Groups and Group Behaviour

Question

Explain the nature of groups and group behavior within organisations

Answer

A group is formed when several individuals collaborate together to complete a particular task, project or goal. One of the most well-known theories that explains the behaviour of groups is Belbin’s Team Inventory (Belbin, 1981). Belbin identified nine team roles and the different behaviours individuals would have who performed the roles. The team roles are:

1. Plant. A plant will be creative and innovative. They will come up with lots of ideas, but they often struggle to communicate these ideas to other team members.
2. Resource Investigator. A resource investigator typically has characteristics that mean their behaviour is very enthusiastic at the start of a project but they will often lose enthusiasm towards the end of the project.
3. Co-ordinator. A co-ordinator is someone who has mature behaviour characteristics. The co-ordinator will be someone who helps others and clarifies the tasks to be done.
4. Shaper. A shaper is an extrovert and will challenge the other team members to improve their performance. They have a positive mind-set and will motivate the group.
5. Monitor-Evaluator. A monitor-evaluator is someone who will take a step back from the team and make a logical evaluation about the overall team performance. They are the opposite of a shaper and will sometimes cause the team to lose motivation by being too critical.
6. Teamworker. A teamworker is someone who is very diplomatic and resolves group conflicts.
7. Implementer. An implementer is someone who is self-disciplined and completes tasks on time. They are often inflexible and don’t like to change plans.
8. Completer/Finisher. A completer/finisher is someone who is a perfectionist and they worry a lot about the minor details.
9. Specialist. Specialists are passionate about their own subject and are happy to share their knowledge.

References

Belbin, M (1981). Management Teams. London: Heinemann