Group Task

The work group is usually the primary source of social identity for employees, and the nature of the group can affect their performance at work as well as their relationships outside the organization. There could be many reasons why people form groups. The propinquity theory of group formation attempts to explain why some people come together to form groups. Yet another popular theory of group formation is the exchange theory. Some of the structural variables are formal leadership, roles, norms, group status, group size and the composition of the group. All these variables affect the functioning of groups. The style or behavior of the group leader tends to be imitated or repeated by the members of the group. As everyone is required to play a diverse set of roles within and outside an organization, one of the tasks in understanding behavior is grasping the role that is currently being played by a person.

Group members receive roles by being ready and willing to undertake the tasks associated with that role. Ambiguity results when members are confused about the delegation of job responsibilities. This confusion may occur because the members do not have specific job descriptions or because the instructions regarding the task were not clear. Group members who experience ambiguity often have feelings of frustration and dissatisfaction, which ultimately lead to turnover.

Organizations usually appoint groups and assign the goals and tasks to be accomplished by each group.Evidence suggests that groups typically outperform individuals when the tasks involved require a variety of skills, experience, and decision making. Groups are often more flexible and can quickly assemble, achieve goals, and disband or move on to another set of objectives. Many organizations have found that groups have many motivational aspects as well. Examples of assigned tasks are the development of a new product, the improvement of a production process, or the proposal of a motivational contest. Other common task groups are ad hoc committees, project groups, and standing committees.