Responses should be a minimum of 150 words each and include direct questions. Separate each response
1. Our text states that groups can be put into two different types of workgroups; informal work groups and formal work groups. Informal work groups are made up of two or more individuals who are associated with one another in ways not prescribed by the formal organization. For example, a few people in the company who get together to play tennis on the weekend would be considered an informal group. A formal work group is made up of managers, subordinates, or both with close associations among group members that influence the behavior of individuals in the group. (Carpenter, Bauer & Erdogan, 2009)
Mangers should pay attention to informal groups because they can have some negative effects on the organization. Employees can be resistant to change because they are use to doing their job a certain way and believe it is the only way. I think that this issue is always a big one in any company. , Informal groups have role conflicts, or employees create rumors or the “grapevine” effect to benefit them. This is used to cover up a mistake they made to turn the tables onto someone else, or point the blame elsewhere. The biggest issue I feel is the need for social control. It promotes its workers to conform to what the company’s beliefs are by promoting and encouraging conformity among the group members. I think this is what causes employees to become angry or unhappy at their jobs.
2. According to the text, “Informal work groups are made up of two or more individuals who are associated with one another in ways not prescribed by the formal organization…. A formal work group is made up of managers, subordinates, or both with close associations among group members that influence the behavior of individuals in the group (Carpenter et al, p. 332). An example of an informal work group would be a group of individuals from the same company going out to play golf over the weekend or having a cook-out at one of the member’s house. An example of a formal work group would be an official meeting at the company with a group of individuals that would be responsible for a certain project or certain decision making.
I personally believe it is important for managers to pay attention to informal groups because there are issues that could arise from the groups. Granted, a manager has no right by any means to keep a group from getting together, but they also need to have a general idea of what’s going on without prying into their business. An example of a problem that could arise is as follows:
A group of friends from the local mill decide to go out golfing on a Saturday afternoon because the weather is beautiful and they want some “man time” away from the wife and kids to hang out with “the guys.” Talk goes from sports, fishing, hunting, and all general things men tend to talk about until someone brings up something at work that has been bothering them. It is then realized that all the men have the same complaint and they decide that something needs to be done to fix the problem, and one person alone does not have enough power to, but the group combined as a whole does, especially if they recruit more people to their cause. It could then turn into a company-wide strike and a lot of time and money can be wasted. Because of a situation like this, informal groups could turn into a major problem in a company which is why it is important for manager to pay attention to informal groups within their company.
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