INTRODUCTION:
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the Unit #2 key elements of Organization Behavior (OB) as they pertain to the Kohler Co., a leading provider of plumbing and specialty products, engines and generators, furniture and accessories, cabinetry and tile, as well as resorts, recreation, and real estate.
This paper begins with a brief background of the Kohler Co. and its industry. It then discusses the types of groups most commonly found in the organization and how they might be successfully facilitated. Observations regarding strengths and weaknesses in group decision-making are covered next, along with recommendations for improvement. Lastly, the types of teams found within the organization are discussed. The paper concludes with a summary of the information presented.
COMPANY BACKGROUND AND INDUSTRY:
I have known Kohler Co. as a major local employer all my life, but even those who do not live in my locale know Kohler as a worldwide leader in plumbing products. Over the years, however, I have watched the Kohler family of businesses extend far beyond faucets and bathtubs. Their unparalleled product design and innovation have led the way to a diverse portfolio of respected brand names with operations on six continents. Today, Kohler creates products that set the standard in kitchen and bath, engines and generators, furniture and accessories, cabinetry and tile, as well as resorts, recreation, golf courses, and real estate.
In 1989, I became a part of Kohler’s 132-year history when I took an entry level administrative support position just to get my “foot in the door.” I stayed 13 years, working various positions and finally moving up to Manager-Benefits Administration and Compliance. During my tenure, I learned that Kohler Co. remains true to its founding vision of defining the frontiers of ideas, craftsmanship and technology. Throughout the years, they have led the way in product design with a commitment to quality over a broad range of price points.
ORGANIZATIONAL GROUPS & SUCCESSFUL FACILITATION:
A group is defined as two or more individuals, interacting and interdependent, who have come together to achieve particular objectives (Robbins, 2007). Groups can be formal or informal. Formal groups are defined by the organization’s structure, with designated work assignments establishing tasks. In formal groups, the behaviors that one should engage in are stipulated by and directed toward organization goals (Robbins, 2007). Informal groups are alliances that are neither formally structured nor organizationally determined. These groups are natural formations in the work environment that appear in response to the need for social contact (Robbins, 2007). Common types of groups found at Kohler include command groups, task groups, interest groups, and friendship groups. Employees join groups for different reasons, including security, status, affiliation, power, and goal achievement (Robbins, 2007).
To facilitate means "to make easy." A group facilitator’s job is to make it easier for the group to do its work. By providing non-directive leadership, the facilitator helps the group arrive at the understandings and decisions that are its task. The facilitator’s focus is on the group and its work. The role is one of assistance and guidance, not of control (Avery et al, 1981).
Facilitation means a set of behaviors that help a group:
- define its goals, roles, and relationships
- provide ongoing feedback on it functioning
- improve how it works together
- increase its capability (Chaudron, 2006).
For successful results, different groups within the organization may require different kinds of facilitation. For example, groups may need facilitation because the group needs:
- a neutral third party to assure members follow group norms, and to provide impartial feedback on group processes and management style; or
- behaviors (such as charting, active listening, flowcharting, problem solving) they cannot do themselves; or
- knowledge of group dynamics, organizational development, and implementation of change (Chaudron, 2006).
DECISION-MAKING
STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, & RECOMMENDATIONS:
Decision-making groups are widely used in the Kohler organization, but that does not imply that group decisions are preferable to those made by an individual alone. Preference depends on a number of factors.
Strengths: Groups generally generate more complete information and knowledge than individuals alone. By putting together the resources of several individuals, groups bring more input into the decision process. In addition to more input, groups can bring heterogeneity to the decision process. Brainstorming, an idea-generation process, opens up the opportunity for more approaches and alternatives to be considered. Finally, groups lead to increased acceptance of a solution. Many decisions fail after the final choice is made because people don’t accept the solution. Group members who participated in making a decision are likely to enthusiastically support the decision and encourage others to accept it (Robbins, 2007).
Weaknesses: In spite of the advantages, group decisions have their drawbacks. They’re time-consuming because groups typically take more time to reach a solution than would be the case if an individual were making the decision. There are conformity pressures in groups. The desire by group members to be accepted and considered an asset to the group can result in squashing disagreement. Group discussion can be dominated by one or just a few members. If these are low- and medium-ability members, the group’s overall effectiveness will suffer. Finally, group decisions suffer from ambiguous responsibility. In an individual decision, it’s clear who is accountable for the final outcome. In a group decision, the responsibility of any single member is diluted (Robbins, 2007).
Two other weaknesses of the group decision-making process include (1) groupthink, which is a phenomenon in which the norm for consensus overrides the realistic appraisal of alternative courses of action; and (2) groupshift, which is change in decision risk between the group’s decision and the individual decision that members within the group would make—either toward more conservatism or toward greater risk (Robbins, 2007).
Recommendations: Facilitating a group’s decision making is a skill for which there is no set script. The following are some core guidelines:
- Develop great listening skills. Listen to everything that is said; listen for intent, commitment, and purpose.
- Lean how to speak powerfully, timing remarks so that they encourage, support, challenge, or inspire people.
- Lean how to ask penetrative questions that open up discussion or shine a light on issues where people are stuck.
- Develop the ability to challenge people either directly or through feedback.
- Practice valuing people so that they feel acknowledged and encouraged to speak out.
- Strengthen observation skills to be aware of what is happening and to bring what is important to the attention of the group.
- Develop the ability to contain people. This means holding the boundaries for the group and keeping the group on track (Lewis, 2007).
TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONAL TEAMS:
A work team shares five key characteristics:
- Teams exist to achieve a shared goal.
- Team members are interdependent regarding some common goal.
- Teams are bound and stable over time.
- Team members have the authority to manage their own work and internal processes
- Teams operate in a social system context (Thompson, 2004).
Not all teams are alike. Teams differ greatly in their degree of autonomy and control, how authority is distributed, who has responsibility for routine monitoring and management of group performance, and who has responsibility for creating and fine-tuning the design of the group (Thompson, 2004). For the most part, being unionized, Kohler has manager-led teams, in which the manager acts as the team leader and is responsible for defining the goals, methods, and functioning of the team. Kohler also has self-managing teams, in which a manager or leader determines the overall purpose or goal of the team but the team is at liberty to manage the methods by which to achieve that goal. In addition, the company has a self-governing Board of Directors.
SUMMARY:
Groups are different than teams. Common types of groups at Kohler include command groups, task groups, interest groups, and friendship groups. Work groups are facilitated by managers and consultants whose role is one of assistance and guidance, not control.
Decision-making groups are used widely at Kohler, and they have both strengths and weaknesses. Learning to facilitate group decision-making is a skill.
Work teams share five key characteristics but not all teams are alike. For the most part, because they are unionized, Kohler has manager-led teams. Other teams function as self-managing teams, with the Board of Director s being the only self-governing team in the corporation.
References:
Avery, M., Auvine, B., Streibel, B., & Weiss, L. (1981). Building United Judgment: A Handbook for Consensus Decision Making. Center for Conflict Resolution.
Chaudron, D. (2006). Kinds of Groups and Their Needs. Retrieved February 10, 2008, from http://www.organizedchange.com/facil1.htm
Lewis, C. (2007). Manage your team towards consensus. The British Journal of Administrative Management, Apr/May, 29.
Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2007). Organizational Behavior (12th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Thompson, L. L. (2004). Making the Team: A Guide for Managers (2nd ed.). Prentice Hall.