Factors Affecting Groups and Teams
Many factors can affect how will groups and teams perform. Among these are the degree to which individual members of the group can conform to group standards, the cohesiveness of the group or team, the level and intensification of competition and conflict, and – last but not least – the style and methodology of group leadership.
CONFORMITY
Conformity means “going along.” Group conformity is recognized when participants abandon a particular position contrary to other group or team members for the sake of a majority view. This abandonment, is called conforming, there are many reasons for conforming including: pressure to settle or compromise, logical or emotional enticement or persuasion, coercion, time constraints,
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Without augmenting and questioning the issues through productive conflict, groups or teams may make bad decisions that have not been completely analyzed or evaluated.
Cooperation and conflict can often go hand-in-hand. Productive conflict is one of many means by which teams or groups cooperate and lend each other a hand. By agreeing to debate, questions, test ideas, and evaluate proposals, members engaged in conflict can form a cooperative enterprise. however, competition within and between groups and teams is often counter-productive. Although in the short-term, competition may be triggering, motivating, or serve as a spark plug for improved performance, it is not good for groups or teams to use this strategy in the long-term as it has a side effects.
“A store manager initiated a contest by which every member of the department with the highest sales would qualify for an all-expense paid weekend at a beach condominium. In addition, within every department, the salesperson with the highest sales would qualify for a $500 gift certificate. Results were posted each Friday for six weeks. Notice that the store manager induced both within-group and between-group