Understanding Group Dynamics - Business Decision Making - ثاني ثانوي

Chapter 4 Group Decision Making and Problem Solving When confronted with a complex problem or one that affects many people, organizations usually form a group to study the problem and make decisions that lead to a solution. Group decision making and participatory management are key facets of the Saudi Vision 2030. Today, many companies use team-based approaches for organizational tasks. Your task can be complicated or enhanced by group dynamics. This unit introduces you to the basics of group dynamics and the ways teams can work together effectively to solve problems. case You have been working with Omar, the vice president of finance at a travel company, to solve business problems for the company. Omar suspects that the company's future financial health depends on expanding its services to corporate travelers. He talks to company employees who were members of other problem-solving groups and asks them to join a new team exploring business travel services. Omar asks you to be a member of the new team. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Once you have completed this chapter, you should be able to: 1 Explain group dynamics 2 Evolve from a group to a team 3 Use divergent thinking 4 Use convergent thinking 5 Reach closure 6 Build sustainable agreements وزارة التعليم Ministry of Education 2024-1446 Business Decision Making S1 S2 S3.indb 91 Group Decision Making and Problem Solving 91 CA a 30/06/2023 14:28

Lesson 1 Chapter 4 www.ien.edu.sa Understanding Group Dynamics When working on complex tasks, you cannot do them all yourself. Organizations use groups and teams to make decisions, solve problems, and accomplish goals. A group is made up of two or more people who interact with each other, share expectations and obligations, and develop a common identity as a group. Real groups, as opposed to random collections of individuals, also have social or pro- fessional bonds and common interests, values, or backgrounds. The way that people work and interact with each other is known as group dynamics. Other terms used to describe groups include "teams," "clubs," and "committees." Before the new company group meets for the first time, Omar suggests that you learn about the benefits of successful groups. case 92 Chapter 4 Ministry of Education 2024-1446 95198_book_PP1.indb 92 DEFINITIONS Group: Two or more people who interact with each other, share expectations and obligations, and develop a common identity as a group. Group dynamics: The way that people work and interact with each other. Details Organizations are embracing group projects and teamwork for the following reasons: . Diversity A group of people can bring a rich diversity of culture, age groups, and other variables to a common table. This diversity gives a group a more varied per- spective and appreciation for different ideas and enhances the types of solu- tions it can come up with. Figure 4-1 illustrates the types of expertise group members can offer when discussing a topic or solving a problem. 07/05/2024 10:57

FIGURE 4-1: Using a group's expertise to explore a topic Finances (Omar) How new services affect net income Operations (Asma) Resources needed to add services Tours (Abdullah) Destinations and additional services Customer Service (Najla) Customer policies and procedures . Rich experience base Business travel services Marketing (Hasan) How to reach business market Support (Rasheed) Start-up and maintenance tasks QUICK TIP Organizational memory can include an organization's physical archives, electronic databases, and members' knowledge. Each member of a group brings unique experiences with them. This includes differences in formal and informal education, work experience, respons- ibilities, and exposure to ideas from outside of the organization. Bringing together a group of people with a rich set of experiences can be very powerful. Enhanced organizational memory Organizations have a unique history and culture that a group must function in. People who have worked for a company for some time develop an orga- nizational memory as they learn about the various processes, personalities, and subtleties of how the organization operates. When a group is formed, it can take advantage of its rich organizational memory. Someone on the team is likely to know who to talk with, what resources are available, or how to get something done. See Figure 4-2. وزارة التعليم Ministry of Education 2024-1446 Business Decision Making S1 S2 S3.indb 93 DEFINITION Organizational memory: The history and culture that a group must function in, including the various processes, personalities, and subtleties of how the organization operates. Group Decision Making and Problem Solving 93 30/06/2023 14:28

94 Chapter 4 Ministry of Education 2024-1446 Business Decision Making S1 S2 S3.indb 94 FIGURE 4-2: Organizational memory Experts to consult . Approved Available procedures resources Organizational memory Error detection When you bring people together to work on a common task, you introduce multiple levels of error checking. Mistakes and omissions that may have oth- erwise gone unnoticed are more likely to be caught by other team members. More creative solutions Each individual in a group will approach a problem differently than everyone else. This leads to a larger number of unique and creative solutions. Functional teams can be an excellent source of ideas. Greater acceptance of decisions and outcomes When someone is involved in a decision-making process, they are more likely to accept and support its outcome. Committees are often formed when broad acceptance of an outcome is necessary. Even those who are not part of the group will be more accepting if someone from their department or work unit is involved in the decision process. 30/06/2023 14:28

Star power or team effectiveness? Managers of business teams can learn a lot from how successful sports teams are managed. Using a popular management approach, many managers assign tasks to staff members according to their skills, personalities, and experience. This style of leadership, called a differentiated style, is used by coaches who treat their superstars differently from other players. Some coaches might award star players special privileges like more time with the trainer. In contrast, team-focused leadership treats a staff or other group as a whole. A recent study compared the two styles and reached a surprising conclusion. "Most managers believe that you should treat everybody differently," says researcher Angelo Kinicki. "But our results reveal that...in a team setting, [singling out a star] can actually lead to negative effects." The results of the research show that teams in organizations work the same way. Treating all team members the same way can make them work more effectively in the group. Source: Staff, "Successful Small Team Leadership: Manage the Group, Not the Individuals," Knowledge@W.P. Carey, May 27, 2009. REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. What are group dynamics? a. Changes noted in the action plan b. How people work and interact with each other c. Ways to organize an idea's costs and benefits d. How resources are provided where they are needed 2. Knowing about the processes, personalities, and subtleties of how a company operates is called: a. organizational memory b. logistics c. groupthink d. consensus وزارة التعليم Ministry of Education 2024-1446 Business Decision Making S1 S2 S3.indb 95 Group Decision Making and Problem Solving 95 30/06/2023 14:28