Groups and Teams
Benjamin Ogunde
MGT/307
January 4, 2010
Bill Escue

Groups can comprise of any number of people who interact with one another, are psychologically aware of one another, and who perceive themselves to be a group. Take for example a group of boys. Any number of boys can comprise the group, and there would be a sense of belonging amongst the boys as they are of the same sex. Groups are the building blocks of organizations and are designed to integrate job tasks and people effectively (Credo Reference). Teams in an organizational setting can be as simple as two people working together to write a white paper or technical document, or as complex as multiple businesses working together to bid a proposal or build the next generation destroyer for the Navy (Wienclaw, 2010). In general, groups in an organization comprise two or more individuals who are interdependent and who interact over time (Wienclaw, 2010). A group can be defined as a configuration of two or more interdependent individuals who interact over time. Groups work towards a common goal, are accountable to a manger, and may accomplish their goals. Groups also do not have a clear, stable culture, so conflict is frequent (Wienclaw, 2010). However not every group of people who work together can be considered a team. Teams on the other hand can be viewed as a specific type of group. In a team, there is differentiation of skills where one individual does a specific part of the task, and other individuals do other specific parts also. For example on a soccer team, each of the eleven members that make up the soccer team has different position at which they play. Usually the team will be made up of a goalie, defenders who protect the goalie, midfielders, and the strikers whose job is to score goals. Together the eleven players act as one, and become a team. Another way that teams are differentiated from groups is that the members of a team perform their work in the context of a common fate (Wienclaw, 2010). Each member of a team believes in the attributes of his or her team mate, otherwise that person would not belong to the team. For that reason, team members carry out their duties in the fate that other members would do the same. Work place diversity refers to the presence of individual human characteristics that make people different from one another (Schermerhorn et al, 2008). The diversity comprises by demographic differences among members of a given workforce including gender, race and ethnicity, age and being able-bodied. Other factors include marital status, parental status, and religion. Team dynamics in the workplace today is influenced by the diversity of employees in organizations. With people from different backgrounds come different ideas, as well as different ways to do things. Diversity can then serve as a competitive advantage increasing the efficiency of the organization. Take for example at Hertz, one of the organizations values is to use its diversified workforce as a competitive advantage. Employees from different regions of the world have helped Hertz to cater to the needs of consumers from around the world. Hertz have bilingual employees, who can assist customers who speak their native dialect but not English. Thus customer service is greatly improved at Hertz through its diversified workforce. Many individuals might view a group and team as the same, but in organizations groups are different form teams. A team is a specific type of group designed for a purpose to reach a goal. For example a team is put together by an organization to come up with an idea that helps the organization reduce costs. Each member of the team is skilled differently and assigned specific tasks. Working together and employing their individual skills, the team will be in a position to overcome whatever obstacles faced. Groups on the other hand comprise of any number of people who interact with one another. Workforce diversity is important in organizations today, as it brings people of different backgrounds to work as one, chasing the same goals. Work place diversity has also increased in both the United States and Canada. In the United States between 2000 and 2010, the number of females in the work force has been predicted to increase by 15% so that more than 62% of women in the United States are expected to be working in 2010 (Schermerhorn et al, 2008). In organizations today, management sees the benefits and necessity of bringing individuals of different skills and talents to complete tasks. Working as a group or team is beneficial as it helps bring different ideas on a matter to the table. These ideas will help provide a higher quality of work, versus an individual working alone. Groups and teams are important to organizations, and workplace diversity also plays a crucial role in organizations creating team dynamics.

References
Groups. (2005). In International Encyclopedia of Hospitality Management. Retrieved January 4, 2010, from http://www.credoreference.com/entry.esthospitality/groups
Schermerhorn et al (2008). Introducing Organizational Behavior. People make the differe nce. Chapter 1. ISBN 9780470086964. John Wiley & Sons
Wienclaw, R.A. (2010). Teams and Team Building. Research Starter Business, p1-6. Retrieved J anuary 4, 2010, from EBSCO Online Database Academic Search Complete http://ehis.eb scohost.com/ehost/detail?hid=23sid-0640cf60-ba6c-417e-8d70-fcfcaea688a%