OBNotes.htm Organizational Behavior Notes by Wilf Ratzburg: ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF GROUPS

.	Before we take a specific look at groups, it may be worthwhile to do a cursory examination of the advantages and disadvantages of groups.
.	Advantages of Groups	Disadvantages of Groups
Teams take advantage of a wider range of knowledge, expertise and ideas	Take advantage of a wider* range of knowledge, expertise and ideas* Effective way to build consensus* (i.e. getting everyone to agree on a particular decision)* Effective way of communicating complex information	Blocking : Only one person can talk at a time Dominant people: The most talkative person talks 40%, next 20% everyone else under 10% (exponential drop off) Status differentials : Organizational status can create situations where the "wrong" person is doing all the talking Motivation : social loafing* - "well if everyone else is contributing then I don't have to work quite so hard."* Coordination : Agendas, priorities, meetings, scheduling Groupthink : Peer pressure to conform* to the group*
.	These advantages and disadvantages will be explored in detail in later sections.