Group Organisation and Dynamics

Group Assignment
This report contains five scenarios and each scenario has five alternative courses of action. Based on our understanding of inter-personal issues, group dynamics, politics and conflict management, alternate courses of action have been chosen and analyzed. This is followed by a Process Note on the group s dynamics which capture the norms, group working, roles played (as per Belbin Team roles) observed in the group for the completion of the assignment. E004, E014, E020, E000, E000, E000 11/21/2011

Group Organisation and Dynamics

SCENARIO 1
Alternative 4 Most Suitable
In the given scenario, it is best advised to work with the HR Department to see possibilities of finding a common ground and accordingly arranging for a training suited to your needs. This is because the HR department and the marketing department are integral parts of the organization and if they dont work cohesively the entire purpose will be defeated. In this scenario, there is process conflict as per the interactionalist view of conflict. It is good to an extent because once this conflict is resolved, it gives a clearer idea of who does what work and how it has to be done. The following conflict resolution techniques can be adopted to reduce the friction between the Marketing and the HR departments in this scenario: 1) Problem solving: Face-to-face meeting of the conflicting parties for the purpose of identifying the problem and resolving it through open discussion. 2) Super-ordinate goals: Creating a shared goal that cannot be attained without the cooperation of each of the conflicting parties, viz. the Marketing and the HR departments. 3) Smoothing: Playing down differences while emphasizing common interests between the conflicting parties. The following conflict stimulation technique can also be used in this situation: Restructuring the organization: Realigning work groups, altering rules and regulations, increasing interdependence, and making similar structural changes to disrupt the status quo. The most effective method of conflict resolution is negotiation through integrative bargaining which operates under the assumption that there are one or more settlements that can create a win/win solution. By adopting the collaborating approach to handle this conflict, there is cooperation and a search for a mutually beneficial outcome.

Why not other alternatives?

Alternative 1 You follow the direction by the HR Department and depute the team members to suitable available trainings provided it makes special arrangement for all the executives to come together for the training. This is not desirable since the elementary level of programmes of the company cannot serve the purpose of the training you have envisioned. Secondly, the generalized programmes cannot take care of the special needs of your group. Even though special arrangements will be made for all the executives to come together for the training, this will not foster strong interpersonal and team skills due to lack of informal communication.

Group Organisation and Dynamics

The compromising approach to handle this conflict provides incomplete satisfaction to both the departments concerns. Alternative 2 You lobby with the head of marketing and try to put pressure on the HR Department to realise the importance of this training given the fact that the importance of marketing department is much higher than some rules frames by HR. This is not desirable since this leads to relationship conflict, as per the interactionist view of conflict, between the Marketing and the HR heads. Relationship conflicts are almost always dysfunctional. The friction and interpersonal hostilities inherent in relationship conflicts increase personality clashes and decrease mutual understanding, which hinders the completion of organizational tasks. Alternative 3 You withdraw and focus on other things. This is not desirable since the core focus here is on avoiding - the marketing manager recognizes that a conflict exists with the HR head and wants to withdraw from it or suppress it. This falls within the unassertive and uncooperative grid of the conflict-handling matrix. This would be detrimental to the functioning of the entire organization since the marketing department is an integral part and with a sales force of around 100, which includes the sales executives, senior sales executives and sales managers for various territories in the region, it is crucial to ensure effective training and development of your executives. But there is a lack of good coordination and team spirit, leading to conflicts and lack of collective effort. Hence, it is important to bring all the managers to the same level of communication and interaction skills on priority so that there would be no hindrance to the effective functioning of the marketing department. Alternative 5 You accept the contention of the HR department but at the same time demand that it makes sure that the trainings are organized soon despite the existing calendar of events. This is again not desirable since an equal focus has to be given to all the core processes in the organization. The trainings will have to be organized taking into consideration the existing calendar of events. Here the focus would be on competing which represents the uncooperative and assertive grid of the conflict-handling matrix. This occurs when the Marketing head seeks to satisfy his self-interests, regardless of the impact on the other departments, viz. the HR department, to the conflict. In order to effectively handle the conflict, the Marketing head should move towards greater assertiveness and cooperativeness.

Group Organisation and Dynamics

Dimensions of Conflict-Handling Intentions

Competing Alternative 5 Compromising Alternative 1 Avoiding Alternative 3

Collaborating Alternative 4

Accomodating

SCENARIO 2
Alternative 4 Most Suitable
The major challenge faced by the works manager here is the burden of recruiting additional workers and a possible dilution of quality. This is an auto industry plant set up which is based on cutting edge technology and sets very high standards of quality. The industry stands in a region where there is pressure on the employers to recruit a large number of people from the surrounding areas to keep up the governments promise of creating jobs for locals. The works manager also has to focus on reduction of costs and improvement of productivity. Both these aspects would be gravely affected if the industry hires a large batch of new workers. These new workers would have to be recruited from the nearby regions and the standards that the company expects in terms of skilled labour may not be maintained as finding a large number of skilled labours in a small region would be a challenging task. There are two issues faced by the works manager here. He needs to maintain the industry benchmarks and at the same time he has to placate the politicians. Thus we see the existence of a two types of conflicts, namely task conflict and process conflict.

Group Organisation and Dynamics

Task Conflict is the conflict which arises over the content and goals of the work. The works manager wants to stick to a small team of people to maintain optimum levels of quality and output at the plant where as the directive from the government is to have a large number of people in the organization. Process Conflict is the conflict arising over how the work gets done. In the recruitment scenario the works manager would certainly love to recruit only a handful number skilled workers to fill the gaps in his current staff with no geographical limitation on the recruitment process. But following a government directive he would have to recruit a large number of workers from only the surrounding areas where there could possibly be a dearth of skilled workers. (I think what I have written here is wrong please check)

Here we the influence of the government over the behaviour of the industry exhibiting the existence of the power or capacity of the government. The function of dependency is invoked due to this power. The dependency could be due to various reasons such as licenses, permissions, taxes etc. This is a kind of formal power exerted by the government which comes from position of authority. The importance of the government in the scenario has created a dependency on the part of the industry. A problem which can arise with the large number of new recruits is the group size. It is known that the smaller groups are better in functionality and productivity than larger groups. Also, there could be a tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working collectively that working individually, when in a large group and this phenomenon is known as social loafing. Another issue arising here would be the fact that a large number of new recruits would mean a lesser level of cohesiveness and hence lower productivity.

Alternative
Keeping all these factors in mind the best alternative would be to suggest the GM to hold a meeting with the senior bureaucrats in the labour/industry ministries of the state government where you suggest support for training and development of youth and employment generation activities though your CSR department at the HQ The company, being in the auto industry is such that it cant compromise on quality which may be affected with the addition of a substantial number of unskilled workers. At such a juncture, while simultaneously facing pressure from the government the best option would be to engage in CSR activities to create a win-win situation for both, the company and the locals of the region. The initiative to conduct training and development programs for the youth of the region would be ideal at this moment. The company would be engaging with a large number of locals and the training provided to the youth would ensure that the time these youth are absorbed by the company they would have the necessary skills to accomplish the tasks of the firm productively. The employment generation activities through nurturing of raw talent would be keeping the long term perspective of the company in mind and thus would be the best at that instant.

Group Organisation and Dynamics

Scenario 3
As a manager I respect the talent he possesses and it is a team effort which needs different skills and in this particular context when we have a very limited time period it would be very difficult for us to find some other person of the same caliber. Accepting the fact that he is not going to work and starting to work on our own wont be a good option because no one player is the best at everything and winning games requires each player to understand their specific role, the roles other play , and how it together needs to fit together to work. Confronting him and making sure the management comes to know of his callous attitude is not the right approach at this time because at this juncture more important is the delivery of the project on time. Management has hired me to deal with these kinds of problems that is why I am paid more than these guys. It becomes my duty to deal with these problems and it should be the last resort to involve the management. The best option here would be requesting the concerned team member to work a bit faster and in turn promising that he would be helped in developing the report with the support of others. Presently project completion is of highest importance and also to retain him as he is a talented employee. First step would be to interact with him and try to find out if there are any problems he is facing in the company or at personal level. I would make him understand how important is his role and how crucial is his performance for the completion of the entire project. Here I as a manger must step back from hierarchy, bureaucracy, and formalization, and actually see what he is interested in. As a manager I have to develop and grow people into new strengths and abilities that will always get more out of the team. Secondly one thing to be kept in mind is that stars need to shine and as a manager and it would be my duty to establish people on my team as it is a great thing for a manager to be seen helping new stars rise. As he is one of the most meticulous persons, his ideas should be welcomed because it is always good to have ideas in abundance. This would instill confidence in him and he would feel more responsible towards the project. That would be the best time to take ideas from him how to go about the project so he admits to himself that there is no external reason for him not working diligently. If not applied carefully, this approach can backfire. The burden will be on me as a manager to make the conversation open and positive and allow him to participate and not dominate. This approach would be more of an integrative bargaining which would create a win/win situation for both of us. It would be better than distributive bargaining which leaves one party as a loser.

Group Organisation and Dynamics

SCENARIO 4
Alternative 4
You suggest the revamping of the flow of business in a way that peons do not have to do much running around. It is most feasible to change the flow of the business to increase team effectiveness. The effectiveness of a team depends upon composition, which must be decided to suit the requirement of the organization as a whole. It is very important to understand the composition of the team according to the ability of the members, personality of the team players, roles allocated for distribution of work, diversity in the team, size of the team with respect to the work load and preferences in the work flow. If this condition can be eliminated by suitably designing the preferences of the working module and the work process, it would be the best method of team work optimization. The method is suitably a showcase of reflexivity of the team, which determines the characteristics of reflectivity and adjustment of plans to suit the teams requirement. This course of action is best for teams of all types, and must be a necessity for teams which are cross functional, as such teams need to work in coordination with each other and exhibit greater unification in goal achievement.

Alternative 1
You ask the branch manager to either allot you an exclusive peon or let someone else take the position of manager personal banking, since it is impacting on your image, which is of a successful manager who has generated a lot of individual level business for the branch. This is the next viable option, since it is very important to communicate any kind of situation that needs to be looked upon. This course of action mainly puts forward an upward communication method, which means to engage the higher members of the hierarchy. As stated, the present condition jeopardizes the organizations relation with the clients and also my reputation as a successful manager. Thus, it is important to mark the criticality of the situation and demand some action on it. If the present conditions require a larger team size for the support staff, it must be brought to notice to maintain the work efficiency and team performance. Also, it is necessary for ones personal job satisfaction that the needs of the job are being catered to. If being a part of such a team lowers your work and thus the organizations, it is better to change to a job which suits you more. Being an individual level business generator for the branch, if the present team requires a more complacent manager, it is apt for me to reconsider the assignment.

Alternative 2
You give up the position on your own and ask for reassignment. Job satisfaction is a prime driver of productivity of an employee for oneself and the organization. Job satisfaction forms from a positive feeling about ones job resulting from an evaluation of its

Group Organisation and Dynamics

characteristics. The present team and situation result in lowering of satisfaction due to inefficiency, inadequate supply of services and ignorance of the importance of the issue. Here we talk about perceived organization support (POS), which is the degree to which I believe my organization values my contribution and cares about my well-being. If I feel I am not satisfied with the job, and feel there is not much of a scope for alternate solutions from the organizations side, then it is apt to give up and ask for reassignment. The drawback of this course of action is that the management might consider this as your misfit and the real reasons of the steps are not known.

Alternative 3
You offer special tips to the peon to make him work for you. Although this action may not be considered ethical, but to keep the peons priorities list right, it is important to award him suitably. It can be considered as employee engagement by monetary benefits, which is similar to the increment of salaries/payment of bonus to employees for retention. If the situation is unavoidable, then to impress the urgency of my work would be of vital importance. The peon would thus be awarded for his work, which might lead to an increase of productivity as well. The drawbacks of this action is that, first, it is not ethical. It would spur a competition amongst the other managers to tip the peon for ones own work. Also such action will increase the expectation of the peons. According to expectancy theory, the strength of a tendency to act in a certain way depends on the strength of an expectation that the act will be followed by a given outcome to the individual. Here, once the tip/award process is followed, it makes the peons to expect similar action for all other works too.

Alternative 5
You prefer the status quo since you know there is not possible solution. It is the least preferred action in comparison to the other mentioned. This action is usually followed when the situation is completely helpless. Preferring the status quo generally shows lack of organizational and affective commitment of an employee towards the organization. Those who have a belief and emotional attachment towards ones organization tend to make the process better for the benefit of all. Status quo is taken up due to continuance or normative commitment of an employee towards the organization. y y Continuance commitment is due to the perceived economic value of remaining with the present organization and conditions. Normative commitment is due to certain moral or ethical obligations that one would have towards the organization.

Group Organisation and Dynamics

As we understand, both the types of commitments are of short duration and thus, once the commitment base changes, there is bound to be a shift of preferences. Thus, I would consider this as the last resort to be taken, until I find the reason of my commitments not strong enough to hold the situation.

SCENARIO 5
Alternative 4
You ask for permission to use more paper but are ready to concurrently reduce expenditure in other overheads. This is the most viable option. Conflicts are a natural occurrence in an organization. Here the conflict arises out of a decree by management to restrict the use of stationary. However, for this line of business (i.e. design), stationary is a key component of the broader process. What has primarily happened here is the failure of top managers in being responsive to the needs and requirements of the design team. This generally happens when the business is viewed as one and not broken down into different departments when analyzing the costs involved. Taking permission to use more paper while agreeing to cut costs on other expenditures will ensure that the process is not altered, and business moves smoothly. The management can be engaged in a constructive discussion to explain the point of view. It will serve the dual purpose, of reducing cost and continuing business as usual.

Alternative 1
You call for a special meeting of all departments where you intend to share the special demands of your work and get peoples views on the same. There is a very strong correlation between team motivation and performance. Moreover, there is a positive relationship between group motivation and congenial working environment. The situation at hand is an extremely sensitive one. The cost cutting measures have been instituted companywide and a particular department being given a leeway could send wrong signals to the other organization members. Hence, calling for a special meeting of all departments with the intention to share the special demands of your work and get peoples views on the same could be an ineffectual exercise since special treatment to a particular department is not logical. Hence, this is the next best option.

Alternative 5
You accept the decree and accordingly change the process of work which leads to much adjustments and adaptations to be managed. However, successful acceptance of the order depends on the team composition. It is important to understand the team dynamics. The abilities of members, their flexibility, skill level etc are key determinants of the teams ability to adapt to a change in process that might be ushered in wake

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Group Organisation and Dynamics

of the cost cutting measures being instituted. There are no denials that the use paper and stationary are of paramount importance for the design team, but in difficult situations, cohesiveness and innovation play and important function in influencing the employee productivity levels. Most people are resistant to change or are scared to come out of their moulds. Difficult times do ruffle a few feathers. However the key to survival is innovation. Processes can be dissected, tasks split to better understand where efficiency can be improved.

Alternative 3
You continue to work though you feel it is suffering. Off course no individual / team should just follow the decree and not voice its opinion in favor of a rational discussion. Many a times the top management has a thirty thousand feet view of situations. They are not too conversant with the actual ground realities. In such situations it is very critical to engage in a constructive dialogue with the management to make them better understand the situation at hand and try and reach a consensus which is agreeable to both the parties. If the limitations on use of stationary affect the teams capability to quickly assemble, deploy resources or give optimum output, then a discussion with the management is warranted to chalk the alternatives at hand.

Alternative 2
You ask the department to stop observing the design guidelines so that the management realizes that this activity cannot be done in the absence of hard copies. This is the least viable option. Cost cutting is a strategic decision with the top management clearly understanding the wider implications. Asking the department to stop observing the design guidelines so that the management realizes that the activity cannot be done in the absence of hard copies could be a futile step. The idea is to support the managements strategic decisions. No individual or company can work in a silo. A collective effort of various teams is the only mantra for a companys success. By trying to start a mutiny or defy simple orders, without exploring the possibility of conducting business with limited resources will surely not bode down with the top brass. This would be true in any situation. It should be kept in mind that teams are the primary means for organizing work in contemporary business firms. Hence cordial relations among team members and between different teams in an organization are very critical.

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Group Organisation and Dynamics

PROCESS NOTE
The group was formed with six students of the class coming together through consensus to form a team. The agenda or purpose of the group was to discuss and analyze various scenarios that one may encounter in ones professional life and suggest the best alternative solution to the scenario. This can be said to be the forming stage of our group. During the first meeting of the group, each of us was in the phase of understanding the requirements of the assignment and how to deal with it. Each of us gave our inputs as to how to go about it and the timeline that we should follow. This was the norming stage of the group process. We did not really have to go through the storming phase as we already knew each other well enough to be able to cooperate with each other. Certain norms that the group agreed upon were 1. Performance norms: Each member had to understand and contribute to the analysis of each of the scenarios. Listening to each members viewpoint was important and nobody would interrupt any other person. We also agreed upon a deadline which was well before the deadline of the final submission so that each of us could review the work and give the necessary inputs, before the final draft is prepared. 2. Appearance norms: There were no appearance norms as such as the group met on informal occasions. However meeting in the library required lesser discussions as it was perturbing to others present. 3. Resource allocation norms: After discussing the scenarios each team member was assigned a scenario to draft an appropriate answer while the sixth member drafted the process note on the group dynamics. These were to be shared on an agreed upon date for review. Once these norms were agreed upon the group entered its performing phase which consisted of preliminary discussions. This was followed by rough drafts for each of the scenarios and a process note on the group dynamics. It allowed a very thorough insight into the scenarios as well as the group dynamics. Not only did we learn about the various theories of group organization but how do we ourselves perform in a group. Basis this, the team members were assigned the team roles as per Belbin. Anusha Magavi She took a very creative approach to the scenarios at hand giving insights into the various theories that one may apply in order to reach the most optimal solution. Therefore she played the role of a Plant and a Specialist. Prashant Tyagi He continuously challenged the group towards making a perfect contribution towards the assignment by asking each one of us to push beyond what was in the realms of our minds. He was the Shaper of the group.

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Group Organisation and Dynamics

Also he helped avoid any frictions in the group and chose to moderate our discussions, so a role of Team-worker would also be apt. Roopali Saxena She gave a very wide perspective to the problems at hand and discussed them in detail. The questions she posed for getting the solutions were open ended getting each of us to think more and delve deeper into the problem. Also she kept the morale of the team very high. Thus we called her the Resource Investigator of the team. Samriddhi Goel She took up the responsibility of fine tuning the answers and searching out errors and omissions. She was a careful listener in the process of group dynamics and handled the work in a co-operative and a tactful manner. So she can be called Completer/finisher and a Team-worker. Varchas Bansal He initiated the group forming process and coordinated the activities of the team, helping each one mete out the tasks assigned to them. He played a major role in setting the group objectives and performance norms. Therefore his role can said to be one that of a Coordinator and Monitor. Varun Joshi His ability to take up challenges and come up with multiple alternatives to the issue at hand made him the Shaper of the group. His candid suggestions were taken seriously at many instances which helped the group move towards newer perspectives. All the members of the group also played the role of an implementer.