The Open UniversitySkip to content
 
Skip My preferences

My preferences

Skip Learning ToolsSkip Rate and Review

Rate and Review

Unit rating: 5 stars.
Rated by 1 user(s)
Skip Alternative FormatsSkip TagsSkip Share this unit with a friend

Share this unit with a friend

Help with sending a link to this unit (new window)
Permalink to this unit:
 

Topic outline

 

  • Time: 20 hours
    Level: Intermediate

 
 

Introduction

  • Introduction Resource
  • Are you always the quiet one when it comes to group discussion? This unit will help you improve your working relationships with other people in groups of three or more. This unit also deals with project...
 

Unit outline

  • Unit outline Resource
  • The focus of this unit is on relating to groups of other people rather than one-to-one relationships. Reading 1 develops some general concepts about ‘groups’ and ‘teams’, not just those at work. The later...
 

Reading 1 Groups and teams

  • 1.1 What is a group? Resource
  • Our tendency to form groups is a pervasive aspect of organisational life. As well as formal groups, committees and teams, there are informal groups, cliques and cabals.
  • 1.2 What is a team? Resource
  • Write your own definition of a ‘team’ (in 20 words or less).
  • 1.3 Types of teams Resource
  • Different organisations or organisational settings lead to different types of team. The type of team affects how that team is managed, what the communication needs of the team are and, where appropriate,...
  • 1.4 New types of team Resource
  • In addition to the traditional types of teams or groups outlined above, recent years have seen the growth of interest in two other important types of team: ‘self-managed teams’ and ‘self-organising teams’....
  • 1.5 Why do (only some) teams succeed? Resource
  • Clearly, it is not possible to devise a set of rules which, if followed, would lead inexorably to team effectiveness. The determinants of a successful team are complex and not equivalent to following a...
  • 1.6 Conclusions Resource
  • This reading has addressed four questions: what characterises a group, what characterises a team, how project teams are organised and what can make teams ineffective. Groups can be formal or informal depending...
 

Reading 2 Working in groups

  • 2.1 Belonging to a group Resource
  • Because work groups are of central significance in the functioning of an organisation they have been studied intensively, and much has been written about group processes. In this reading it would be inappropriate...
  • 2.2 Group processes Resource
  • So far, the emphasis has been on the factors that are significant in the relationship between an individual and the group. In this section I examine such issues as what tasks the group has to perform,...
  • 2.3 Conclusions Resource
  • The main points made in this reading have been:
 

Reading 3 Projects and project teams

  • 3.1 Types of projects Resource
  • Formal projects are a familiar part of nearly all work situations and are often a staple part of some organisations. Because of this it is worth looking at some of the features of formal projects and their...
  • 3.2 Project life cycles Resource
  • Earlier I said that a project is: ‘a unique venture with a beginning and an end’ (Boddy and Buchanan, 1992, p. 8). But it must have a middle, too. We say that a project has a ‘life cycle’. This is based...
  • 3.3 Managing projects and project teams Resource
  • Projects take place within organisations whose structures, philosophies and cultures affect how work is planned and carried out. I shall briefly discuss organisations and how they go about planning as...
  • 3.4 What does a project manager do? Resource
  • So what is project management and what does a project manager do? Project management involves managing teams of people from different disciplines to achieve unique project objectives. For example, a new...
  • 3.5 Conclusions Resource
  • There are many different types of projects; all have specific objectives, constraints (such as budgets and schedules) and a group or team responsible for the completion of the project.
 

Reading 4 Leadership

  • 4.1 The leader's role Resource
  • This reading is concerned with the relationship between the leader and his or her subordinates and the effectiveness of different approaches to this relationship.
  • 4.2 Leaders and authority Resource
  • Achieving an appropriate balance between autocratic and democratic leadership is no easy task, as this quote by McGregor illustrates:
  • 4.3 Leadership theories Resource
  • Many theories about leadership tend to focus on the question ‘What is it that makes one leader more effective than another?’ The hope is that by observing carefully enough how successful leaders operate,...
  • 4.4 Conclusions Resource
  • The classic ‘scientific’ view of the leader is as the central ‘controller’ – planning, monitoring and regulating.
 

References and Acknowledgements

Skip Log inSkip Related educational resources