Forsyth (2006) define a group as two or more individuals who are connected to one another by social relationships. Bagraim, Cunningham, Potgieter and Viedge (2007) define a group as a cluster of two or more people who have come together for a specific purpose, normally for the benefit of the individuals in that group or facilitating the group.
According to Bergh and Theron (2009) the above definitions emphasise one or more of the following characteristics of a group:
Social interaction, which allows people to communicate and to exert influence on one another;
Agreed or common goals and targets in order to achieve the group’s objectives;
Group structure, such as tasks, roles and rules to enable interaction over and across time and situation; and
Group members’ acknowledgement or perceived sense of being part of a group. Therefore a group is a cluster of two or more people who have come together for a specific goal which normally benefits the individuals in the group; these goals are achieved through social interactions with each other. Group members acknowledge being part of a group and respect the group structure. The characteristics of teams include structure, status hierarchy, roles, norms, leadership, cohesiveness and inter- group conflict (Hughes, 2007, p.20).
22 2.2.2 Definition of a team
Forsyth (2009) defines a team as an organised task-focused group. Bagraim et al. (2007) define a team as a group of people that has been formed to work together in common, cooperative action towards the achievement of an outcome and for the benefit of the group rather than for individual benefit.
According to Kinicki and Kreitner (2010) a team is a small group with complementary skills who hold themselves mutually accountable for a common purpose, goals and approach.Owing to the team’s cohesion, effective teams have the ability to be more than just a group of individuals; team members become inspired and willing to commit their energy and their loyalty to the team and its goals, whilst developing leadership skills that will inspire others to join (Hughes, 2007, p.22).
According to Zayed and Kamel (2005) the above definitions emphasise one or more of the following characteristics of a team:
A team can involve as few as two people.
A team is not a mere aggregate of individuals.
Team success depends on the interdependent and collective efforts of various team members.
Team members are likely to have a significant influence on each other as they work together to achieve team goals.
Therefore a team is a group of people with complementary skills who come together to achieve an outcome that is beneficial to the whole group not just individual members. Team members influence each other to achieve team goals through social interactions. A team is characterised by a common goal, loyalty, commitment, shared leadership, cohesion and mutual accountability. These factors were considered and were incorporated in the team characteristics questionnaire used in this study.
23 2.2.3 Difference between Groups and Teams
All teams are groups but not all groups are teams (Dubrin, 2010, p.256). Therefore teams possess the basic characteristics of any group i.e. interaction, goals, interdependence, structure and unity (Forsyth, 2010), however teams differ from groups in the intensity with which they work on specific tasks or projects (Hughes, 2007, p.31). According to Colquitt, LePine and Wesson (2009) teams differ from groups in two primary respects, firstly the interactions within teams is centred on a deeper dependence on one another than the interactions within a group. Secondly, the interactions within teams occur with a specific task-orientated purpose in mind (Colquitt et. al., 2009).
Owing to these characteristics management views a team as a group which possess extra positive features. As a group comes to acquire these positive characteristics, it is seen as progressing towards the team-end of the continuum (Buchanan & Huczynski, 2004, p.308). Therefore a team is considered as a group that has matured to the performing stage in Tuckman’s five stage theory of group development, but due to conflicts over leadership and member roles during the storming and norming phases many groups never reach this stage of being a team (Hughes, 2007, p.31). According to Kinicki and Kreitner (2008) a group becomes a team when the following criteria are met:
Leadership becomes a shared activity;
Accountability shifts from strictly individual to both individual and collective;
The group develops its own purpose and mission;
Problem solving becomes a way of life; and
Effectiveness is measured by the group’s collective outcomes and products. Looking at the requirements for converting groups to teams, it is clear that a group changes into a team once it has organised itself to fulfill a purpose (Buchanan & Huczynski, 2004, p.308).
24
Table 2.1 below depicts the major differences between teams and groups.
Table 2.1: Difference Between Teams and Groups
Team Single-leader work group
Run by: The members of the team best-suited to lead the task at hand; leadership role shifts among the members
One person, usually the senior member, who is formally designated to lead
Goals and agenda set by:
The group, based on dialogue about purpose. Constructive conflict integration predominate
The formal leader, often in consultation with a sponsoring executive. Conflict with group members are avoided and the leader integrates
Performance evaluated by:
The members of the group, as well as the leader and sponsor
The leader and sponsor
Work style determined by:
The members The leader’s preference
Most appropriate business context:
A complex challenge that requires people with various skills sets working together most of the time
A challenge in which time is of the essence and the leader already knows how best to proceed. The leader is the primary integrator Speed and
efficiency:
Low until the group has learnt to function as a team. Afterwards, however, the team is as fast as a single leader group
Higher than that of teams initially, as the members need no time to develop commitment or to learn to work as a team
Primary end- products:
Largely collective, requiring several people to work together to produce results
Largely individual and can be accomplished best by each person working on his or her own
Accountability characterised by:
‘We hold one another mutually accountable for achieving the goals and performance of the team’
‘The leader holds us individually accountable for our input’
25