JOURNAL

• What are the four stages to group development? Why are each stage important?

F O R M A L V S . I N F O R M A L

GROUP STRUCTURES

GROUP STRUCTURES

• There are two types of group classifications:• Formal• Informal

FORMAL GROUPS

• Formal groups are organized within a business• Committee or Task Force• Project Team

• Formal groups have a relatively temporary life• Short-term

• They are created to accomplish a task• Once finished the group is disbanded

FORMAL GROUPS

• Some examples of formal groups include:• Departments• Accounting • Human Resource • Marketing

• Task Force• Project Team• Creative Team• Board of Directors

INFORMAL GROUPS

• Informal groups can become powerful within an organization• Increases job productivity and satisfaction

• Informal groups are a network of personal and social relations• They are not established or required by their employer• They are formed naturally based on similar likes and

interests

INFORMAL GROUPS

• Some examples of informal groups are:• Neighborhoods• Friendships• Hobby Groups• Sports Teams• Clubs

• At work they can be small groups of friends, or co-workers that enjoy similar activities• Something to talk about at work other than work itself –

‘water-cooler” talk

THE INFORMAL LEADER - POSITIVES

• Help socialize new members into the organization• Enjoy certain informal rewards and privileges• High esteem • Form of job enrichment• Variety in their workday• Feeling greater significance

• Increasing personal contacts• Source of recognition

THE INFORMAL LEADER - NEGATIVES

• An informal leader does not always make the best manager• Often criticize management for lacking initiative

or for not daring to be different• Become more conservative because they are

afraid to make a mistake• Other informal leaders fail because their area of

official managerial authority is broad and more complex than the tiny area in which they had informal power

QUESTIONS

• What do you think would be the advantages to having a formal group structure?

• What do you think would be the advantages to having an informal group structure?

• What is an example of both structures here at BCI?

• What are examples of formal and informal group structures that you belong to?