The objective of this article is to explain the different forms of groups that exist within an organization and their main characteristics, and it also addresses the issue of work teams and the main theories related to them.
Since ancient times, man has seen the need to create groups to solve problems that have arisen over the years, in addition to the above, man is a social being who has needed to feel part of a group and this I lead to the formation of different tribes in primitive times.
Today within companies there are different groups, whether formal or informal.
Formal groups refer to the structure of the organization, where people are responsible for carrying out a specific task. Within formal groups, the way individuals act is directed towards the goals of the organization.
On the other hand, informal groups are groups of people that do not have a formal structure and are not defined or recognized by the organization.
The work teams are a group of people who, coordinated by one or more of them, work with solidarity, mutual support and coordination to achieve a common goal. ”
The difference between work teams and work groups is that a group meets to exchange information so that each member can carry out their functions and in the work team each person takes on a different part of the total work. and each of them assumes the
responsibility for the success of the team.
Formal and informal groups
Since ancient times, man has seen the need to create groups to solve problems that have arisen over the years, in addition to the above, man is a social being who has needed to feel part of a group and this led to the formation of different tribes in the early days.
Nowadays people carry out different activities that depend on other people, such as education, services, transportation, etc. and this shows that for the proper functioning of daily activities, coexistence with other people is necessary.
The same thing happens within organizations since they are made up of people who have their own goals and desires and who often depend on the work of more people to achieve reality. It is for this reason that within the companies there are different groups, whether formal or informal.
Both formal and informal groups are of utmost importance for achieving both personal and business goals. (CREADESS, 2013)
The definition of the word group establishes that "it consists of two or more interacting and interdependent individuals who have come together to achieve particular objectives" (Robins, 1998)
When speaking of formal groups, reference is made to the structure of the organization, where people are responsible for carrying out a specific task. Within formal groups, the way individuals act is directed towards the goals of the organization. An example of this is the crew members of an airplane.
On the other hand, informal groups are groups of people that do not have a formal structure and are not defined or recognized by the organization. Informal groups are formed naturally in the work environment and are the result of the social need that people having that sense of belonging to a group. An example of this would be a group of employees who eat lunch together from time to time. (Robins., 2008)
In summary, it can be said that groups are formed mainly for the following reasons:
Formation of Working Groups
(Gordon, 1997)
Formal and informal groups can be subdivided into command groups, task groups, interest groups, and friend groups. Command and task groups have been chosen by a formal organization, and friend and interest groups have been informally formalized..
The command groups are defined from the business organization chart formed from people who have an immediate boss to whom they are accountable.
Task groups are made up of individuals who meet to carry out a specific task and may come out of different command groups.
Stakeholders can be made up of workers who can be of a single command or task group and these are grouped together to achieve a goal that affects everyone.
Finally, friendship groups are formed because individuals identify with each other either by age or by the way of thinking, etc. (Furham, 2001)
Due to the social, economic and technological changes that have taken place in recent years, a new situation has emerged in which companies have been forced to do much more with less, due to which it is so necessary to have the best beings human and also know how to direct orient towards the achievement of global objectives and the achievement of such a feat determines the success of an organization.
Teamwork represents a response to business challenges such as productivity, however, in order for this to be possible, the union of work teams, fostering a cooperative spirit, making people identify with the company's objectives and Synchronization of interests and efforts towards the common goal are extremely important aspects that must be worked on to cement success.
Therefore teamwork represents more than an organization technique and an operating philosophy that helps to generate excellent results in all productive sectors and in companies of any kind. Teamwork is the new way of understanding the company.
The elements of a working group
As mentioned above the working groups arise from the need for an organization to perform a specific task so people who are integrated into groups must possess certain characteristics that contribute to the good achievement of the asig tasks nothings so which are established certain elements that guarantee to achieve the objectives of the company.
Such elements are: leadership, roles, norms, status, size, composition, degree of group cohesion, and communication structure.
With the previous elements you can have a vision of how the group will do during their coexistence and also obtain an overview of whether the objective will be easier or more difficult to achieve.
Leadership: Groups are usually led by a formal leader who is named a project leader or representative.
Roles: this term establishes the ways in which they must behave and that are granted to any of the members who occupy a certain position.
Norms: establishes the appropriate conduct criteria for group members and that could affect the way they are viewed by other employees.
Status: refers to the social position that the members of the group occupy and that external persons recognize.
Status is functional because it reinforces functions and provides stability, in addition to the fact that people generally accept being led by someone they identify with higher status.
Size: the working groups are made up of different numbers of representatives depending on the objective to be achieved, a small group should have seven members while a large group should have twelve or more, however in the working groups the group can also be given phenomenon of social leisure that is a feeling of carefree that people adopt when feeling under the shelter of other people to perform their work.
Therefore some experts state that the ideal size of a working group is between seven and nine representatives.
Composition: within the work groups, there must be members who manifest different personalities, which enriches the imagination and contribution that each one must give to solve problems, so it is not uncommon to find work groups that differ in age, sex, beliefs, etc.
Cohesion: Cohesion refers to the degree to which the members of a group feel identified with each other and are motivated to stay together. Cohesion determines the degree of performance of the group and there are various factors that increase it, such as time they spend together, living together, etc.
Communication structure: all groups have different ways of organizing and exchanging the information necessary to carry out their tasks in this way. Groups develop unique forms of communication depending on their level of cohesion, their roles and status, size, etc.. It is there where informal groups also occur because there are people who identify more with others. (Solis, 2008)
Work teams
Nowadays companies resort to work teams to solve certain problems that may arise within the organization, the work team refers to:
"A group of people who coordinated by one or more of them, work with solidarity, mutual support and coordination to achieve a common goal"
The difference between work teams and work groups is that a group meets to exchange information so that each member can carry out their functions and in the work team each person takes on a different part of the total work. and each of them assumes responsibility for the success of the team.
The most representative differences that exist between a group and a work team are summarized below:
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Differences between groups and work teams |
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Groups |
Teams |
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The members: |
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(CREADESS, 2013)
The effectiveness of work teams
However in contemporary organizations it is
a change taking place due to the pressure exerted by global competition and for this reason ”the need to consolidate business models in dynamic, uncertain and complex environments and the need for innovation require modifying the work structure traditionally configured around individuals and adopting change-oriented and team-based organizational designs ”(West & Markiewicz, 2004)
This is why the challenge for company research today is to determine how to effectively and efficiently integrate the contributions of expert workers to add value to the organization. This in a nutshell is creating the way to turn an expert team into an expert team.
The analysis of the effectiveness of the equipment has been carried out based on the Input-Processes Output model. This model focuses on identifying the composition, structure and processes of the teams and visualizes them as the key antecedents of the team's effectiveness.
The inputs represent the team's set of resources, both internal (the composition of the team, the knowledge and skills of its members, the structure of the group and the design of the task) and external: the rewards of the organization and the organizational culture. The inputs can contribute to the effectiveness of the team but they can also constitute limitations for the achievement of its objectives.
On the other hand, processes refer to a set of psychosocial mechanisms that help team members combine the resources available to carry out the work assigned by the organization, and thus overcome possible limitations.
With this and through processes such as communication, coordination and decision making, the individuals of a team convert the inputs into outputs. Viewed differently, the outputs are the results achieved by the team.
Commonly, effectiveness is studied in terms of work results, such as objectively evaluated performance, for which specific indicators are used; however, it also includes results that help maintain the team's performance over time, such as the satisfaction of its members., the degree to which team members want to stay together and innovation.
The input-process-output model has been the subject of significant criticism focused mainly on its static, linear and single-cycle conception.
Techniques to improve equipment performance
There are a large number of techniques to improve equipment performance. The effectiveness of some of them has been proven in different types of equipment, such as air crews, surgical intervention teams, and military equipment, since they all perform high-risk tasks that require a lot of operational consistency and safety, because errors have serious consequences, both material and human.
Two classes of intervention techniques are distinguished from these: (Gil et al, 2008)
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Training programs |
Team development techniques |
| Cross training: the team acquires knowledge about the roles and tasks of colleagues. | They try to improve the overall functioning of the team using different techniques such as: |
| Metacognitive training: oriented to become aware of the strategies they use to learn and select and use the most appropriate ones. |
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| Training in team coordination: oriented so that members know and manage the processes that determine effective teamwork. |
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| Self-Correction Training Skills are learned to analyze your own performance, review facts, exchange feedback, and plan future ways of acting. |
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Conclusion:
Currently, due to the many changes, both economic and technological, that organizations are experiencing, the need to restructure companies through work groups and teams has arisen, and their effectiveness largely determine the success of the company. However, it is of utmost importance that these groups and teams have the necessary qualities to achieve the goals, since the complexity of the human being is something that is beyond administrative control and these groups, when interacting, can unleash many conflicts that threaten the good term. from work. This is why more and more research is being carried out to achieve optimal results and to help organizations to create teams and groups of high contribution and performance that lead to the best results.
Bibliographic references
- CREADESS. (June 04, 2013). CREADESS Euro American network cooperation for sustainable development. Obtained from CREADESS Euro American network cooperation for sustainable development: http://www.creadess.org/index.php/informate/sostenibilidadempresarial/talento-humano/20458-grupos-y-equipos-formales-e-informales-detrabajoFurham, A. (2001). Organizational psychology, the behavior of the individual in organizations. Mexico: Alfaomega.Gil, F. et al, (2008). Efficiency of work teams. Papers of the Psychologist, Vol. 29 (1),, 25-31.Gordon, JR (1997). Organizational behavior. Mexico: Prentice Hall Robins, SP (1998). Administration in today's world. Mexico: Pearson Educación.Robins., SP (March 29, 2008). Human Resources.com. Obtained from Human Resources.com: http: //www.losrecursoshumanos.com / definition-and-classification-groups / Solis, JG (2008). Implementation of self-directed equipment: the case of wine industries Domecq case cap plant. México, DF, México. West, MA, & Markiewicz, L. (2004). Building team-based working a practical guide to organizational transformation. Oxford.
