Introduction
By definition, groups are either two or more individuals that are interdependent and interacting to achieve a given objective. Groups in work situations are either formal or informal. The designation of a formal group is a workgroup, which is based on a hierarchical structure that has designated tasks relating to its function, At the workplace, it might be the human resources group or the finance group. Other examples of the formal groups may comprise other sections of the departments like the accounts receivable accounting department, the special project task forces and the committees (Black et al., 2019). The formal groups are part of the management set up which could be either permanent or temporary to accomplish prescribed tasks. When the group is permanent it is normally called a functional or a command group such as a sales department in an organization. On the other hand, when it is relatively temporary it is called a task group, which means they are set for a given purpose such as a corporate-sponsored task force for the improvement of affirmative actions. Informal work groups in work situations comprise the groups that naturally evolve out of individual and collective self-interest among the organizational members and not as a result of the deliberate design of the organization. Joining informal groups in work situations may result from social needs, common interests, or simply friendship. Examples of these groups may include people that one likes to hang around, networks of minority managers or working women. This paper further looks at workgroups as it addresses the subject of group relations in detail.
Role of Workgroup Norms in Work Situations
People join workgroups due to various reasons, which include career development, economic self-interest, developing self-esteem, physical proximity, social need and security. Joining workgroups can be helpful among the workers in helping them to grow in terms of self-development and career (Black et al., 2019). The workgroups can help enable a person to learn better various aspects and skills of their working life for their current job and their future aspirations while they develop themselves. On the other hand, workgroups secure a person through protection from external threats such as being fired from work, intimidation from the place of work or even the anxiety of being alone. When it comes to social needs in workgroups, emphasize motivational interaction to develop meaningful relationships (Super, 2020). People are social creatures and the workgroups create a platform where they can be able to pursue friendships. On the other hand, the group’s membership enables people to develop their self-esteem by taking pride in being associated with a prestigious group such as salespeople qualifying for a million-dollar club for a good sales performance(Black et al., 2019). In economic self-interest workgroups, people mostly associate themselves with the groups to pursue their interests economically .for instance a good example is the labor unions like the American Bar association which attempts to limit the supply of professionals or tradespeople to maintain salaries and employment.
Influence of groups conformity and deviance in work situations.
Workplace groups influence and enhance conformity due to the feature of physical presence that portrays the characteristics of attachment and ownership. In a group norm, conformity is believed to occur by at least three factors, which include personality, initial stimulus and group influences (Pessagno, 2020). Personality in this can be negative correlations, which can occur between being intelligent and strong, or in the case of authoritarianism that could be positively related. On the other hand, stimulus evokes responses, which influence conformity. In a workplace that observes values, fairness and integrity its members motivate conformity (Black et al., 2019). Deviance can also influence work situations where members are absent in a group and associated with some features of the group like belief, culture and purpose among other different factors. When a member of the group seems to be deviant, all communication tends to be directed to the person to try and bring him to the group norms or else he gets isolated. In a workplace that has questionable actions and issues its members are discouraged leading to deviance.
Importance of knowledge of role relationships for managers
The knowledge of the role relationships play is an important factor for managers to enable them in drafting a strategy for building effective teams. By knowing the role of relationships, managers can be able to consider the aspects of responsibility and integrity to impact the attainment of positive organizational results in terms of accomplishing productivity and work accomplishment (Black et al., 2019). The aim of status differentiating enhances the development and achieving the appropriate culture in the workplace in terms of accountability during challenging situations, performing work functions, and addressing performance reports. Using the knowledge of the role of relationships the managers can create alignment of workgroups, especially during emerging challenges that pose a threat to the management of organizational routines and the employees.
Determinants of group cohesiveness, and the Impact on group behavior
The factors that determine group cohesiveness includes group homogeneity, maturity, group size, clarity of the group goals, competition against external threat and success. When it comes to homogeneity, the more homogenous the group is, the more the members of the group share similar features as well as backgrounds and hence the greater the cohesiveness. On the other hand, group maturity creates cohesion as people grow at the workplace over a long time and develop a close bond via shared experiences. The size of the group also creates an easier time for developing cohesiveness and this creates less complex interpersonal patterns for interaction. Additionally, group goals influence cohesiveness and achievement of group goals by having a sense of mission and absence of conflicts. The impact of cohesion amid a competition is the safety in numbers while group success facilitates increased cohesiveness and the feeling of having done something together as a group.
Improvement of intergroup relations and performance among Managers
Managers can improve intergroup performance and relations in different ways. First, they can include rules and procedures that govern the interaction of parties within the work environment and link the responsibilities and roles of the members to work setting coordination. Some of the roles that the managers would play include being entitled to overseeing the coordination of the activities among the parties in the work environment. In addition, the managers can form task forces together to solve issues and work on the same course by creating social bonds between organizational departments (Pessagno, 2020). Based on experience, whenever there has been a shortage or low productivity in my organization the managers establish a call for input from the staff members from various departments including the marketing team, production team, and transportation team to find a lasting solution. The organization can also seek team members’ input in addressing issues in the organization that could be resulting in poor performance such as poor time management and strategies.
Conclusion
In conclusion, focusing on group relations is an important aspect of the achievement of organizational goals and overcoming the challenges in the work environment. As addressed in this paper, working together as a team facilitates career development, increased cohesion and improvement in the staff roles as well as improvement in time management and work performance.
References
Black, J. S., Gardner, D. G., Pierce, J. L., Steers, R. M., & OpenStax ,. (2019). Organizational behavior. Retrieved from https://openstax.org/books/organizational-behavior/pages/9-2-work-group-structure
Pessagno, R. (2020). Group Therapy: Stages of Group Development. Case Study Approach to Psychotherapy for Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses, 95. DOI: 10.1891/9780826195043.0006
Super, J. F. (2020). Building innovative teams: Leadership strategies across the various stages of team development. Business Horizons, 63(4), 553-563.DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2020.04.001
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