Free Essay

The Forgotten Group Member Case Study

In:

Submitted By nastiza
Words 596
Pages 3
Chapter 7 Case Study
1. The first stage of the group development phase is forming. This phase is where the group begins to gather and start introductions. Discussing the case Study, The Organizational Behavior Group Christine leads, along with Diane, Janet, Steve and Mike. The First group meeting in the case study involved Christine and her group getting acquitted with one another, which signals the forming phase.
The second phase is Storming. This is known to be one of the hardest phases in group development due to conflicting personalities and different opinions in the brainstorming process. This would refer to the case study in the situation when Christine planned a team meeting 5 weeks into the semester. The conflict was that Mike would not attend most meetings. This resulted in him not participating with the team, which was the opposite interest of the entire team.
Norming is the phase that comes after storming. During this phase, this is when the whole team learns to relate and starts building relationships with each other as friends, rather than acquaintances while attempting to reach the same goal. This started to happen around week 5 in the semester, when the whole team was already feeling comfortable with each other, having the ability to joke with each other. This made Mike feel left out since he missed meetings.
After norming is the fourth phase, performing. This is where the united plan of a group is being accomplished. This phase is shown in the case study when everyone had finished his or her selected sections to Christine for revisions. Mike also turned in a poorly handwritten note, comparing to the others in the team.
The fifth and final phase is adjourning. This stage means that the group has finished everything that needed to be accomplished and can be disbanded. There will then be team evaluations that each peer will fill out about each other. This happens when the group project is finished, but the final grades are decided from the evaluations, which puts Christine is a situation.

2. Some of the main sources of conflict in the case study are involving Mike. It is very clear from the case that the relationship between the entire team comparing to Mike caused him to feel left out and incapable of expressing himself earlier on. Also, Christine did not fix the issue, which caused Mike to distance himself further from the team. Finally, it can be predictable that Christine was worried about how the group was evaluating Mike. However, she did still credit Mike for his contributions, but she was nervous that the team would not see him in a positive way.
3. In my opinion, Christine should pursue a leadership style of ‘Middle-Of-The-Road Management’. This is a style of management that attempts to strike a balance between task accomplishments and people concerns. The main reason I believe that Christine would be appropriate could be her lack of inexperience in being a leader and because of her student lifestyle. There are better options well matched for the situation, but a leader must always understand his or her boundaries while leading. Another reason could be the multiple situations in the case study, when Christine gives too much attention towards goal achievement, and not much for people concerns. She could only have a good connection with the rest of the group excluding Mike, considering that they all contribute towards goal reaching, while Mike does not. Christine needs to show more concern for people under her command who are falling behind or discouraged overall.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Case Study: the Forgotten Group Member

...The Forgotten Group Member Case Study Wanda Keeton keetonwanda@yahoo.com MGMT 591 Leadership and Organizational Behavior November 18, 2012 Dr. Thomas M. Bock Part I: Group Development Reflecting on the case and our text book I believe that the group is in the Storming stage which is the second phase of the group development. There are five phases in group development; the first one is Forming. This stage is when the group starts coming together and begins by introducing themselves. According to the case study Christine is the leader of the group and the other group members are Diane, Janet, Steve and Mike. The second phase is Storming. In this stage the group is coming together showing their own personalities and different opinions during brainstorming. Some of the group has pulled together and have done their portion of the assignment. The group is still not cohesive because of Mike. Mike has missed out on most of the meetings and has not done is fair share of the assignment. The third phase is Norming. In this phase the group should be relating to each other and should be working together on the assignment. Four of the members are getting along and working well together, Mike is feeling left out as he doesn’t attend most of the meetings and is not giving any input. The fourth phase is Performing. In this phase everyone is turning in their part of the assignment so that the leader can compile all the information. Everyone has done their portion even Mike although...

Words: 853 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Case Study - the Forgotten Group Member

...Case Study: The Forgotten Group Member MGMT 591 – Leadership and Organizational Behavior Christopher Declerk 1/27/2013 Group Development 5 Stages of Group Development 1. Forming Stage: In the Forming stage, personal relations are characterized by dependence. Group members rely on safe, patterned behavior and look to the trainer for guidance and direction. Individual learners have a desire for acceptance by the group and a need to know that the group is safe. They set about gathering impressions and data about the similarities and differences among people in the group, and forming preferences. 2. Storming Stage: This stage is characterized by competition and conflict in personal relations. As the group members attempt to work together on the task, conflict inevitably results - healthy debate or slight disagreement. Individuals may need to adapt their feelings, ideas, attitudes, and beliefs to suit the group. 3. Norming Stage: In the norming stage, interpersonal relations are characterized by cohesion. Learners are engaged in active acknowledgment of others' contributions, community building and maintenance, and solving of group issues. Individuals will be willing to change their preconceived ideas or opinions on the basis of facts presented by others, and they actively ask questions of one another. 4. Performing Stage: The performing stage is not always reached by all groups, however if learners are able to get through this stage their capacity...

Words: 721 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Case Study the Forgotten Group Member

...Case Study - The Forgotten Group Member Helen M. Gales GM591 - Leadership and Organizational Behavior Keller Graduate School of Management Professor Leo Shelton July 23, 2012 Case Study - The Forgotten Group Member Part 1: Group Development In looking over the details given for the case, the group appears to still be in the Storming stage. While some of the team has come together and are providing their assigned portions of the class project, they still are not a cohesive, and functioning team; due to one of their team members being preoccupied with outside demands and not really coming together with the rest of the team. By having a better understanding of the stages of group development, Christine would have had a better idea of how to lead the group through the different stages and help them to move forward towards a successful completion of the assignment. The text indicates that for a team to be successful it needs to go through all of the stages, forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning; making progress as each stage is completed. Part II: Problem Identification From the little amount of information that the case gives concerning the initial meetings of the group, the primary problem is that Mike is seen as the "clown" and not taken seriously when suggestions are made. From what the text indicates about the different stages, this indicates a "clique" was formed between the other team members, and a general lack of concern was given to Mike and...

Words: 967 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Case Study 7: the Forgotten Group Member

...CASE STUDY 7: THE FORGOTTEN GROUP MEMBER GM591 LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR Group Development At this point, Christine’s group is considered to be stuck at the storming stage. This is the stage where high tension and emotionality amongst the group members have occurred. (Schermerhorn, et al., 2010) Mike is causing a lot of the tension because he can’t commit to the group meetings; and therefore, it is hard for them to stay motivated and complete their assignment. (Ramsoomair, Franklin 2010) Each group was assigned a specific task and a different section to complete, but Mike is putting a strain on the group by continuing to miss the group meetings and not contributing like he should. (Ramsoomair, Franklin 2010) Christine needed to know the series of life cycle stages that a team passes through because it would have prepared her for the different challenges. Knowing the stages would have helped her to handle the situations differently and also helped the team to remain effective. (Schermerhorn, et al., 2010) Going through the forming stage would have pinpointed who were the hard workers and who were the slackers as they became more acquainted. As she noticed Mike’s behavior in the beginning, she could have found it unacceptable and corrected it. It was expected for everyone to be at the group meetings, but Mike started being absent and became the obstacle standing in the way of the group’s goals which began the storming stage. (Schermerhorn, et al., 2010)...

Words: 1277 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Case Study Week 3 Group Development: the Forgotten Member

...The Forgotten Member Part 1: Group Development Forming Stage: Members in this stage will ask a number of questions as they are still in the process of getting to know one another better. The questions asked can vary. Group members may raise the following questions: "What can I contribute to the group?" "What can the group offer me?" In this stage members are more concerned with getting to know one another a little bit better and learn behavior that's acceptable. Storming Stage - In this stage members tend to be highly emotional and there tends to be a lot of tension in the air. Coalitions and cliques typically form during this stage as members compete to achieve status quo and impose their preferences on one another. This tends to be the most difficult stage to accomplish. Norming Stage - During this stage members are unified. There's now a new sense of harmony following the storming stage and members strive to maintain that harmony. Performing Stage - At this stage we are totally integrated! We now have a well-organized team that functions maturely. We are motivated by team goals and objectives and stable. Additionally, we are satisfied without jobs. At this point we are a High Performance Organization! Adjourning State - Once we have reached the performing stage we are ready to adjourn. At the ‘Adjournment Stage’ the members are able to disband if necessarily, convene quickly, and perform their duties on a tight schedule. Based on the information provided...

Words: 1706 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Yaaaaa

...1. the forgotten group member case study www.scribd.com/doc/.../the-forgotten-group-member-case-study You +1'd this publicly. Undo Sep 19, 2011 – ► 2. Online Cases - Wiley www.wiley.com/college/man/schermerhorn332879/.../frame00.htmCached You +1'd this publicly. Undo 10+ items – Online Cases are updated versions of the textbook case studies ... * • Sun Microsystems – Ch. 2 High Performance Organizations – Human resource ... * • Harley Davidson – Ch. 3 Global Dimensions – Leading; corporate culture ... * • Steinway Piano – Ch. 9 The Nature of Groups – Job design; quality; innovation ... 3. Case 9 The Forgotten Group Member Essay, Case 9 The ... - Essays essaysbank.com/search/Case+9...Forgotten+Group+Member/9Cached You +1'd this publicly. Undo 250.000 FREE Case 9 The Forgotten Group Member Papers & Case 9 The Forgotten Group Member Essays at ... Case Study Of Carnival Corporation, 6 / 1450 ... 4. Case 9 The Forgotten Group Member Essay, Case 9 The Forgotten ... essaysbank.com/search/Case+9++The+Forgotten+Group+MemberCached You +1'd this publicly. Undo 200+ items – 250.000 FREE Case 9 The Forgotten Group Member Papers & Case ... * • Case 9 ? The Forgotten Group Member – 2 / 526 * • A leader or member of the group – 1 / 223 * • Journal Entry Of A Subordinate Group Member – 3 / 796 Show more results from essaysbank.com 5. Free Reports on You Have Forgotten Yourself And That | 91 through ... www.essaydepot...

Words: 555 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Matching Principle

...“The Forgotten Group Member” A case study In leadership and organizational behavior we define a group as a team of people brought together to use their complementary skills to achieve a common purpose for which they are collectively accountable. The “Forgotten Group Member” is a case study of a group of students who were assigned a project by their professor. One student Christine was appointed the group’s leader. The group had a dynamic spectrum of personalities and skills. A basic understanding of the group development stages could have helped Christine to become a more effective leader. The first stage in group development is the forming stage. This is the initial entry of members into the group; individual behavior is driven by a desire to be accepted by the other group members. In the storming stage different ideas compete for consideration. The group members are clarified and start to agree on completing team goals. The team addresses issues such as what problems they are to resolve and how they will function independently and as a group. They will also agree upon what type of leadership model will best meet the needs of the different personalities in the group. During the norming stage the group members form working relationships and start working together to accomplish the group goals. The group will have one overall goal and will make a mutual plan for the group. In the performing stage the groups relationships mature and tasks are being completed. Group members...

Words: 734 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

The Forgotten Group Member

...Case Study wk 3” The Forgotten Group Member” Well after reading “The Forgotten Group Member” I think this has some very good examples for group development and the stages that go with it. I would say it would start with forming storming norming, and performing then adjourning. The forming concept begins as a group is brought together thru some formal selection and initially they talk and get to know one another. They select a leader who gives some direction and have tasks that are assigned for collecting data .There maybe some differences that have to be sorted out and perhaps some sub grouping, but by keeping a set of rules and keeping it simple as to avoid any problems and controversy .Even if there is conflict if it is simple can be resolved efficiently. The key here is to assign tasks and get them done efficiently as possible to avoid any issues and conflicts this can be accomplished if everyone becomes well orientated and works together defining tasks ,how to get it done and grow as a team to accomplish that goal. In Storming this is where the group begins to get ideas for the task defining and organizing getting into a group process. Coming up with ideas .Within the group ideas are tossed back and forth and sometimes so is conflict this is where organizing and setting some ground rules to put the effort into motion has to be set. In the Norming stage the interpersonalizations of a group are characterized by cohesion. In this process members contribute ideas and try...

Words: 957 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

The Forgotten Group Member

...The Forgotten Group Member Melissa T Grice Keller Graduate School of Business Management Leadership & Organizational Behavior GM 591 Professor Carr July 23, 2011 The Forgotten Group Member According to our text, “A team is a group of people brought together to use their complementary skills to achieve a common purpose for which they are collectively accountable” (Schermerhorn, 2010). The case study involving, The Forgotten Group Member demonstrates an excellent example of how teams fail and fall apart related to a breakdown or lack of effective communication between all parties involved. Thus, it is important to acknowledge that a leader has responsibility to lead the team, but the members also must be involved in order to complete the project effectively and in a timely manner. Part I. Group Development After review of the case and data from the textbook, the group begins the storming stage. “The storming stage of team development is a period of high emotionality and tension among the group members. During this stage, hostility and infighting may occur, and the team typically experiences many changes” (Schermerhorn, 2010). Noticeably, hostility and fighting came from Mike and his perceptions about how the group was excluding him from meetings, which wasn’t an accurate perception. One could determine that if Mike would participate in the workload he could become a viable player in the team. Mike hasn’t performed to the degree as other group members have because...

Words: 794 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Case Study

...“The Forgotten Team Member” Case Study Looking into this case study, “The Forgotten Team Member” I noticed some things that could effect a team positively and negatively. Also, I notice some things that separates a good leader from a great or effective leader. Throughout this paper I will touch basis on the stages of group development, identify the primary and secondary problems within Christine’s group, and I will give two possible solutions to the primary problem. There are a couple of things I would have done differently had I been in Christine’s position. There are four different stages of team development. The forming stage is the stage at the beginning of coming together as a group. This stage is centered around getting to know each other. Next, the storming stage is the stage where group members experience tension amongst each other. Group members may display forms of hostility and fighting within the group may occur. The norming stage is when members start to come together. During this stage the group is working together to maintain a positive balance. The performing stage shows the progression of the team. It’s the time when the maturity, organization, and well-functioning team begins to reveal itself. They are able to agree to disagree and handle complex task. The structure of the team is stable and the team goals have motivated the members. Lastly, the adjourning stage is the stage whaen all the work is done, the task is over, and its time for the members to part...

Words: 960 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

The Forgotten Group Member

...The Forgotten Group Member Name: Institution: Instructor: Date of submission: Introduction There are five main stages in group development. These are formation, storming, norming, the performing stage and the adjourning stage (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2007). It is necessary for each of these stages to be undertaken by every group; clearly knowing when on stage ends and another begins. Failures to do so, problems occur, that may culminate to poor performance or not completing the assignment at all. An analysis on a research carried out in the University of Ontario, school of business. Students were asked to carry out a group assignment. This paper discusses Problems, causes and possible solutions of the problems in this group. a) The Issue. In Christine’s group, there are a number of issues that stir concern. Mike does not take his part of the assignment seriously. He comes to meetings poorly prepared and enjoys talking about unimportant issues during discussions and misses others. Janet, although hardworking, misses meeting sessions without apology. Christine, as the group leader, does not manage to unite the group members so as to achieve the best results. This does not comply with the mission statement and job description they had earlier signed in the exhibits. Janet’s plan to leave the group and work alone is an indication of the failure of the group to stick together. The major issue in this organization is leadership incompetence...

Words: 801 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Homework

...GM 591: Leadership and Organizational Behavior Case Study The Forgotten Member Group Development The stage I believe the group is at is the “Storming Stage”. The reason I picked this stage is because from reading the case study it seem as if the team was in conflict with one of the members Mike. In the textbook on page 168 it tells us that the storming stage is where high emotions and tension among the group members happens. Also, this is the stage members’ different attitude starts to develop on the team and from the case study reading you could see that Mike was the trouble maker and could not or would not make any of the meetings. Understanding the stages of group development would have assisted Christine in many ways such as she would have been able to talk with Mike before the problem escalated to the team as a whole. For example in the case study it stated that Mike would send Christine his brief notes for her to discuss at group meetings. Christine should have told Mike he needs to be at the meeting because that what was expected of him as team member and that she would not read any notes. To me this would have made Mike feel he had to show up so he does not let the team down. Also, she would have been organized by knowing the stages and she would keep the team moving in the right direction. For example in the first meeting Christine would have known to let everyone know what was expected of them and stop the actions of...

Words: 272 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

The New

...Case Study: The Forgotten Member MGMT 591 Leadership and Organizational Behavior Professor Bailey March 29, 2013 We could probably start the conversation off by saying, “poor Christine” and “this is the reason why I never take group leader”. I almost had a flashback myself! Group dynamics and group development is very important. According to the case study, Christine already had a problem to begin with and although at the time it was a minor fix, it eventually became a major concern. Teamwork truly consists of a project individually split up by the persons on the team/group and performed collectively. In Christine’s group, there was excitement in the team and the understanding of what work was to be performed. In understanding the stages of development, it looks as though Christine may have herself caught between the “Forming and Storming” stages of developing her team. Out of all of her team members she was not reassured that Mike would be able to participant from the beginning when he made the statement of having to work overnight. At that point, as group leader, Christine should have sought a compromise with his concern. If this could not be resolved in day one, the resolution should take place no later than day two. Without the opportunity for compromise, Christine and the group was already headed to destruction. Another key point that Christine needed to know was her forming stage with Mike needed a little more personal attention to understand his emotional and...

Words: 804 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Leadership Andorganizational Mgmt

...Leadership and Organizational Behavior Case Study 1 “The Forgotten Group Member” Andrea Watts Keller University Leadership and Organizational Behavior MGMT 591 Timothy Staley November 16, 2013 Group Development As I began reading the “Forgotten Group Member”, I found that the group is in the “storming” stage of team development. I am able to determine this due to the setting of the events laid out by the author. The setting gives the present then it goes back and tells that the team is in week 5 of the project. The author also gives some history about the “forming stage” and events that had occurred at that time. After reading a bit more, it is clear that the group is experiencing some tension and rebellion by one of its team members. Had Christine, understood the importance of understanding the stages of development, she could have laid a better foundation as team lead so that they could have avoided this cynical behavior and the energy and outcome of the project would have been better for all of those involved. Problem Identification The primary problem in the case study was that Christine had failed to set the proper expectations and orientation for the group and this caused her to lose respect of one of her peers. Mike had been able to manipulate Christine with excuses from the beginning. Unfortunately, Christine fell subject to his manipulative behavior and lost control of her team as a hold. In my opinion, the “forming” stage of team development is very important...

Words: 611 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

The Forgetten

...The Forgotten Group Member Case Study Leadership and Organizational Behavior/GM591 January 22, 2012 Group Development After reading the case study and reviewing the five stages of team development. I can say that the team is in the Storming stage of the team development. Even though they may appear in the Performing stage because the other team members were handling their part of the paper, the professor advised the team that they must deal with the problems within the group first. Christine skipped the Forming stage and based her opinion of her team mates on what she observed about them. Had she got to know them by meeting with them together or one on one, she could have gotten to see if her observation were accurate. It would have also given the team am insight on any outside issues that may affect the team. There was also no relationship with the entire team. Problem Identification The team was aware there was a problem with Mike’s participation (already identified as a clown based on Christine’s observation), but he was approached about his behavior and lack of contribution to the team. Christine may have been an organized hard working student, but she seems to lack skills in dealing with conflict. It became a big deal to Mike when he assumed that the team was meeting without him. Even after explaining the impromptu get together Mike still believed what his eyes saw and distanced himself again. Any of the team members could have reached...

Words: 684 - Pages: 3