Fundamentals of Management, 8th ed

Chapter 13: Managing Work Groups and Teams

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This chapter is about the processes that lead to and follow from successes like those

enjoyed by Cirque de Soleil. More important, it’s also about the processes leading to

and following successful group and team dynamics. In Chapter 12, we established the

interpersonal nature of organizations. We extend that discussion here by first introducing

basic concepts of group and team dynamics. Subsequent sections explain the characteristics

of groups and teams in organizations. We then describe interpersonal and intergroup con-

flict and discuss how conflict can be managed. We conclude with a brief discussion of

negotiation.

GROUPS AND TEAMS IN ORGANIZATIONS

Groups are a ubiquitous part of organizational life. They are the basis for much of the

work that gets done, and they evolve both inside and outside the normal structural

boundaries of the organization. We define a

group

as two or more people who interact

regularly to accomplish a common purpose or goal.

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The purpose of a group or team

may range from preparing a new advertising campaign, to informally sharing information,

to making important decisions, to fulfilling social needs.