ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR.. COMINICATION & GROUP/TEAMS

CAN I GET IT BUY FRI OR SAT LATEST

Communications in Organizations

Analyze the types of communications networks in Chapter 12 (Colquitt) or Chapter 9 in Hellriegel . Discuss what network style your organization uses. If you are not currently a member of an organization, use a recent organization you are familiar with. Compare and contrast two of the networks and discuss a specific type of organization that would use those two types of communications network. Respond to two of your fellow learners with a positive yet critical analysis of their discussion.

MY DICUSS POST RQD

POST 1

My organization uses two kinds of communication network structures.  For core functions such as sales, inventory mangement, loss prevention, et cetera, all local managers at my level report to a district manager in an example of the wheel network structure.  The district manager then shapes policy for the entire district, and makes adjustments to the performance of various stores.  I agree with the Colquitt text that this structure has a lower degree of “member satisfaction,” but there isn’t a better way to run the system because the local managers are not interdependent; they perform their tasks and communicate their information to their superior, the district manager, without regard to what anyone else is doing. 

Another example I can think of that uses this type of highly regimented, centralized command structure is the military.   

Interestingly, however, my company has also created “areas of responsibility” within the district where each of the ten local managers is tasked with assisting the district manager with policy rulemaking and compliance in a specific area.  The district manager retains the ultimate decisionmaking authority, but there is more cross-channel or lateral comminication between peers as the local managers interact to influence performance metrics, compliance with policy, and clarifications of organizational culture.  This reminds me more of the “all channel” network structure, because all of the team members communicate with one another in regular weekly meetings to discuss any emergent problems at the local level.     

While engaging in this approach, I’ve often been reminded of student team interactions, or team exercises during strategic planning sessions where a group of several individuals must meet and jointly formulate a response to a task. 

MY RESP RQD

POST 2

My organization uses the All-Channel communication network, which is high in efficiency for complex tasks, low in efficiency for simple tasks, and high in member satisfaction. Our tasks are complex, so All-Channel is the most efficient communication style. In addition, our tasks are all inter-related, so ongoing communication is key. Already today, I have had information sharing conversations with 5 other team members, and we often have impromptu meetings to problem solve and share information. By sharing information with each other, we reduce mistakes, avoid duplicating work, and increase efficiency. In the medical billing field, there are constant changes and revisions, so being able to communicate across all lines, to all members, is crucial.

MY RESP RQD

B) When you consider the movie “Hoosiers,” what were some of the communications problems early on in the development of the team? What behaviors did you see that indicated to you that there were problems? Respond to two of your fellow learners with a positive yet critical analysis of their discussion.

MY DICUSS POST RQD
POST 1

I never thought of “Hoosiers” as such as fascinating study in team communication until now. 

Dale had communication issues from the beginning.  His initial overture to Jimmy Chitwood was not particularly successful.  The townspeople, who considered themselves stakeholders in the performance of the local high school basketball team, attempted to show up and intimidate Coach Dale with the sheer force of their numbers and the very loud vocalization of their objections, demonstrating a crisis of leadership at the top.  In addition, Dale had problems with the players as well, leading to him removing two of them from the team and taking other measures to show them both that he was in charge and serious about building them into a cohesive team, with winning a secondary goal. 

Most of the communication problems that Dale encountered were because of “noise” interfering with the message he was trying to deliver to the intended receivers.  Chitwood’s internal dilemma, the town residents’ belief in their own importance, Shooter and Ollie’s personal demons, and the general resistance of the team to Dale’s very presence, let alone his ideas, almost drowned out the message that Dale was trying to convey.  He had to resort to innovative tactics to “boost his gain” and be heard and understood by the receivers over the noise.   

MY RESP RQD
POST 2

Some early communication problems that arose from the movie would be from the team, parents, and towns people. When Coach Dale arrived at the first practice, the players were playing basketball but didn’t seem to be practicing and learning anything. The coach made it very clear that things had to be done his way. He came off very strict and stubborn but in his mind, this was the way he was creating a real team. The players and the rest of the town did not see his goals. One example that showed a problem is when the coach laid down his rules, a few players decided to leave the team. Another one was when one of the players decided to shoot the ball before passing the ball 4 times got benched and did not reenter the game. The player thought he was benefiting the team by scoring but didn’t realize what the coach was trying to instill in all of them.

RES RQD

Groups and Teams in Organizations

As you consider the groups you belong to, which one of these groups do you think is most effective and what is it about that group that makes it effective? Conversely, identify a group you were a member of that was perhaps not reaching its potential. What was it about that group that made it less than optimal? Respond to two of your fellow learners with a positive yet critical analysis of their discussion.

MY DICUSS POST RQD

POST 1

In work group I’m one of two leaders. We are two separate companies under one umbrella, so we have one leader of one company and I lead the other company. The other company has one associate that is directly under the leader and the balance of the employees report to me. Technically speaking corporate says that we are both location leaders, but legally we are separate. It makes it tough because my employees rather report to myself and bring all the issues/day to day things to me and not to the other leader even though the person can answer the questions as well. The most effective part of this arrangement is that I have someone to partner with and to be able to bounce ideas off of. The least effective part is getting the associates more comfortable with the other leader. Sometimes the associates are not very communicative with the other leader because they feel that she doesn’t have the experience to be a leader. The plan that I have been using is that even though I could easily tell the associate the answer, I refer the associate to the other leader then do follow up with both of them. So that I can show the associates that I do believe that the other leader is capable of answering the question.

MY RESPNSE RQD

POST 2

The group that I belong to and feel that it is effective is the Real Estate company that I am licensed with. It is a very small company that my friend started which probably has around 8 people in it. We mainly specialize in buying foreclosures at the auction and flipping them. It is quite an operation that everyone has to rely on each other. There are people driving around every morning viewing each house that is going to sale to inspect its condition. Others are updating the daily list to see is these homes have been postponed, cancelled, or have an opening bid. Someone is running comps on the houses to see what price we can buy them at and make the most profit. It requires tremendous amount of work to get all this information done by 11:00 when the auction starts. As you can see there isn’t any room for error and the team that we have understands their roles and gets the job done every morning. 
Many years ago I worked for an auto dealership in the service department. After about a year of working there, I was invited to the upper management meetings to discuss on improvements. I soon realized why this business wasn’t doing very well. I found that there were many problems and ideas that they discussed to make them more efficient. Nothing ever was done. My own manager did absolutely nothing to convey any new ideas to the rest of us. His communication efforts were horrible. It is hard to improve on something when your manager or boss will not tell you how to.

MY RESPONSE RQD

B) After you watch the video on Hoosiers, analyze his team development process. Compare and contrast his team as it progressed. What behaviors did you see the team use that indicated to the point that it progressed from a group to a team? At what point did the team stop being a group and become a team?

MY DISCUSSION POST RQD

POST 1

The team is much more a collection of individuals rather than a cohesive unit that takes accountability collectively. Coach Dale is new and thrust into a situation where he has to foster a sense of unity and work to build a cohesive unit all working for the same goal. As the basketball squad progresses, individuals learn their roles and become more complementary to each other and contribute to a common goal. The squad evolves from individuals with individual accountability to a cohesive unit with a common goal. In a great show of solidarity and doing what’s best for the “team,” Jimmy Chitwood only agrees to play if coach Dale remains as the coach of the team. The shift towards all members complementing each other and working for a common goal demonstrates how they progressed from a group to a team.

MY RESPONSE RQD
POST 2

Coach Dale’s team development process was defined by his desire to level the playing field by having everyone practice and work, and not allow anyone to be the “star” of the team. He began by making it clear that no one was allowed to get away with bad behavior (star-like behavior) like talking through his practices. He wanted it to be clear that this group would need to work and accept direction instead of making arbitrary, individual choices. When in the first game it became clear that his coaching methods weren’t paying off quickly enough and the players decided to allow one player to “star” and score instead of doing the work he had intended, he made it clear that no one was above his level of discipline; even his best player. Once it was clear that there was no way this type of behavior was allowed, he asked the team to go home over the weekend and decide whether or not they could accept his leadership without question. When they came back, they symbolically assented their willingness to be led, and thus became a team. When there was a referee making a call they disagreed with, his players stood up for the coach so strongly that one of them actually hit someone to defend his honor without feeling any remorse. When they put their feelings into the coach’s work and felt invested in the entire success of the team, they showed their loyalty to him and one another. It paid off later on when against all odds they had to depend on their weakest player and had already exercised that kind of belief and loyalty to the team, so that it was easy to support him.

MY RESPONSE RQD