Groups and Teams

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Published 2019-11-10

Workgroups are formal groups established by the organization to do its work. Workgroups include command (or functional) groups and affinity groups (as well as teams). A command group is relatively permanent and is characterized by functional reporting relationships such as having both a group manager and those who report to the manager. Command groups are usually included in the organization chart.

Affinity groups are relatively permanent collections of employees from the same level in the organization who meet on a regular basis to share information, capture emerging opportunities, and solve problems. Employees sometimes form groups to discuss or pursue common interests. The members of functional teams come from the same department or functional area. A team of marketing employees and a team of finance employees are examples of functional teams. Cross-functional teams have members from different departments or functional areas. This is one of the most common types of work teams.

Virtual teams are becoming increasingly common in organizations. New forms of technology, coupled with pressures to reduce travel costs, make it easy for colleagues who are geographically dispersed to interact in ways that mirror face-to-face interactions.
The composition of a group plays an important role in determining group productivity. Group composition is most often described in terms of the homogeneity or heterogeneity of the members. The best combination is for the group to be cohesive and for the group’s goals to be congruent with the organization’s goals.

Partnerships among teams throughout the organization can help the internal teams continue to meet the needs of external customers. The best reason to start teams in any organization is to achieve the positive benefits that can result from a team-based environment: enhanced performance, employee benefits, reduced costs, and organizational enhancements.