Organizational Behavior and Team Effectiveness: HND Business Report

This report delves into the concepts of team effectiveness and organizational behavior, exploring how these elements contribute to organizational success. It examines the characteristics of effective and ineffective teams, emphasizing factors like shared objectives, open communication, role clarity, and mutual trust. The report analyzes team development theories, particularly Tuckman's stages of group development (forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning) and Belbin's theory of team roles, illustrating their application in fostering team cohesion and performance. Furthermore, it discusses various organizational behavior theories, including complexity theory, French and Raven's power bases, hybrid organizational theory, informal organizational theory, and resource dependency theory, highlighting their relevance in shaping workplace dynamics and influencing employee behavior. The report uses a case study of a florist company to illustrate how these theories can be applied to improve team effectiveness and achieve organizational goals, focusing on the interplay between informal organization and resource dependency theories. Finally, the report evaluates the relevance of team development theories within the context of organizational behavior, emphasizing the importance of understanding and managing team dynamics for improved organizational outcomes.

Running head: ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR AND TEAM EFFECTIVENESS
ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR AND TEAM EFFECTIVENESS
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1ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR AND TEAM EFFECTIVENESS
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Discussion........................................................................................................................................3
Team effectiveness..........................................................................................................................3
Concepts and philosophies of the organizational behaviour...........................................................6
Analysis and evaluation of relevance of team development theories in relation to organizational
behaviour.........................................................................................................................................9
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................11
References......................................................................................................................................12

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Introduction
Team effectiveness or group effectiveness refers to the ability of the group or team to
achieve the organizational goals and objectives and that is administered by organizational
personnel’s. A team is said to be effective when all the members of the team are competent and
reliable and therefore there is respect and trust between the members of the team. Moreover
effective teams are the ones which reflect mutual respect between the team members. In order to
understand the concept of team work and effectiveness of team theories such as that of Tuckman
and Belbin can be used. According to Tuckman theory of team development a team passes
through five main stages including- forming, norming, storming, performing and adjourning
(Cosmina-Simona, Małgorzata and Małgorzata 2017). Organizational behavior on the other hand
refers to the study of performances of individuals and groups. Therefore organizational behavior
includes study of human behavior in relation to their work environment and the impact of the
same on the job structure, communication, motivation, performance and leadership. The
organizational behavior theories include the study of group behavior, individual behavior,
organizational processes and organizational structure. Some of the theories and concepts of
organizational behavior includes organizational theory that is hybrid, informal and also includes-
resource dependency theories. All the organizational theories have one thing in common that is
the requirement for team flexibility. The main aim of the paper is to discuss about team
effectiveness, organizational behavior theories and concepts that can help organization in growth
and expansion and also analysis and evaluation of the team development theories. The paper will
discuss about the team effectiveness theories as given by Tuckman and Belbin and application of
the same in order to create an effective team. The paper will also discuss about the application of

3ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR AND TEAM EFFECTIVENESS
the organizational behavior theories and concepts in influencing the organizational behavior.
And the paper will discuss about the different team development theories.
Discussion
Team effectiveness
Team effectiveness refers to the ability of a team or group to achieve the organisational
goals effectively and efficiently by working in cooperation with each other. There are numerous
factors that contribute to improving the effectiveness of teams (Donesky et al. 2019). Some of
the main characteristics or factors that make a team effective include- sharing objectives and
gaols, having an organizational environment that supports open communication between the
team members, description of roles within the team properly in order to avoid any form of role
ambiguity, creating an organizational climate that supports transparency in operations and
mutual trust and respect between the team members. An effective team is one which overcomes
all its conflicts through application of conflict management techniques. On the other hand, a
team is said to be ineffective when it finds difficulty in solving conflicts, when there is lack of
commitment of the team members towards achievement of the common gaols, when a team lacks
trust and respect (Flanagan and Wilkie 2018). Moreover an ineffective organisation shows
characteristics of inability to handle a diversified workforce, lack of cohesiveness, improper
definition of the job roles leading to role conflicts and therefore contributing to reduction in the
overall efficiency and productivity of the organization.
According to the team and group development theories of Tuckman, a team or group has
to go through 5 main stages including- forming, norming, performing, storming and adjourning.
These stages are followed by teams in order to perform successfully and to achieve the

4ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR AND TEAM EFFECTIVENESS
organizational objectives (Goodman 2016). The team development theory as given by Tuckman
can help the team members to learn to work effectively in teams. And the stages that have been
identified by him help the team members in performing highly. Therefore the theory helps the
team members in understanding how they should behave in a team and it also helps them in
understanding the performance level expected from them. For this purpose, norms are set by the
team that can help the members in guiding their activities. Therefore the team members lay down
particular standards of behaviours, performance and attitude that all the members are required to
follow. Therefore by laying down norms the team members are made to support and develop
relationships in the team by enforcing compliance with the norms (Lacerenza et al. 2018).
As a result of interaction between the team members during the team development
process norms are formulated. During the initial stages of team development that comprises of
the storming and forming stages, norms helps in ensuring commitment and attendance within the
team. Moreover during the stages of performing and norming norms helps in ensuring that the
performance levels and the relationship between the team members is maintained. Further the
success of the team is dependent upon the various standards and the level of work efforts that
have been determined on the basis of the performance norms. Moreover during the entire process
of team development, the leader has a very important role to play as he can act as a role model
for all the members and also for the purpose of rewarding the team member for influencing their
behaviours. However for norms to be effective it is necessary for them to be accepted. And
therefore the acceptability of the norms by the team members is further dependent upon team
cohesiveness. Team cohesiveness measures the ability of the team members to feel attracted to
remain in the team. Teams that have high cohesiveness among themselves are the ones who feel
committed towards the organization and also feel satisfied with their jobs. The members of a

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cohesive team try to comply to all the organizational norms thereby meeting the expectations of
the team and also maintaining their relationships.
Figure 1: Tuckman’s group and team development model
Source: (Martinko 2018)
Moreover according to the Belbin theory, all the team members have a behaviour pattern
that influences the behaviours of others in the team and it also facilitates the progress of the team
towards achievement of the common objectives. In other words, the Belbin theory helps the team
members in understanding their role in the team can with which the strengths and weaknesses of
the team members can be understood. With the help of this theory, the team members can
improve their contribution to the teams by working in cooperation with each other. An outside
florist company can ensure achievement of their organizational objectives and goals by

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improving team effectiveness in their organization. Team effectiveness of the organization can
be improved by making use of the Tuckman’s and Belbin theory. Moreover by applying the team
work theories of Tuckman and Belbin, the florist company will be able to handle its team
comprising of members with different cultural backgrounds and similar other differences.
Concepts and philosophies of the organizational behaviour
Organizational behaviour refers to the study of “WHY ORGANIZATIONS BEHAVE
THE WAY THEY DO”. Therefore organizational behaviour is the study of the way people
interact with each other in the organization. Moreover the concept of organizational behaviour
also includes- job satisfaction, group dynamics, job performance, innovation, creativity and
leadership. By understanding the concepts and the theories of organizational behaviour, the
reasons why organizations thrive, and it also helps in understanding their strategies and changes
that needs to be adopted by the organization for the purpose of improving their performance.
Theories of organizational behaviour can help in solving the organizational problems in a more
effective way. The organizational behaviour theory includes a number of theories such as- the
complexity theory, French and Raven’s five bases of power, an organizational theory that is
hybrid, an organizational theory that is informal and also includes the theory of resource
dependency. One common theme among them is the flexibility of the team management. The
flexibility of the team management depends upon leading the team properly with continuous
focus and by making use of the heart.
Therefore the leader can decide to incorporate different theories at the same time for the
purpose of leading the team successfully. The complexity theory of organizational behaviour is
based on the assumption that workplace and companies are dynamic and not rigid. The
complexity theory of organizational behaviour tends to be more suitable when the ideas and the

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solutions of the team structure is more rigid. Therefore workplaces and companies work as a
dynamic ecosystem where all parts are interdependent upon each other. Therefore under the
complexity theory the organizations do not make rigid ideas and rather it leaves room for
dynamic flexibility. The power bases as given by French and Raven provides answer to why
certain people have more power and influence in an organization than others. The five main
sources of power as identified by French and Raven include- legitimate power and reward
power. The organizational theory which is hybrid is one in which the organization does not have
to make a decision as to whether it will serve the society or will be focusing on earning profits.
The organizational behaviour in case of a hybrid theory will include both- profit earning and also
altruism. The principles of a hybrid organization can also be applied in organizations. The theory
of informal organization identifies the existence of a hidden system within the formal structures
of the company. This theory of information organization focuses mainly on the relationships
between the people and also the friendship formed between them. Moreover this theory is based
on the assumption that the organizational goals can be achieved in a better way if an organization
can identify and support the informal systems within the formal structures of the organization.
Moreover the organizations also need to have a look after the informal systems within the
organization because sometimes it may become a hurdle while achieving the organisational
goals. The theory of resource dependency is based on the assumption that organizational
resources are the key to organizational success.
The organizational behaviour theory that will be used by the florist company includes- a
combination of the informal organizational theory and resource dependency theory. This is so
because the Florist Company is looking for growth and expansion opportunities globally and
therefore by using the two theories it will be able to achieve its organizational goals. The

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company will also be having workforce that comprises of people from different backgrounds and
therefore by adopting the theory of informal organization every member of the team will feel
free to communicate without the fear of being judged. Therefore an organization that recognises
its informal system and supports the same will be able to create such an organisational climate
where the employees will feel free to communicate with each other that will further help in
creating trust and mutual respect between the members of the team. Therefore the company will
be able to carry out its activities effectively even while expanding its operations across borders.
Further by making use of the theory of resource dependency the company will be able to
gain advantage by being able to manage its resources efficiently and therefore will be able to
expand its operations smoothly. These two theories can influence the behaviour of the employees
in both a positive and a negative way. And this is so because if the company fails to look after
the informal systems within the formal structures of the organization then group think may also
arise. And as a result the company may not be able to achieve its objectives and goals. Therefore
though the company should support the informal systems but at the same time they should make
sure that the individual objectives are aligned with the organizational objectives in order to avoid
any type of group think. On the other hand, the informal systems can influence the organizational
behaviour in a positive way because it can help in creation of an environment where employees
can share their feedbacks and opinion easily without the fear of being judged. Further the other
theory of organizational behaviour that is the theory of resource dependency may have both a
negative and positive influence on the florist company because it may focus too much on the
human resources and therefore may fail to focus on other organizational resources that are
equally important. The positive influence of the theory of resource dependency on the

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organizational behaviour includes- it can provide q competitive advantage to the organization
and therefore the organisation can position itself efficiently in the international or global market.
Analysis and evaluation of relevance of team development theories in relation to
organizational behaviour
The team development theories that have been used for the purpose of this study is that of
Tuckman team development theory and also the Bilben theory of team work. On the other hand
the two organizational behaviour theory identified for the purpose of this study includes the
theory of informal organization and also the theory of resource dependency. The Tuckman
theory discusses about the stages of team development that all teams are required to go through
in order be able to perform properly and to achieve the organizational objectives in time.
Therefore the Tuckman theory suggests the ways in which the teams can improve their
performance by learning to work together efficiently in accordance with the organizational
norms and also by overcoming all conflicts (Woodcock 2017). This theory of team development
as given by Tuckman is relevant to the theory of organizational behaviour of informal
organizations because the theory of informal organization is based on the assumption that
organizations need to respect information systems within the formal structure of organization as
it can help in achieving the overall organizational objectives more easily. This is so because it
can help in creating an environment wherein the team members can freely communicate with
each other thereby also creating mutual trust and respect among the team members. The informal
system within the organizational structure can help in improving team cohesiveness that is
necessary for complying with all the organizational norms. Team members easily comply with
the organizational norms when there is high team cohesiveness. This team cohesiveness can be
created through informal communication within the organization that is supported by informal

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organizational system within the organizational structure. Therefore in order to perform highly
and to become an effective team it is necessary to have informal system within the formal
structure of the organization. Further the Tuckman’s team development theory is also relevant to
the theory of resource dependency because the resource dependency theory is based on the
assumption that the human resources of the organization can help in improving the overall
organizational performance and productivity. And therefore the resource dependency theory
focuses on the human resources of the organization for the purpose of achieving the
organizational objectives (Woodcock 2017). The Tuckmans theory of team development also
focuses on the way team members are expected to behave in the organization by laying down
various organizational norms and in fact the Tuckmans theory also focuses on achieving the
overall organizational objectives by improving the team effectiveness and by making it necessary
for all the team members to work in cooperation with each other. Therefore the Tuckman theory
also focuses on the way the human resources of the organization can help in achieving the
organizational objectives.
The Bilbens theory of team development is also related to the two organizational
behaviour theories of informal organization and the theory of resource dependency (Raes et al.
2015). This is so because the Bilbens theory of team development is based on the principle that if
a team member properly understands his role in the team then they can easily identify their
strengths and weaknesses which will further help them to improve their contribution to the team
and moreover it is also based on the assumption that all team members in a team have a
particular behaviour and that influences the behaviour of others in the organization and the
organizational behaviour of the team members is dependent upon each other and is interrelated
(Pons and Haefele 2016). According to the informal theory of organizational behaviour

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organizational objectives can be achieved more efficiently when people informally interact with
each other because that helps in creation of an organizational environment that supports open
communication thereby building trust and respect among the team members. Therefore
according to the Bilbens theory behaviour can be interchanged between the team members
through interaction. This interaction is supported by the informal organizational behavioural
theory that is will also be adopted by the Florist company. Further the Bilbens theory is also
related to the resource dependency theory because the resource dependency theory is based on
the assumption that human resources are one of the most important resources of the organisation
and therefore the company focuses on the managing its resources in such a way that competitive
advantage can be used (Peralta et al. 2018). In order to manage the organizational resources
properly and to keep them motivated informal communication will be carried out in the
organization. Therefore since the florist company will be using informal organizational
behaviour theory along with resource dependency theory therefore if the organization allows
open communication among its employees then there will be interaction and interchange of
behaviour that is supported by the Bilbens theory.
Conclusion
Therefore from the above discussion, it can be concluded that it is necessary to
understand the concept and theories of team effectiveness for the purpose of making application
of the same in the organization for improving the team effectiveness. Further from the paper it
has also been understood that it is necessary to understand the concept of organizational behavior
and make application of the same in real life practice for the purpose of influencing the behavior
of the employees if the organization. Moreover from the paper it has also been understood that
with the help of the team development theories organizations can overcome various types of