Groups and Teams: An introductory overview of the topic

In the blog last week, we concluded our exploration of some key challenges of re-entry home after an extended sojourn overseas. This week, we will explore an initial introductory overview of the issues to be covered during our new theme of group and team styles.

Introduction to the theme of groups and teams

While the contrast between groups and teams has been explored for some considerable time, there are still those who use the terms interchangeably. Moreover, others appear to believe that if you simply re-label members of a group as now being a team, the working style and performance will change as if by magic.

In this blog series, we will first examine the significant contrast between these two approaches to people management. Then, we will evaluate how contrasting cross-cultural behavioural expectations influence the perception of what constitutes the most appropriate approach to developing positive interpersonal relationships and effective performance in organisations.

We shall explore the following topics over the next few weeks in our new blog series.

• The contrast between groups and teams

• The advantages and disadvantages of group and team working

• The process of team development

• The primary skills required for effective team working

• The benefits of working in a team context

• The reasons why some people dislike teamwork

• The cross-cultural influences on working style preferences

To conclude, in the blog next week we shall explore the contrast between groups and teams in some detail. This is to ensure a solid foundational understanding of the theme prior to proceeding to evaluate more specific issues and conflicting perceptions on what constitutes effective styles of working.