Work groups have become an integral part of American business life. Such groups may be formal or informal, and can help an organization achieve a high level of productivity. Ineffective work groups, however, can be a hindrance to productivity and can prove detrimental to the organization. In order to understand why some work groups are effective and others ineffective, it is necessary to examine what work groups are, why they are important to organizations, ways to evaluate them, what the barriers are to work group effectiveness and finally, how to successfully implement a work group environment.
According to one researcher, a "group" is "three or more people that can identify itself and be identified by others in the organization as a group" (Shea & Guzzo, 1987, p. 25). Work groups are groups that come together in professional partnerships in order to combine their talents and skills. Together, they try to accomplish what any one of them alone could not (Barrett, 1987, p. 24).
Work groups can be formal, or informal. Formal groups are permanent and formed by management. They are imposed on workers and highly structured. The leader of a formal group is often a supervisor or someone else who formerly occupied a management position. These groups depend on the organization to provide the goal and purpose of the group. Formal work groups are generally static, and resistant to change (Barrett, 1987, p. 25).
Informal work groups arise from a perceived need within the organization. The need can be identified by either management or by individual workers. Unlike formal work groups, which remain in place for an indefinite period of time, informal work groups are often established to work on a specific project. When that project is completed, the individuals may be assigned to various other teams and other projects. The workers are conceived as having unique talents which can be combined into a work group, used to maxim...