature will tell you.
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