Text 6 Size and composition of Groups

Size of groups

Much of the earlier research into group decision making suggested that the ideal group size is about seven. Fewer members might make faster decisions but are less likely to have the optimum mix of skills and abilities. With much larger groups, decisions can get bogged down with too many inputs, or individual contributions are minimized or lost entirely.

Recently, more flexibility is being seen in group size, with as many as 12 members being viewed as a desirable number for most of the types of teams discussed so far. Johnsonville Foods, a Wisconsin sausage-making firm, has self-managed teams of about a dozen. Titeflex, a Springfield, Massachusetts, manufacturer of fluid and gas holding systems, uses six- to ten-person de facto “small business teams or manufacturing cells" to make its products. EDS project teams usually have eight to twelve members. Traditional work groups performing fairly routine, repetitive tasks requiring little coordination might function well with only one supervisor for a group of 50 to 75 employees. However, groups of this size tend to break naturally into smaller, informal groups, whether the formal structure dictates such a break or not.

In fact, for most groups trying to function as teams, 20 may be about as many members as the team can use effectively. Motivation may wane as meetings drag on and even the difficulty of finding an adequately sized meeting space makes larger teams less effective. A major problem in larger groups is free-riding, the tendency for some individuals to perform at less than their optimum in groups, relying instead on others to carry their share of the workload. Free-riding tends to increase as group size increases.

Composition of Groups

Regardless of the type or size of a group, none will be successful without the right mix of skills and abilities. Ensuring that group members have the necessary technical skills to perform a job may be one of a manager's or group leader's most important functions. At EDS, project leaders invest considerable time and effort working through both formal and informal channels to attract skilled team members to their teams. The accomplishment of this task is one of the key success factors of team leaders.

In team-oriented work environments, ensuring optimal team composition can be a massive task, and some organizations have put their computers to work to assist in the process. Cypress, a San Jose, California, computer chip maker, has developed a computer system that keeps track of all 1,500 employees as they crisscross between different functions, teams, and projects. Apple's Spider system instantly tells a manager whether an employee is available for a project, what his or her skills are, and where he or she is located in the company. EDS has a similar system, although the project team leaders seem to prefer the informal to the formal system of soliciting members.

Although the right mix of talents is important, in general, the more heterogeneous a group, the better it is likely to be able to solve problems. Groups with diverse membership may take longer to become cohesive, but are likely to be more productive in the long run.

1. Which of these statements expresses the main idea of the text?

1. Only a group of the ideal size can be successful.

2. Currently, there is considerable flexibility in group size.

3. The problem of free-riding is usual for large groups.

4. To be successful, a group of any size must have the best mix of talents.

Figure 2

2. Find in the text English equivalents of these words and phrases.

прийняття рішення	наглядач	фактор успішності
ідеальний розмір групи	14. мати тенденцію	лідер команди
менш імовірно	15. розбиватися на	важке завдання
оптимальна суміш	16. зменшуватися, слабшати	стежити за
загрузнути	17. тривати, продовжуватися, нудно тягтися	ходити поміж (певних речей)
внесок (2)	18. ухиляння від роботи	запрошення (членів команди)
гнучкість	19. покладати на (когось)	гетерогенний, різнорідний
розглядати	20. частка навантаження	чим більше … тим краще
бажана кількість	21. склад групи	33. різноманітне членство
фактичний, справжній	22. незважаючи на	34. стати згуртованим
виробничий осередок	23. залучати членів команди	35. урешті-решт
рутинне, нескінченно повторюване завдання	24. ключовий

3. Are these statements true or false? Correct the false ones.

1. Small groups may have the best possible mix of skills and abilities.

2. Currently, the ideal number of team members is considered to be about seven.

3. Only one supervisor may be needed for a large work group performing tasks that require much coordination.

4. Very large groups are expected to divide into smaller ones.

5. In large groups, some members try to free ride.

6. A group leader must have the necessary technical skills to perform a job.

7. Some organizations use computers to assist in ensuring optimal team composition.

8. At EDS, the project team leaders choose to use the formal system of seeking members.

9. Heterogeneous groups are usually more effective because their members become cohesive quickly enough.

4. Answer the questions.

1. What problems may arise in large groups?

2. What group size do they use at Johnsonville Foods? At Titeflex? At EDS?

3. Is the group size the only factor that influences the group performance?

4. What approach do they use at Cypress to ensure optimal team composition?

5. Write a summary of the text.