Emotional issues and performance within groups
Woodman and Pasmore concentrated on group dynamics encompassing membership and belonging, influence, and control together with effect (Waclawski & Church, 2002). Regarding the effect, social contact among different individuals is essential in raising the nature of human emotions. As such, emotions are unavoidable as well as omnipresent influencers of group life. In other words, sensations are significant in the comprehension and forecasting of the actions of a group arising from such emotions. Woodman and Pasmore assert that the cultural customs of a group emanating from different societal set-ups affect the emotional expression of the group. Also, through the cognitive appraisal theory of emotion, the scholars contend that the extraction of new experiences proceeds and then trailed by the alertness and the interpretation of the event eventually arousing poignant passions entail the emotional process (Waclawski & Church, 2002).
Scholars contend that the cultural norms within a team generate commonality among members of the group concerning their reaction to motivation and performance of tasks. Woodman and Pasmore further contend that emotions play significant roles regarding the performance of the workgroup. For instance, emotions relay imperative data essential in catching the members’ attention and reaction. In principle, emotionally competent behavior is a recipe for trust, group identity as well as group efficiency thus augmenting the performance of the group (Waclawski & Church, 2002).
Moreover, the development of innovativeness among the group requires a perspective-taking norm that is advantageous in the triumphant incorporation of information as well as increased energy and attention of the members towards the operations of the organizations. Further, the researchers contend that transformational aspects emanating from leadership and culture influence organizational performance.
Emotional issues are also critical in organizational performance by enabling the members to comprehend the culture of the firm and why certain decisions are to be made by the executives. The passions aid in the recognition of the anticipations and needs of other employees within an organization thereby augmenting harmony and performance between the various segments of the organization. In reality, the scholars assert that a high level of inter-team concord is a recipe for effectiveness and output within an organization. Further, being aware of the emotional aspects of different groups enables the development of relationships that augment the acquisition of resources thereby increasing the company output (Gupta & Chin, 1994).
Manifestation of emotional affect in groups
Emotional effects are common manifestations in any workgroup brought about by cultural factors. Also, the emotional effect manifests in groups in several forms. To begin with, conflicts are apparent in every organization. Conflicts are imperative in facilitating the swap of well thoughts and creativity among members of the groups. On the contrary, counter-productive divergences are recipes for dissatisfaction, underperformance, and lawsuits arising from pestering and hostile work environment allegations (Gupta & Chin, 1994). The disagreements in groups often emanate from mismatched apprehensions and divergence perceptions among group members.
The feeling of cultural shock is another way through which emotional effect appears in groups. In other words, the patterns of cultural integration undertaken by groups often fail to incorporate all the norms of members. As such, the cultural integration arrangements generate negative anticipations as well as cultural shocks among different group members (Gupta & Chin, 1994). Consequently, the group members develop sentiments of augmented job uncertainty levels and lower levels of commitment to the organization thereby reducing the firm’s overall output.
Stress and anxiety are also signs of emotional affect in groups. In essence, the assimilation of different cultures in the groups jeopardizes the affirmative individuality of members leading to stress. Also, nervous tensions among members often originate from uncertain opportunities and work overload in the groups (Waclawski & Church, 2002). As such, the members of the groups often contribute negatively to the operations of the groups. In other words, stress in groups leads to absence from work, lateness and low yields that have a negative influence on the achievements of the firm.
Impact of emotional issues on the task-oriented role of a group
The bulk of a group influences all its members. For instance, in larger groups, the probable emergence of cliques with identical values, norms as well as emotional expectations may affect either negatively or positively on the performance of the overall tasks of the group (Waclawski & Church, 2002).
The possession of strong bonds between members of a group ensures unity in their work to achieve the collective tasks and emotional requirements. In a unified group, the achievement of improved expressive tuning is inevitable among the members. As a result, the feelings of anxiety and tensions among the task-oriented group are reduced. In other words, unity in the emotional commitment to tasks by a group enables cohesion in decision-making and the completion of tasks.
The attachment theory asserts that the absence of interpersonal associations leads to problems of emotional modifications among members resulting in antagonism. The resentments facilitate decreased prospects of completing tasks by the team. Further, different sensations lead to dysfunctional roles as every member of the group would serve egocentric interests at the expense of the general tasks of the team.
Role conflicts and ambiguity has implications on the emotional well-being and performance of the group. Through such divergences, inconsistencies and lack of clarity about the group’s expectations are encountered thereby diminishing the performance of the group (Gupta & Chin, 1994). Moreover, members of the team might develop false impressions of imperviousness leading to superfluous sanguinity characterized by high risks and incompletion of tasks.
References
Gupta, Y. P. & Chin, C. W. (1994). Organizational life cycle: A review and proposed directions. The Mid-Atlantic Journal of Business, 30(3), 269-295.
Waclawski, J. & Church, A. H. (2002). Organization development: A data-driven approach to organizational change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.