11.1 Work groups

A work group is two or more employees who interact regularly, share information and work towards common goals within an organisation. Work groups are the basic units through which office work gets done: the reception staff, the records section, the secretarial pool and the accounts clerks each form a work group. In a work group, members coordinate their efforts but are often assessed on their own contribution. A team, defined earlier in this unit, goes further: its members share responsibility for one joint result and hold each other accountable for it. Every team is a work group, but not every work group is a team.

Example: the five secretaries in a law firm form a work group. They share the typing load, cover for each other during leave and follow the same document formats, although each is assigned to particular advocates and is appraised on her own work.

11.1.1 Characteristics of a work group

A work group has features that distinguish it from a collection of individuals who simply happen to work in the same place. These characteristics explain why groups develop their own identity and ways of working, which managers must understand to lead them well.

• Two or more members: a group needs at least two people; office work groups range from a pair of clerks to a whole section.
• Common goal: members work towards shared objectives, such as processing all incoming mail on the day it arrives.
• Regular interaction: members communicate and work with each other frequently, face to face or through digital tools.
• Group norms: the group develops unwritten rules about behaviour, such as reporting time, dress or how much work is a fair day's output.
• Collective identity: members see themselves as part of the group and are seen by others as a unit, such as "the registry staff".
• Structure: the group has a leader, reporting lines and a pattern of relationships, whether formally appointed or informally accepted.
• Cohesiveness: members feel attached to the group to varying degrees, which affects how well they cooperate.

11.1.2 Defined roles and responsibilities

As with team roles in the coordinating principle, each member of a work group has a defined role: a set of duties and expected behaviours. Responsibilities state what each member is answerable for. Defined roles allow the group to divide its work, avoid duplication and know whom to approach for each matter. They are set out in job descriptions, duty lists and schedules, and they also grow informally as members take on roles such as the person who trains newcomers. Example: in a records section, one officer registers incoming files, another handles file movement and retrieval, and a third manages the archive and disposal schedule.

Benefits of defined roles in a work group

• Accountability: when something goes wrong, it is clear who must answer and correct it.
• Efficiency: members develop skill and speed in their own duties.
• Reduced conflict: clear boundaries prevent disputes over who should do what.
• Easier supervision: the supervisor can check each person's work against their role.
• Quicker induction: a new member learns at once which duties are theirs and whom to approach for the rest, so they become useful to the group sooner.

11.1.3 Interdependence

Interdependence means that members of a work group rely on each other to complete their work. The output of one member is the input of another, so a delay or error by one affects the whole group. Interdependence is what makes coordination necessary. Example: in a procurement office, the purchase requisition prepared by one clerk is needed before another clerk can raise the local purchase order, which in turn is needed before the stores clerk can receive goods.

Forms of interdependence

James Thompson (1967) described three forms of interdependence, each needing a different level of coordination.

• Pooled interdependence: members work separately but contribute to a shared result and share common resources, such as clerks each handling their own clients but using the same office budget. Coordination is mainly through standard rules and procedures.
• Sequential interdependence: the work of one member must be finished before the next can start, as in the requisition, order and receipt chain above. Coordination is mainly through schedules and plans.
• Reciprocal interdependence: members pass work back and forth, each depending on the other, such as a secretary and a manager revising a report several times. Coordination is through frequent direct communication.

Other characteristics of work groups

• Shared resources: members use the same equipment, budget and space.
• Mutual influence: members affect each other's attitudes, effort and behaviour.
• Stability over time: most work groups continue for long periods, unlike temporary task teams.