Building a Coalition
Case Study
Student Name
Student e-mail
MGMT591
Leadership and Organizational Behavior
Professor Russell Wright
January 26th 2014
Part I: Group Development
After reading the case study “Building a Coalition” I think that within the five-stage group-development model described in our textbook the group involved in the case is somewhere between the forming stage and storming stage, I can see signs of both stages at the same time.
The textbook says that during the forming stage - first stage of group development - is characterized by a great deal of uncertainty about the group’s purpose, structure, and leadership. Members “test the waters” to determine what types of behaviors are acceptable. This stage is complete when members have begun to think of themselves as part of a group. (Robbins 275)
Looking closely at the case we can see a just formed coalition of thee organizations with three different organizational backgrounds that have been brought together in order to achieve one specific goal (to create an experimental after school program), still each member of the group has different perception of the problem itself. There is definitely much uncertainly, but members of the group realize that they will have to work together and that there is a common goal to achieve.
Storming stage is one of intragroup conflict. Members accept the existence of the group but resist the constraints it imposes on individuality. There is conflict over who will control the group. When this stage is complete, there will be a relatively clear hierarchy of leadership within the group. (Robbins 275)
Following the case we can see that coalition is currently facing the conflict due to opposed visions of the root matter of the problem and the degree to which each organization believes it should influence the decision making process, and we can also guess the resistance to constraints the purpose of the group imposes of everyone’s
Student Name
Student e-mail
MGMT591
Leadership and Organizational Behavior
Professor Russell Wright
January 26th 2014
Part I: Group Development
After reading the case study “Building a Coalition” I think that within the five-stage group-development model described in our textbook the group involved in the case is somewhere between the forming stage and storming stage, I can see signs of both stages at the same time.
The textbook says that during the forming stage - first stage of group development - is characterized by a great deal of uncertainty about the group’s purpose, structure, and leadership. Members “test the waters” to determine what types of behaviors are acceptable. This stage is complete when members have begun to think of themselves as part of a group. (Robbins 275)
Looking closely at the case we can see a just formed coalition of thee organizations with three different organizational backgrounds that have been brought together in order to achieve one specific goal (to create an experimental after school program), still each member of the group has different perception of the problem itself. There is definitely much uncertainly, but members of the group realize that they will have to work together and that there is a common goal to achieve.
Storming stage is one of intragroup conflict. Members accept the existence of the group but resist the constraints it imposes on individuality. There is conflict over who will control the group. When this stage is complete, there will be a relatively clear hierarchy of leadership within the group. (Robbins 275)
Following the case we can see that coalition is currently facing the conflict due to opposed visions of the root matter of the problem and the degree to which each organization believes it should influence the decision making process, and we can also guess the resistance to constraints the purpose of the group imposes of everyone’s