Tuckman’s Model and the Opportunities It Offers: Small Group Development
Considering Tuckman’s model of stages of group development, Bonebright considers the model in relation to the development of smaller groups within an organization. It is essential that Bonebright not only provides an account of the model suggested by Tuckman, but also does so from the historical perspective.
According to the results of the research, the model suggested by Tuckman has stood the test of time, providing “practical perspective and commonsense approach” (Bonebright, 2010, 118). As Bonebright mentions, the given model can be considered timeless, since it introduces an approach that is likely to work in most small groups of employees: “unlikely that a model with similar impact will come out of the new literature” (Bonebright 119).
Despite the fact that Bonebright does not establish any revolutionary discoveries in the article, she still offers an honest and detailed account of the theory that seemed to have worn out its welcome several years before.
Jiatao’s Factional Groups and the Rearrangement of Organizational Behavior
Unlike the previously mentioned paper, in which no major groundbreaking ideas are offered, the article by Jiatao and Hambrick suggests a new phenomenon for consideration, namely, the one of factual groups. According to the authors of the research, factual groups are groups of people who constitute two or more social entities. Hence, the authors offer a new means to considering the conflicts within a group of employees, and, therefore, new methods to solve these conflicts.
Analyzing the relationship between the factual faultiline size, two different types of conflicts emerging in a factional group, i.e., emotional conflicts and task conflicts, and the following behavioral disintegration, the authors of the research make it evident that “in factional groups, large demographic fault-lines between factions will bring about task conflict and emotional conflict, and in turn behavioral disintegration” (Jiatao & Hambrick, 2005, 800).
The given paper is essential in learning the nature of conflicts within groups of employees and searching for the means to solve these conflicts.
Discussing the Reasons for a Workplace Deviant Behavior: Kantur’s Theoretical Premises
There is no secret that, though workplace behavior can and must be regulated according to the rules of the company, the actual behavior of the employees can sometimes leave much to be desired. Kantur considers the instances of workplace deviant behavior, detecting the key factors that contribute to the instances of the corporate behavioral rules and lead to deviant behavior among the employees. The researcher specifies nine questions, the answers to which help identify the source of the problem within the team of employees.
According to Kantur, there are two key issues that lead to poor performance of a group of employees, which are emotional conflicts and behavioral disintegration. As Kantur’s research results show, most difficulties arise in the least homogenous teams, especially if the variables are either gender or ethnics (Kantur 809). The given paper shows in a very graphic way the specifics of relationships among employees, as well as the levels of adjustment among the latter.
Virtuousness and Happiness as the Cornerstones of Successful Performance
Of all assets of a typical employee, organizational virtuousness and content are seemingly less important than the ability to provide quality services on time.
However, when considering the given issue a little bit closer, one will have to admit that the employees’ state of mind has quite an impact on the quality of services which they deliver. Hence, dealing with such issues as organizational virtuousness and happiness and their impact on employees’ performance and the citizenship behaviors, Rego, Ribeiro & Cunha contribute considerably to defining the relationships between the organizational virtuousness and the affective well-0being of the employees.
Speaking of the key research results, one will have to mention the five-factor model which Rego, Ribeiro & Cunha have introduced. According to the authors of the research, there are several elements that make together the bulk for employees’ job satisfaction and the feeling of comfort, namely, optimism, trust, compassion, integrity, and forgiveness, which together make organizational virtuousness.
As the researchers explain, with the help of the given elements, the atmosphere in a team can be improved significantly. Meanwhile, in the team with none of the above-mentioned present, the productivity will soon be reduced to zero.
The given paper helps to understand that efficient leadership system is supposed to take into account not only the needs and wants of the entire team, but also the ambitions of every single member in particular, making sure that each of the employees is perfectly content with his position and his job.
Once there is a single discrepancy and an uncomfortable element in the working process, the productivity can be hindered. With the help of the results of the given research, one can build an efficient strategy for improving the current performance of the employees. Offering a detailed account of the factors that impact the quality of employees’ work, Rego, Ribeiro & Cunha help shape the idea of an appropriate organizational behavior standard.
Reference List
Bonebright, D. (2010) A. 40 years of storming: a historical review of Tuckman’s model of small group development. Human Resource Development International, 13(1), 111-120.
Jiatao, L. & Hambrick, D. C. (2005). Factional groups: A new vantage on demographic faultlines, conflict, and disintegration in work teams. Academy of Management Journal, 48(5), 794-813.
Kantur, D. (2010). Emotional motives and attitudinal reflections of workplace deviant behavior. The Business Review, 14(2), 70-77.
Rego, A., Ribeiro, N., & Cunha, M. P. (2009). Perceptions of organizational virtuousness and happiness as predictors of organizational citizenship behaviors. Journal of Business Ethics, 93, 215-235.