Group and Team in Organization
Ans 2 What are the levels of conflict?
The “levels of conflict” are four types of disagreement that affect an individual or group of individuals. Each level comes with its own unique challenges and solutions.
Levels of Conflict in an Organisation: 4 Levels
This article throws light on the four important levels of conflicts in organisation, i.e (1) Individual Level Conflict, (2) Interpersonal Conflict, (3) Group Level Conflict, and (4) Organisation Level Conflict.
(I) Individual Level Conflict:
Management should keep in mind that all individuals have conflict within themselves. Conflict arises within an individual whenever his drives and motives are blocked or he is confronted with competing roles and goals and he is unable to take decisions.
Factors of Conflict in Individuals :
1. Unacceptability:Every individual has a known acceptable alternative in terms of his own goals and perceptions. Since the alternative preferred by the organisation is not satisfactory to him, he is unable to accept it. Unacceptability is subjective because the alternative unacceptable to one may be acceptable to another individual. When the alternative is unacceptable to an individual, he will search for new alternatives. His search for acceptable alternative continues. But sometimes, repeated failure to discover acceptable alternatives leads to a redefinition of acceptable.
2. Incomparability:
The individual knows the probability distribution of the alternatives but he is not able to take decision because the outcomes are incomparable. When the results are not comparable, no decision could be taken. Similarly, an individual is also unable to make proper comparison of alternatives. Comparison requires clarity, technique of comparison including assigning weights to different components, rationality in attitude and behaviour and the competence to perform the task.
The procedure of comparison depends also on the clarity and decisiveness of the individual regarding the minimum standard of achievement. If the individual does not have much clarity as to the expectancy, he will not be able to make comparison. The state of incomparability causes lot of tension and conflict to the individual.
3. Uncertainty:
Individuals are uncertain about the environments within and outside the organisations. If the environment could be properly depicted, the behaviour of the people regarding acceptability of the alternative and efficacy of the alternative could be ascertained with certainty. In a state of uncertainty, the individual feels frustrated which is ultimately reflected in conflict. Within an individual there are usually a number of competing goals and roles.
Types of Conflict Within Himself:
(a) Frustration
(b) Goal conflict and
(c) Role conflict
(a) Frustration:
When an individual is unable to do what he wants to do, he becomes frustrated. Frustration is the highest level of dissatisfaction which, in turn, generates conflict in the individual. This is generally caused when the motivated drives of an individual are blocked before he reaches his goal. These blocks may be physical or mental/social-psychological. Frustration, in turn, leads to defense mechanism.
Causes of Conflict in an Organization
Everything you need to know about the causes of organizational conflict. Conflict is a psychological state of mind when people are in a state of dilemma whether to do or not to do a thing.
In organisational conflict, it may imply difference of opinion with persons or groups and sometimes they manage to show down and slow down other and plan strategies for that.
Conflict is an essential fact of organisational life. In fact, the very nature of an organisation guarantees the emergence of conflict.
Firstly, organisations consist of people with divergent personalities, perceptions, and values. Secondly, these people are put on jobs with contrasting features that impart unequal degrees of status and frequently foster competition.
Some of the causes of organizational conflicts are:-
1. Competition for Scarce Resources 2. Time Pressure 3. Unreasonable Standards, Policies, Rules or Procedures 4. Communications Breakdowns 5. Personality Clashes 6. Ambiguous or Overlapping Jurisdictions 7. Unrealized Expectations
8. Competition for Resources 9. Task Interdependence 10. Status Problems 11. Individual Traits 12. Inter-Relation-Dependence of Departments 13. Ambiguous Objectives and Goals 14. Individual Differences15. Absence of Time Management 16. Lack of Accurate Forecasting of Eventualities 17. Employees Dissatisfaction 18. Poorly Defined Responsibilities, Authority and Role 19. Undesirable Demands of Trade Union / Workers 20. Poorly Defined System of Payment 21. Lack of Discipline and Rules and Regulation
22. Faulty Performance Appraisal and Reward System 23. Poor, Imbalanced Authority / Power Distribution 24. Privacy Policy 25. Quality of Work Life – QWL 26. Conformity Issue 27. Job Enrichment 28. Undue Control.
Causes of Organizational Conflict – Competition for Scarce Resources, Time Pressure, Communications Breakdowns, Personality Clashes and a Few Other Causes
There are many potential sources of conflict.
Some of them are discussed below:
1. Competition for Scarce Resources:
In an organization, anything of value (funds, personnel and valuable information) can be a competitively sought – after resource. When competition for scarce resources becomes destructive, conflict can be avoided by increasing the resource base. For example more personnel can be hired when they are to avoid shortages in the future.
2. Time Pressure:
Time pressure, like deadlines, can increase the performance of an individual or reduce the performance by triggering destructive emotional reactions. Hence, while imposing deadlines, managers must understand and consider an individual’s capacity and ability to meet the set targets.
3. Unreasonable Standards, Policies, Rules or Procedures:
When policies, standards, rules, or procedures are unreasonable and unattainable, they lead to dysfunctional conflicts between managers and sub-ordinates. Therefore, managers must frame sound policies, rules and procedures and correct those policies and procedures that do not help employees achieve organizational objectives.
4. Communications Breakdowns:
Communication is a complex process. Barriers to communication often provoke conflict. When two-way communication is hampered, it is easy to misunderstand another person or group. Such misunderstandings have a negative impact on employee performance.
5. Personality Clashes:
People have different values and different perceptions of issues. A production manager, for instance, may be of the opinion that streamlining the products line and concentrating on a few products can make the organization more productive, while a sales manager may desire a broad product line that will satisfy diverse customer demands.
An engineer may like to design the best product regardless of market demand or cost considerations. It is very difficult to change one’s personality on the job. The practical remedy for serious personality clashes is to separate the antagonistic parties by reassigning one or both to a new job. Showing genuine concern for the ideas, feelings and values of sub-ordinates helps minimize such conflicts.
6. Ambiguous or Overlapping Jurisdictions:
When job boundaries are not clear, they often create competition for resources and control. A clarification of job boundaries and jurisdictions of various managers helps in preventing conflicts from turning into serious problems.
7. Unrealized Expectations:
When expectations are not met, employees feel dissatisfied. Unrealistic expectations can also result in destructive conflict. Open and frank communication with employees can help make people knowledgeable about what they can expect from their organization.
Conflicts can arise from other sources as well. For example, a superior’s autocratic leadership style may cause conflicts. Differing educational backgrounds of employees may also lead to conflict.
Ans3 Organizational Culture: Definition, Characteristics, Roles, Types
Organizational culture is quite complex. Every company has its unique personality, just like people do. The unique personality of an organization is referred to as its culture.
In groups of people who work together, organizational culture is an invisible but powerful force that influences the behavior of the members of that group.
There seems to be wide agreement that organizational culture refers to a shared meaning shared by members that distinguish the organization from other organizations.
Organizational culture is a system of shared assumptions, values, and beliefs, which govern how people behave in organizations. Organizational culture includes an organization’s expectations, experiences, philosophy, and values that hold it together and is expressed in its self-image, inner workings, interactions with the outside world, and future expectations.
It is based on shared attitudes, beliefs, customs, and written and unwritten rules that have been developed over time and are considered valid.
These shared values strongly influence the people in the organization and dictate how they dress, act, and perform their jobs.
Every organization develops and maintains a unique culture, which provides guidelines and boundaries for the behavior of the members of the organization.
Organizational culture/corporate culture includes-
The ways the organization conducts its business, treats its employees, customers, and the wider community,
The extent to which freedom is allowed in decision making, developing new ideas, and personal expression,
How power and information flow through its hierarchy, and
How committed employees are towards collective objectives.
Many Scholars have given the definition of organizational culture. Some of the popular definitions are given below:
According to Robbie Katanga, “Organizational Culture is how organizations do things.”
According to Alec Haverstick, “In large part, Organizational culture is a product of compensation.”
According to Bruce Perron, “Organizational culture defines a jointly shared description of an organization from within.”
According to Richard Perrin, “Organizational culture is the sum of values and rituals that serve as a glue to integrate the organization’s members.”
According to Alan Adler, “Organizational culture is civilization in the workplace.”
According to Elizabeth Skringar, “Organizational culture is shaped by the main culture of the society we live in, albeit with greater emphasis on particular parts of it.”
According to Abdi Osman Jama, “An organization is a living culture that can adapt to the reality 4s fast as possible.”
Organizational culture affects the organization’s productivity and performance and provides guidelines on customer care and service, product quality and safety, attendance and punctuality, and concern for the environment.
It also extends to production methods, marketing and advertising practices, and new product creation.
Organizational culture is unique for every organization and one of the hardest things to change. Corporate culture reflects the values, beliefs, and attitudes that permeate a business.
Corporate culture is often referred to as “the character of an organization,” representing the collective behavior of people using common corporate vision, goals, shared values, attitudes, habits, working language, systems, and symbols.
Corporate culture is interwoven with processes, technologies, learning, and significant events. It is a total sum of the values, customs, traditions, and meanings that make a company unique.
Characteristics of Organizational Culture
As individuals come into contact with organizations, they come into contact with dress norms, stories people tell about what goes on, the organization’s formal rules and procedures, its formal codes of behavior, rituals, tasks, pay systems, jargon, and jokes only understood by insiders and so on.
Organizational culture is composed of seven characteristics that range in priority from high to low. Every organization has a distinct value for each of these characteristics.
Members of organizations make judgments on the value their organization places on these characteristics and then adjust their behavior to match this perceived set of values.
Characteristics of organizational culture are;
Innovation (Risk Orientation).
Attention to Detail (Precision Orientation).
Emphasis on Outcome (Achievement Orientation).
Emphasis on People (Fairness Orientation).
Teamwork (Collaboration Orientation).
Aggressiveness (Competitive Orientation).
Stability (Rule Orientation).
Let’s examine each of these seven characteristics.
Innovation (Risk Orientation)
Companies with cultures that place a high value on innovation encourage their employees to take risks and innovate in the performance of their jobs.
Companies with cultures that place a low value on innovation expect their employees to do their jobs the same way they have been trained, without looking for ways to improve their performance.
Attention to Detail (Precision Orientation)
This characteristic of organizational culture dictates the degree to which employees are expected to be accurate in their work.
A culture that places a high value on attention to detail expects its employees to perform their work with precision, and a culture that places a low value on this characteristic does not.
Emphasis on Outcome (Achievement Orientation)
Companies that focus on results but not on how the results are achieved emphasize this value of organizational culture.
A company that instructs its sales force to do whatever it takes to get sales orders has a culture that places a high value on the emphasis on outcome characteristics.
Emphasis on People (Fairness Orientation)
Companies that place a high value on this characteristic of organizational culture place great importance on how their decisions will affect the people in their organizations.
For these companies, it is important to treat their employees with respect and dignity.’
Teamwork (Collaboration Orientation)
Companies that organize work activities around teams instead of individuals place a high value on this characteristic of the organizational culture.
People who work for these types of companies tend to have a positive relationship with their coworkers and managers.
Aggressiveness (Competitive Orientation)
This characteristic of organizational culture dictates whether group members are expected to be assertive or easygoing when dealing with companies they compete with within the marketplace.
Companies with an aggressive culture place a high value on competitiveness and outperform the competition at all costs.
Stability (Rule Orientation)
A company whose culture places a high value on stability is rule-oriented, predictable, and bureaucratic in nature. These types of companies typically provide consistent and predictable levels of output and operate best in non-changing market conditions.
These are the seven characteristics that are common in the context of organizational culture.
Of course, it is true that the characteristics are not the same in all times and spheres.
Roles of Organizational Culture
Culture plays an important role in organizations. Some organizations that developed a strong corporate culture increased their goodwill and got a good position in the market.
The various roles of organizational culture are given below:
Culture unites (brings together) employees by providing a sense of identity with the organization.
An informal control mechanism.
Facilitation of open communication.
Culture enables organizations to differentiate themselves from one another.
Culture often generates commitment, superseding personal interests.
Culture sets organization norms, rules, and standards. Thereby, culture enables employees to function in an organization, by teaching them how to behave.
A shared understanding.
Culture becomes especially important in a program/project-based organization. In such an organization, the hierarchy is flat and decision-making is moved to the project/program purpose units and departments. In this context, culture provides the guiding light towards the achievement of goals and objectives.
Enhanced mutual trust and cooperation.
Fewer disagreements and more efficient decision-making processes.
A strong sense of identification.
Assisting employees in making sense of their behaviors by providing justification for behaviors.
Ans 1 What is Group Cohesion?
Many people wonder what the team cohesion means. Group cohesiveness/Team Cohesiveness also known as Social cohesion is a degree of unity of any group. Team cohesiveness is a degree to which group members are attracted or motivated by each other. Basically, group cohesiveness is the closeness amongst the group members. It is seen that members of a highly cohesive group develop some common characteristics:
Everyone respects each other.
They are fully committed to the decision made by the group.
There is good accountability amongst members.
These are some of the positive impacts of team cohesiveness that increases the overall performance of any group. Organizations consider employees as an asset because the organization is dependent on the people working there. As more and more people are involved in the complex functioning of the company, an organization faces the problem of group cohesiveness and its impact on the overall productivity of the organization as well as the in-office harmony.
If the company wants to achieve the organizational goals it is important that managers encourage all the employees to bond with their team members so that the complete team can work together towards achieving the goal. It is very important that there is a healthy conversation and relation between the team members to work efficiently. Instead of focusing on the competition, it is important that people focus on achieving the goals so that there is no unnecessary tension between the groups.
Features of Group Cohesion
Above we had defined group cohesion, Here we will talk about the features of the group cohesiveness. Group cohesiveness is the most important factor to achieve any goal in the organization. To achieve high group cohesion it is important that groups have these features to attain the organizational goals. Managers will have to check these features before forming the group to assure there is high cohesion. Here are some of the features of group cohesiveness:
The cohesive group have fewer members.
Members of the cohesive teams are of similar interests or backgrounds.
It has a high degree of status within organizations.
Members are accessible to each other to maintain easy communication.
Each cohesive team is physically remote from other groups in the organization.
Cooperative behavior is rewarded regularly.
Cohesive groups have a history of past success.
Importance of Group Cohesiveness
When we talk about any organization it is important that there is team cohesion to achieve the goal. Here are the importance of group cohesiveness:
Performance: If there is great bonding amongst the group then the performance of the group will become better. If management wants good performance it should encourage its employees towards group cohesion.
Satisfaction: When there is group cohesion the performance will increase and hence it will bring satisfaction to the employees and they will work harder to achieve the goal.
Assurance Pressure: When we talk about group cohesiveness characters and the behavior is the most important factor. When there is a great bonding between the group then it is assured that surely the task will be completed.
Emotional Factors: When people work together and have strong bonding people feel emotionally attached and hence people will work with each other in harmony and achieve the goal together.
Ans 2 Definition of Group
A group is an assemblage of persons who work, interact and cooperate with one another in achieving a common goal in a specified time. The identity of the group members is taken individually. The members share information and resources with other group members.
In an organisation, the groups are made on the basis of common interests, beliefs, experience in common fields and principles, so that they can easily coordinate with each other. There are two kinds of groups:
Formal Group: These groups are created by the management of the organisation for performing a specific task.
Informal Group: The formation of these groups is done naturally in an organisation, to satisfy the social or psychological human needs.
For example: Ethnic groups, trade unions, friendship circles, airline flight crew, etc.
Definition of Team
A group of people who are joined for achieving a common goal within a stipulated period, having collective accountability is known as the team. The agenda of the team is “one for all and all for one”. Apart from sharing information, the team members also share the responsibility of the team task. The team is always responsible for the outcome (i.e. Result of the collective efforts of the team members).
The team members have a mutual understanding with other members. They work jointly to maximise the strengths and minimise the weakness by complementing each other. The most important feature of a team is “synergy” i.e. the team can achieve much more as the members can achieve individually. The three key features of team functioning are:
Cohesion
Confrontation
Collaboration
For example: Cricket team, team for accomplishing a project, team of doctors, management team etc.
Difference between Work Groups and Work Teams: 8 Differences
This article will help you to differentiate between work groups and work teams.
Work Groups:
1. The basic purpose of a work group is to interact primarily to share information.
2. The performance of a work group is merely the summation of each group member’s individual contribution. There is no positive synergy.
3. Every work group must have strong and clearly focused leaders.
4. In the work group, the members are individually accountable.
5. The basic objective of work groups is the attainment of the goals of the organisation.
6. The work group has formal and efficient meetings.
7. The effectiveness of the work group is measured indirectly For example, if the overall financial performance of the business is good, it will be presumed that the groups have also effectively contributed to the performance.
8. The functioning of the work group is that it discusses, decides and delegates.
Work Teams:
1. The basic purpose of a work team is collective performance.
2. A work team generates positive synergy through coordinated effort. The level of performance of a team is greater than the sum of individual inputs.
3. The teams do not have a clearly focused leader, they it has shared leadership roles.
4. In a team, there is both individual and mutual accountability
5. The teams have their own specific objectives that the teams themselves deliver.
6. The team, generally encourages open ended active problem solving meetings
7. The effectiveness of the teams is directly measured by the teams by assessing the collective work products.
8. The functioning of the team is that it discusses, decides and does real work.
The above distinction clearly explains that the teams go beyond the work groups, which are traditionally framed, by having a collective, positive synergistic effect.
Ans 3 Top 6 Ways to Team Building Success
1. Clearly define goals, roles and responsibilities
When we all know our place, it is easier to contribute to the shared goals of the team. To get your team to become a more cohesive unit, it is important to communicate not only the reason the team is in place, but also to clearly define what roles each team member plays in the bigger picture.
2. Be a cheerleader
Motivating a team is often a difficult task. Why? Because you must first build interdependence, respect and trust. When you take the time to listen to your team, such as through group brainstorming, you show them that their opinions and knowledge are important to the group as a whole and the end goal. When you take the time to build up your team through encouragement and celebrating accomplishments, you build self-esteem and loyalty.
3. Build the team you need
When you invest in your team members, your team members become invested as well. How is this accomplished? Through teaching leadership skills and providing leadership opportunities. Mentor and give support. Provide training in areas where your team members need development. Leadership is a skill, and there is always room for improvement.
4. Build a community
The community works as a whole to accomplish more than either could alone; toward a shared vision or goal. Establish the community rules or code of conduct. Encourage team members to participate in the community building process. A community is like a well-oiled machine. Each team member has a place and a function that contributes to the united whole. When the going gets tough, you will be glad you created a community.
5. Become a mediator not a judge
People matter and finding a middle ground during conflict will help your team weather any storm. Rather than focusing solely on decision making, create a plan that encourages and respects the diversity of the members and their opinions, views or ideas. Clearly define a plan that encourages and respects the diversity of the members and their opinions, views or ideas. Conflicts are inevitable. How you manage these conflicts will define your success or lack thereof.
6. Celebrate Success
Never underestimate the influence of positive reinforcement in good measure. Praising a job well done not only makes your staff feel valued and recognized but also motivated to succeed. Honor those who go above and beyond through award celebrations or certificates. Plan workplace festivities when team goals are met. These special gatherings promote peer-to-peer praise and boost company morale. Celebrating accomplishments is one of the most meaningful and motivating ways to say thank you.
Ans 4 What is Conflict Management?
Conflict management is the practice of being able to identify and handle conflicts sensibly, fairly, and efficiently. It is the process of dealing with (perceived) incompatibilities or disagreements arising from, for example, diverging opinions, objectives, and needs.
Since conflicts in a business are a natural part of the workplace, it is important that there are people who understand conflicts and know how to resolve them. This is important in today's market more than ever. Everyone is striving to show how valuable they are to the company they work for and at times, this can lead to disputes with other members of the team.
What are the common conflict management styles?
1. Collaborating:
This conflict management style produces the best long-term results, but it is frequently the most difficult and time-consuming to achieve.The needs and desires of each party are considered, and a win-win solution is found so that everyone is satisfied.
This frequently entails all parties sitting down together, discussing the conflict, and negotiating a solution together. The collaborating conflict management style is used when it is critical to maintain all parties' relationships or when the solution itself will have a significant impact.
2. Competing:
The competing conflict management style rejects compromise and does not give in to the opinions or desires of others. One party is adamant about how they believe a situation should be handled and will not back down until they get their way.
This can be in situations where morals require a specific course of action, when there isn't time to try a different solution, or when an unpopular decision must be made. It can quickly resolve disputes, but it has a high risk of lowering morale and productivity.
3. Avoiding:
This conflict management style seeks to reduce conflict by ignoring it, removing the conflicting parties, or evading it in some way. Team members who are in disagreement can be removed from the project, deadlines pushed, or people reassigned to other departments.
If a cool-down period would be beneficial or if you need more time to consider your stance on the conflict itself, this can be an effective conflict resolution style. However, avoidance should not be used in place of proper conflict resolution; putting off conflict indefinitely can and will lead to more (and larger) conflicts down the road.
4. Accommodating:
The accommodating conflict management style is all about putting the needs of the other party ahead of one's own. You let them 'win' and have their way. Accommodation is used when you don't care as much about the issue as the other person, if prolonging the conflict isn't worth your time, or if you believe you're wrong.
This option is about keeping the peace, not putting in more effort than is necessary, and knowing when to pick your battles. While it may appear to be a weak option, accommodation can be the best way to resolve a minor conflict and move on to more important issues. This style is highly cooperative on the resolver's part, but it can lead to resentment.
5. Compromising:
This conflict management style seeks a middle ground by asking both parties to give up some aspects of their desires in order to reach an agreement. This style is sometimes referred to as "lose-lose," because both parties will have to give up a few things in order to reach an agreement on the larger issue.
When there is a time constraint or when a solution simply needs to happen rather than be perfect, this is used. Compromise can breed resentment, especially when used excessively as a conflict resolution tactic, so use it sparingly.
Ans 1 WHAT IS SCRIPT ANALYSIS?
Basically, script analysis is exactly what it sounds like. The actors either go through the script individually or together with the director or writer, analyzing it in some detail. This helps them determine what each scene entails, as well as what the type of actions are appropriate and which emotions need to be conveyed.
In order to play the part accurately, the actors need to know what their character’s motivations are. Why are they behaving this way? Why do they say each line at a specific time? What’s the meaning behind it? By analyzing the script, they can determine exactly who their character is and understand them fully, allowing them to play the character more authentically.
Ans 2 Stroking is a positive or a negative effect of communication on any individual. Communication is an exchange or sharing of information. Each communication leaves either a positive or a negative impact on the individual.
Appreciating comments, pat on the shoulder are some of the example of positive stroke. These communications leaves positive impact on the individual whereas hateful words, scolding are the example of negative strokes.
Ans 3 Transactional Analysis
Definition: The Transactional Analysis refers to the psychoanalytic process wherein the interpersonal behaviors are studied. In other words, a social psychological model that talks about the personal growth and personal change, i.e., identifying the ego states of each individual to understand their behaviors and altering them to solve the emotional problems.
Ans 4 What is cultural diversity?
Cultural diversity is about appreciating that society is made up of many different groups with different interests, skills, talents and needs. It also means that you recognise that people in society can have differing religious beliefs and sexual orientations to you.
Ans5 Organizational Politics: – Organizational politics are informal, unofficial, and sometimes behind efforts to sell ideas, influence an organization, increase power, or achieve other targeted objectives. Political behavior in organizations involves many activities such as spreading rumors, leaking confidant information, favoring others in the organization for mutual benefit. Organizational Politics is self-serving behavior not approved by the organization.
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