Advantages and Disadvantages of Working in an Organizational Group.
Advantages and disadvantages of working in an Organizational group.
A group is any number of people who; interact with each other, are psychologically aware of each other, perceive themselves to be in a group and purposefully interact towards the achievement of particular goals or aims. (Schein 1980, p. 81).
Groups are often more effective than individuals in solving problems of moderate difficulty, though the cost per man-hour is higher than for an individual. (Lundgren, 1974, p. 323).
One of the obvious advantages of working in a group is to be able to share the workload and responsibility of a task. It also allows you to share ideas and thoughts which results in better results. This total impact is the synergistic effect. Synergy means that when all the organizational subsystems work together under the guidance of management, the total system produces an impact greater than the sum of all individual parts. (Lundgren, 1974, p. 6).
Groups offer support and security to the individual affording him comfort and strength that he could not find alone. Groups also allow the individual to check his views, feelings, and interpretations with other members of the group. (Lundgren, 1974, p. 322).
Friendly banter, jokes, and talk on topics of mutual interest can do much to enliven the work scene, relieve tedium, and ease the embarrassment and discomfort of being alone. Standing alone, an individual may feel insecure and unable to cope with forces threatening and frustrating them. But in alliance with others who face similar fears, the employee discovers strength and support. (Lundgren, 1974, p. 302 – 303). This is also a part of ‘GROUPTHINK’ which was studied by Irving Janis (1982) who argued that the cohesive nature of groups may often lead the group to think they are invulnerable and act over optimistic and take too many risks. They may also see anyone who opposes to them as evil, weak or stupid and members who are uncomfortable with group decisions have their
A group is any number of people who; interact with each other, are psychologically aware of each other, perceive themselves to be in a group and purposefully interact towards the achievement of particular goals or aims. (Schein 1980, p. 81).
Groups are often more effective than individuals in solving problems of moderate difficulty, though the cost per man-hour is higher than for an individual. (Lundgren, 1974, p. 323).
One of the obvious advantages of working in a group is to be able to share the workload and responsibility of a task. It also allows you to share ideas and thoughts which results in better results. This total impact is the synergistic effect. Synergy means that when all the organizational subsystems work together under the guidance of management, the total system produces an impact greater than the sum of all individual parts. (Lundgren, 1974, p. 6).
Groups offer support and security to the individual affording him comfort and strength that he could not find alone. Groups also allow the individual to check his views, feelings, and interpretations with other members of the group. (Lundgren, 1974, p. 322).
Friendly banter, jokes, and talk on topics of mutual interest can do much to enliven the work scene, relieve tedium, and ease the embarrassment and discomfort of being alone. Standing alone, an individual may feel insecure and unable to cope with forces threatening and frustrating them. But in alliance with others who face similar fears, the employee discovers strength and support. (Lundgren, 1974, p. 302 – 303). This is also a part of ‘GROUPTHINK’ which was studied by Irving Janis (1982) who argued that the cohesive nature of groups may often lead the group to think they are invulnerable and act over optimistic and take too many risks. They may also see anyone who opposes to them as evil, weak or stupid and members who are uncomfortable with group decisions have their
References: Lundgren, E. (1974) Organizational Management: Systems and Process, Columbia: Canfield Press. Rosenzweig, J.E. (1979) Organization and Management: A Systems and Contingency Approach, 3rd edition, USA: McGraw-Hill, Inc. Schein, E Bibliography Hollings/Rimmer (2007) Managing People and Performance: Pearson Publishing. Lundgren, E. (1974) Organizational Management: Systems and Process, Columbia: Canfield Press. Rosenzweig, J.E. (1979) Organization and Management: A Systems and Contingency Approach, 3rd edition, USA: McGraw-Hill, Inc. Schein, E Smale, G. (1998) Managing change through innovation, UK: The Stationery Office. Weiss, A. (1989) Managing for Peak Performance, New York: Harper & Row. Weiss, J. W (2001) Organizational Behaviour and Change: Managing diversity, cross-cultural dynamics and ethics, 2nd Edition, Minneapolis: Thomson Learning.