Organizational behavior

Reflection paper on group

dynamics



By-Venkata Vinod Kumar Sadhu
PGDM





ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR MYRA SCHOOL OF BUSINESS


Introduction:
I was very excited to check in which group Im standing when I got mail regarding
groups. I knew that it will be real fun to work with teams as I experienced it during my previous
courses. Debating over theories and finally leaning towards best possible solution. It will be real
learning session as we can learn from everyone. But this time I got a team with five people
where three are my friends one I know enough to make a good conversation and the last one is
like a person with whom I wont talk much. After looking at it I started making plans so that this
wont affect teams integrity.
On Saturday evening we started figuring out how to deal with this case. Some are missing
actually we thought to have first meet on Friday itself but due some program in college some
didnt came. Then we changed it to Saturday still some people didnt show up. I thought to make
a conversation with the guy with whom I dont speak and it became disaster when we exchanged
a serious look at each other. I should have done in a good way but still involuntarily I called out
the idea to make a bond with him. We discussed about case made sure that everyone knows what
case actually means. At first we thought to do the case as a team sitting together and not
segregate it into parts, but because of some peoples absence we thought that they wont show up
if we dont insist them. We then sat together with the people who are available as one didnt
show up and other came 1 hour late. We divided the work equally to everyone primarily and I
took the part of combining all the data and writing executive summary in addition to my work.
We thought to get back all our individual parts by Sunday afternoon. Next I was not surprised to
see three of our teammates didnt even completed half of their work. We then sat together again
helped each other somehow managed to complete the work. We managed to complete individual
parts and then the real issue came. We have done everything individually with their formats and
ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR MYRA SCHOOL OF BUSINESS


their own way to address the questions. I was dumbstruck looking at them collectively and I was
not sure how to mix them up to get a better output. As in the starting I said that I will do that part
which made me liable to team for completing that particular task.
Then I went to one of my well experienced team mate to seek advice. Both of us sat
together and started again from line to line. We managed to rephrase and set everything in right
format. While doing this we finally got the last individual part from one of our teammate whom
we didnt even seen throughout the meets. I have finally taken it and added it and edited it
completely. By the next day morning I came up with executive summary and added it creating
final document.
My observations in team:
We failed to lay rules properly and to create a responsible work environment.
Failed to deliver on time by many members.
Forming, storming was not done properly among the team.
Initiative and seeking was done in a better way but after that became slow due to many
reasons.
Lack of harmonizing between me and my friend and both of us never even thought of
compromising.
Clearly I can see that there is a gap between team members.
We never paid proper attention to forming.
We failed to motivate our team mate who was absent all the time for team meets.
We worked more efficiently when the deadline is becoming closer.
I should have made better conversation with my teammates.
ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR MYRA SCHOOL OF BUSINESS


Applying Organizational Behavior concepts:
Here we should have applied forming, norming, storming, performing and adjouring.
We should have provided extrinsic motivation for our teammate who failed to attend
meeting to get better output.
We should have used concepts of team effectiveness by combining all members
individual skills.
Even though one person didnt attend the meetings and helped us we four worked
together and helped each other.
We should have created better rules and made sure that everyone should follow them.
Better harmonizing skills should have helped us in reducing gap between teammates.
Better compromising skills would have helped us in reducing conflicts among teammates.
My confirmatory bias towards one of my teammate caused some serious ripples which
also affected teams performance.
We failed to bring synergy affect in individuals which would have helped us in getting
better and quick solution.
We went through availability bias and confirmatory bias and thought that one person
wont be available for the rest of team meet but she came up with her part. Even though
she did many mistakes at least she tried. We should have motivated her properly.
Team dynamics:
As team we motivated each other to get better individual performance which in return
leaded to better teams performance. We have failed in framing out proper set of rules and make
everyone liable to team. At some points we failed to motivate one person to play his role in team.
ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR MYRA SCHOOL OF BUSINESS


We fell in recency affect while looking at the size of case but while going we learnt its not as
simple as it looks. Even though we faced many problems in between slowly our team went
through different phases of group development (forming, storming, etc) and finally figured out
the best thing for team and adopted it to complete the assignment.
DOs and Donts:
I shouldnt have brought my confirmatory bias into the team and maintained distance
with my teammate.
I should have made better conversation with him by breaking ice between us but my
emotions didnt permitted it I should have behaved with little maturity.
I should have taken the leadership role and made rules to make an effective team but I
thought someone will take it but everyone behaved like an autonomous body.
I should have taken responsibility in initialization and should have played some more
qualitative role.
I should have used to my power to help others in better way to obtain better results.