...Groups and Teams Paper MGT/307 May 23, 2011 Paul Porch Groups and Teams Paper When asked to explain the difference between a group and a team, some people have a blank stare in their face because they believe that a group and a team share the same definition. Although the two words do have similar characteristics, their definitions are different. In this paper the subject to explain is the differences between a group and a team, why it is important for workplace diversity in an organization, and how it relates to team dynamics in the workplace. A group is defined as two or more individuals, interacting and interdependent, who have come together to achieve particular objectives (Robbins & Judge, 2009). Groups share information and make decisions to help one another perform within their area of responsibility. Groups can either be informal or formal. Informal groups are natural formations in an organization that interact outside the work environment, such as having coffee or lunch on the regular. These interactions greatly affect each individual’s behavior and performance in the work environment. On the other hand, formal groups in an organization have designated work assignments and established tasks. The behavior of the individual members in formal groups should engage in are stipulated by and directed toward organizational goals. Work groups have no positive synergy; instead it is neutral and sometimes even negative. Work groups do not contribute as much effort and...
Words: 665 - Pages: 3
...Groups and Teams Paper Anita Fields Management 307 Paul Mahajan April 27, 2011 Groups and Teams A team is internally organized with specific goals and usually with specific roles for different members of a team. A group is a collection of people with something in common, such as working in the same place, sharing the same interest, and mutually making decisions deciding what needs be done. The group’s purpose is the same as the organizational mission. All organizations start as a group, but to produce and succeed, a group must form a team. The most important component of joining a team is to have a goal and time to meet the goal. A team compliments each other, encourages open-ended discussion, and active problem-solving meetings. A team also performs directly by assessing collective work products and work together. Behaviors of a team are different from a group. Larger team requires structure and support; smaller teams often have difficulty meeting when members are absent. The formation of a group is often easier than the formation of a team. People are grouped based on age, gender,...
Words: 698 - Pages: 3
...Groups and Teams Paper Ask five people on the street what the difference between a group and a team is and there will likely be five different answers, all of which to a degree are correct. Outside of a business setting, people might have difficulty explaining the differences between the two since they are used interchangeably. Groups In the simplest form, a group is two or more individuals that may or may not be located in the same area. A search of the Oxford English Dictionary (2011) defines a group as “a number of persons or things regarded as forming a unity on account of any kind of mutual or common relation, or classed together on account of a certain degree of similarity” and “An assemblage of persons, animals, or material things, standing near together, so as to form a collective unity; a knot (of people), a cluster (of things). In early use the word often conveys a notion of confused aggregation, which in recent use is not implied”. The types of above-mentioned groups tend to not be chosen. For example a group of people watching a baseball game have not chosen the other members of the group they are in, they simply happen to be at the same place doing the same thing. The same can be said for people who are in a research group for a new drug; they are joined by their circumstances and have not chosen the other members of the group. Just as there are many different types of groups that are extremely basic and unrelated to the workplace...
Words: 788 - Pages: 4
...Groups and Teams Paper Aviva Barron MGT/307 May 10, 2010 Diane Roberts Groups and Teams The use of the terms “team” and “group” are interchangeable in reference to individuals working closely together. The term “group” can mean an aggregation or an assemblage of people or objects with a common location or classification. The term “team” describes a type of group with people who work closely together. Groups and teams seem similar but have factors that separate the two words significantly and have importance when concerning the workplace diversity in an organization as far as the relationship to team dynamics in the workplace. Many differences separate groups from teams. Groups do not work together as closely as teams. Groups do not necessarily require mutual accountability or responsibility as with teams (Schermerhorn, Hunt, & Osborn, 2008). Usually in groups, individuals have something in common such as clubs like Phi Theta Kappa, FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America), and FTA (Future Teachers of America). Teams are usually diverse when forming. Some examples of teams can include the Marine Corp, Army, or swimming team. Take a sport like swimming for instance; each swimmer has a separate task but the goal is still the same. When the time comes to compete in the medley relays the team uses the strongest swimmers in each stroke (freestyle, backstroke, breast stroke, and the butterfly). In teams, individual strengths are complementary to make the...
Words: 637 - Pages: 3
...The differences of groups and teams Team or group, can these words be interchanged and have the same meaning? Are there any differences in what team or group mean? Is it easier to form a group or a team? This paper will discuss the differences between a group and a team and the importance of workplace diversity and how this relates to team dynamics in the workplace. The best definition of a team is from the book Wisdom of Teams. "A team is a small group of people with complementary skills and abilities that are committed to a common goal and approach for which they hold each other accountable” (Katzenbach &Smith 1992). Teams may be difficult to form due to the fact that a team is comprised of members who have skills and abilities that complement the team's purpose. Not all members have the same skills, but together they are greater than the sum of their parts. On teams, members share roles and responsibilities and are constantly developing new skills to improve the teams. An example of a team would be a team that comes to investigate an accident scene. Each person is a member of the team but they each have a job or responsibility to do. One person could be questioning witnesses; another could be photographing the scene. The list of jobs could be endless but a team works together to get the job done. Teams have a diverse array of people who are brought together to work on a project. Working in a team setting it is also found that there is less conflict primarily because people...
Words: 737 - Pages: 3
...Group and Team Paper "A group is described as a collection of people functioning together on a regular basis to reach general purpose. A team is described as collection of people working dynamically together to accomplish a point for which they are all accountable." In order to become a high-performance team, the group needs to work together in ways that use their skills well to accomplish a purpose. DIVERSITY IN TEAMS Benefits of diversity in teams are that it improves team problem-solving and increases productivity; and, offers information and talent. These are assets valuable to teams working on complex and very demanding tasks. A homogeneous team is one in which team members are similar in age, gender, race, experience, ethnicity, and culture. These are benefits in creating a successful team. All members most likely have the same ideals, moral and ethical tendencies, and have similar outside interests. On the other hand, this can hinder a team's performance by limiting viewpoints, outside influences and creativity. A heterogeneous team is one in which members come from different demographic backgrounds, experiences, lifestyles, and cultures. This can be of benefit to the team because it gives a different perspective on problem-solving and increasing creativity. It can also hinder a team's performance if the demographic characteristics conflict with others in a negative way. Members must be willing to work together and make sacrifices. Diversity is usually...
Words: 314 - Pages: 2
...Groups and Teams MGT/307 November 28, 2011 Sarah Babu In our old school days we remember the teacher putting us into teams and groups for assignments. Through the years we have developed higher levels of working together to get any job done. School was basic but although the practice began in the elementary days; it is still used in all levels of school all the way to college years. It has been so proficient in accomplishing tasks that are time limited that is has reached to the environment of the business world. Teams and groups are perceived to meaning the same thing but are actually very different from one another. Team is a number of persons forming one of the sides in a game or contest. Usually a team is more commonly known in the sports industries or in typical children and adolescents afterschool sports. A team stands for unity and people coming together to form a stable collaboration of achieving a certain goal and all being united and willing to strive for it. Ideas are equally combined and acknowledged and everyone is treated equally. In the business world it is used more often because the whole business is considered one big team with the same goal of prospering the company and indulge in its growth. Within teams there are certain participation efforts that are taken more seriously; for example, team meetings are made weekly if not daily to keep everyone on the same pace and page. These are the times where the discussions go on of how to accomplish such goals...
Words: 727 - Pages: 3
...Groups and Teams University of Phoenix- Axia In today’s business society the difference between being a group and a team can determine the success of an organization. Teams play a major role in the success of organizations. Harvard Business School professor asserts that although individuals are important, teams are the central unit of entrepreneurial success (Sahlman, 2007). The fact is that teams and groups are the majority of the world, so that why individuals sometimes seem to be left out. Companies that cannot turn individuals and groups into teams will definitely have a hard time keeping up with their opposition. Groups The fact is that a group is a bunch of individuals who just have not made the decision to become a team. Jennifer Henderson one of the nation's leading organizational development consultants, points out that all organizations start off as a group, but to truly grow and thrive, they eventually must become a team (Klein, 2002). Many individuals forms groups but very few make the transition into becoming a team. Types of groups The three types of groups are: informal, formal, and base. Informal groups are groups of people who spend very little time together but are brought together by a person of authority to either accomplish a goal such as discussion or completion of a project in a short amount of time. Formal groups are groups of people who spend more time together in order for planning to occur as a way to accomplish...
Words: 1089 - Pages: 5
...Group and Teams Even though teams and groups can be confused as one in the same; there are differences between the two. Teams and groups offer certain differences in real world corporate applications. According to Articlesbase, Difference Between a Group and a Team; Strengths of a team can rely on the fact that the members of a team have similarities in the purpose and there is interconnectivity between the individual members. Whereas a group is larger in number and the group’s strength could be assessed from the fact that they need to be willing to execute the commands of a leader. (David, J. 2009). Although teams and groups deliver different things to an organization they are still the comings together of diverse individuals. Organizations spend time focusing on team building. Teams come together to work equally through their own diverse backgrounds in order to work together to deliver success from their organization. Teams continually work together in an organization to meet certain criteria that has been delegated through them within a single organization. Organizations can use team building to help address smaller issues that higher managerial positions can become unaware of. Teams are able to be the voice that bridges the different steps of an organization together. They can do this by using their skills to speak at staff meetings and to have learning clinics for others to become involved. A team offers skills that can be complimentary to one another to achieve...
Words: 732 - Pages: 3
...Groups and Teams Groups and Teams A group is composed of two or more people who influence one another through interaction of a social type. (T.M. Ringer, 2002) This group or any group can be based on anyone or more of an infinite list of factors. An Instrumental group is one that has a specific task to perform. An example of this in the workplace may be a group formed as a committee to send a recommendation to management. The reasons to belong to such a group are betterment of the workplace, resume enhancement, favor from supervisors, etc. Another type of group is a Social group. Less common in the workplace, but an example of this might be a fraternity or book club. The members of this type of group enjoy the social interaction, exchange of ideas, and prestige of belonging. A group can be people who share one or more of an infinite number of factors. For instance, in the workplace, a group could be all of those individuals who work on first shift. It could be those who are on a certain level of management. It could be one person from each department. In a non-business setting, a group could be the women who attend a certain church. Or, it could be the women who attend the church and who have agreed to bake pies for a fund raiser. Every group of people has certain characteristics, some sort of interaction between the members, people in the group whether formally or informally making their own rules...
Words: 1011 - Pages: 5
...Individual Assignment: Small Team and Group Paper A group of 10 professionals employed to maintain operations in one residential apartment building comprised of 700 rental apartments and five retail stores, the property is 900,000 square feet in size. Each employee has specific duties associated with his or her respected positions all are to work together as one family with the successful operation of property in mind. The respected roles are Landlord, Property Manager, Chief Technology Officer, Leasing Coordinator, Leasing Representative, Administrative Assistant, Assistant Property Manager, and Apartment Director. Most significant change in behavior by the entire group can be seen after a new property manager was hired. First the entire group was motivated by the in property managers verbally obnoxious behavior. As time went on the personality and antics of property manager did not subside the obnoxious behavior turned into verbal abuse causing a gap in communication of all group members. First, other group members said nothing but as the antics and abuse persisted it was clear that the property manager’s behavior was affecting other group members personally causing tension in the entire group. Problem came to a head...
Words: 1096 - Pages: 5
...Addressing Challenges of Groups and Teams Paper Training can provide unique opportunities for organizations to prevent fraud and improve ethical practices among employees. Training can help to educate, raise awareness, and increase short and long-term company profits. WorldCom was a classic example of failed corporate governance, accounting abuses, and plain greed that could have been prevented through appropriate management and employee training. This paper will provide an example of a training plan that could have helped prevent the demise of WorldCom. Developing a Training Plan To increase the effectiveness of employees toward the achievement of business goals, it is essential to put a training plan in place that will enhance communication, group collaboration, and conflict management. A well designed training plan would display the same basic training module but with more organizational specificity on the topic to be addressed. The training plan is therefore designed to maintain the following fundamental principles. a) Training Goal: The desire to achieve results in effective communication, collaboration, and conflict management from employees to include an understanding of the expectation of ethical behavior. A training manager shall be responsible for designing a curriculum that would address the challenges and benefits of these components within a reasonable time frame. b) Learning Objective: At the end of the training the expectation will be, employees...
Words: 1135 - Pages: 5
...COM 100 Week 3 Individual Small Team and Group Paper To Buy This material Click below link http://www.uoptutors.com/com-100/com-100-week-3-individual-small-team-and-group-paper Recall a small team or group you have been a part of. Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper about your experience. Include the following: • Provide a brief description of the team or group. How many members did it include? What was its purpose? • Describe the behaviors the team or group exhibited as it went through each stage of development. • Describe a problem the team or group encountered. What steps were taken to address and solve the problem? Was the team or group able to generate a successful solution? Why or why not? • Discuss the influence that leadership–or the lack of leadership–had on the team’s or group’s ability to solve the problem. What style of leadership did the leader exhibit? What problem-solving steps were taken to resolve the situation? What steps would have produced better results? • Explain whether the team or group was effective. Support your position by discussing goals, roles, ground rules, norms, and characteristics your team or group displayed. How did these characteristics affect the team’s or group’s ability to accomplish its purpose and solve the problem it encountered? • Analyze how communication contributed to cohesiveness. Identify and address how diversity or technology affected the team or group members’ ability to communicate with one another to reach a resolution...
Words: 294 - Pages: 2
...Writing a paper either individually or in a group, there are many things to consider other than just the writing itself. Selecting a topic to write about is different by yourself as opposed to a group. When writing alone, you don't have anyone else to contend with, so the choices are easier to make. However, you may not have as many options as you would working in a group, many people working together will come up with a much larger range of topics. Either way has its benefits as well as its problems. Having more topics to pick from will give any paper a much richer material base to pool from, but at the same time having to deal with many people means that things may not always go smoothly, as some members of the group may not see eye to eye on every topic. On the other side of that, one person writing a paper will have fewer problems picking a topic, but at the same time will not have as many to choose from as someone working in a group. One thing both ways of writing a paper have in common is that you still have to pick one subject to work with, regardless of how many people are working on the paper. And depending on the subject that you have to work with, a group or individual may come to the same conclusion in a short amount of time. When writing in a group, it can be more difficult to edit work as more than one person is writing it. When you write by yourself, the revisions can be a bit easier as you can have a better vision of the finished product as well as the fact that...
Words: 1759 - Pages: 8
...concept design to bring a group of people together to collaborate on a specific topic or idea. The process of collaborative writing: research, rough draft, final draft is just as an individual paper; however, the workload is divided amongst the team. The importance of collaborative writing is to have a group of individuals successfully working together to builds character in the team members. The complexity of a group dynamic is in the team member themselves; with many personalities and different behavior patterns, group work can be undeniably difficult. For a successful paper, the group must demonstrate ethical working habits by dividing the workload evenly, communicating effectively, and demonstrating keen promptness. A divided workload can be very difficult to accommodate; team members generally do not share the same opinion, so common grounds must be settled on to start the paper. Writing collaboratively acknowledges ethos as, “collaborative practices involving distributed participation and collaboration, where rules and procedures are flexible and open to change” (Kittle & Hicks, p.2). This essay will break down the fundamentals of collaboratively writing, using different facts and ideas to describe its practices. A cliché most often used is, “there is no “i” in team.” People used this statement to overcome egotistical barriers in a group function: sports teams, business meetings, and more specific to this paper, collaborative writing. In a group dynamic, many roles...
Words: 2261 - Pages: 10
