Exam 7: Groups and Teams

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The composition of a group plays an important role in determining group productivity.Group composition is most often described in terms of the homogeneity or heterogeneity of the members.A group is homogeneous if the members are similar in one or several ways that are critical to the work of the group, such as in age, work experience, education, technical specialty, or cultural background.In heterogeneous groups, the members differ in one or more ways that are critical to the work of the group.Homogeneous groups often are created in organisations when people are assigned to command groups based on a similar technical specialty.Although the people who work in such command groups may differ in some ways, such as in age or work experience, they are homogeneous in terms of a critical work performance variable: technical specialty.The group's heterogeneity in terms of age and tenure with the group has been shown to be related to turnover: groups with members of different ages and experiences with the group tend to experience frequent changes in membership.A homogeneous group is likely to be more productive when the group task is simple, cooperation is necessary, the group tasks are sequential, or quick action is required.A heterogeneous group is more likely to be productive when the task is complex, requires a collective effort (that is, each member does a different task, and the sum of these efforts constitutes the group output), demands creativity, and when speed is less important than thorough deliberations.

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Virtual teams allow organisations to access the most qualified individuals for a particular job regardless of their location, enable organisations to respond faster to increased competition, and provide greater flexibility to individuals working from home or on the road.Answers will vary as to which types of teams might be successful as virtual teams.Venture teams and cross-functional teams are two probable responses.