Work Groups and Teams in Organizations

The effectiveness of an organization is determined by the various types of work groups existing within an organization (Lumsden et al., 2009). Groups existing in an organization can be classified into two broad categories which are formal and informal work groups. Formal work groups are installed to play roles that have been determined by the strategic needs of an organization. Formal work groups in an organization include compound groups, task forces, teams and the self-managed work groups. On the other hand, the informal workgroups within an organization emerge naturally due to the need and belief of members to work together. Such informal groups may be in the form of friendship groups or interest groups.

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(b). differentiate between group and a team

The term groups and teams may have been used interchangeably, but there is a slight difference between the two terms. Groups have been identified as the primary building blocks of the most organization. For instance, a person may talk about working in groups to mean working in teams or vice versa CITATION Ste01 \l 1033 (Kozlowski & Bell, 2001). The two may be correct, but it is critical to note that a team brings together individuals who complement each other regarding coordination. On the other hand, a group includes individuals from the same team. Therefore, it can be argued that groups form teams needed to meet specific goals within an organization.

3.2. (a) Why do groups need rules?

According to Kozlowski and Bell (2001), any form of the group in an organization requires rules to enhance the levels of adherence of the groups to the organizational goals. Rules help in checking the behavior of all group members and also help to ensure that the professional requirements are not breached. Rules are important in aligning the roles of the group to the goals of an organization. Rules also provide a platform for evaluating the behavior of general groups or individual group members concerning their set rules.

(b) Importance of group norms in controlling and conforming behaviors

Rules are used to set a minimum requirement or threshold that members are expected to meet CITATION Geo12 \l 1033 (George & Jones, 2012). For instance, rules may bind members to roles and obligation relating to time management, professional interaction, and commitment to an organizational goal, efficient resource use and developmental requirements. Members have to adhere to such rules which turn out to influence the behavior of the group members.

3.3. What did Microsoft do that hurt team productivity to the extent that it had to delay the introduction of VISTA, its newest operating system?

It has been stated that Microsoft had always preferred to organize its engineer in small groups to enhance cooperation that it easy for learning and sharing CITATION Geo12 \l 1033 (George & Jones, 2012). Every team was required to deliver a subset program that formed part of the Windows operating system. The year 2006 has been recognized as the year that the Microsoft Company faced a serious problem during the development of Vista operating system. Delays that had not been predicted by the company ensured that the launching of the final product was delayed by half a year. It has been maintained that the reward system of targeting individuals was one of the major reasons for the mentioned delay. The individual rewarding system has so far been identified as a killer of groups and teams as it places the certain individual in a team as special over others. The general team performance was hurt by the rewarding system which forced the company to bear with a six-month delay from the initial schedule. While it is recommended that teams have team leaders, every team should be rewarded and not individuals within a team.

References

BIBLIOGRAPHY George, J. M., & Jones, G. R. (2012). Understanding and Managing Organizational Behavior. (Sixt edition). Boston: Prentice Hall.

Kozlowski, S. W., & Bell, B. S. (2001). Work Groups and Teams in Organizations. Retrieved February 23, 2017, from Cornell University, ILR School: http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1396&context=articles

Lumsden, G., Lumsden, D., & Wiethoff, C. (2009). Communicating in Groups and Teams: Sharing Leadership. New York: Cengage Learning.