Group Productivity
Group Productivity
25 January, 2014
Introduction A research study has been requested on the productivity of a group’s productivity within a well-known and successful retail store. Every group will have problems, but it is important to understand that the problems can be identified and corrected if proper steps are taken. This paper details how the research was conducted, the observations that were noted as being subpar to great teamwork, how those things affect the productivity of the group, and recommendations on what can be done to fix these problems.
Researching the Group A description of the group is needed to understand the roles each one plays in productivity for the company. The head of each of the following departments was present at each meeting; advertisement, product placement, ordering, finance, website development, and market research. Of these members, three are women and four are of a race other than Caucasian, producing a gender and racially diverse team. The leader of the group, which was assigned by the CEO of the company, is the head of the financial department.
To best study the productivity of the group, participant observation research was the method utilized (Losh, 2011). The observer was located in the same room as the working group for three weeks before any notes were taken. The purpose for this initial three week period was to offset the group recognizing a new person watching them, causing them to act differently than they normally would. Four weeks had been planned for allowing the group to become used to this extra person being in the group, but after three weeks it was determined the group behaviors had already changed from when the observer first integrated herself. Group members were talking freely about personal and professional lives during breaks and including the observer in conversations, indicating they had become comfortable with the new presence and able to act as they
25 January, 2014
Introduction A research study has been requested on the productivity of a group’s productivity within a well-known and successful retail store. Every group will have problems, but it is important to understand that the problems can be identified and corrected if proper steps are taken. This paper details how the research was conducted, the observations that were noted as being subpar to great teamwork, how those things affect the productivity of the group, and recommendations on what can be done to fix these problems.
Researching the Group A description of the group is needed to understand the roles each one plays in productivity for the company. The head of each of the following departments was present at each meeting; advertisement, product placement, ordering, finance, website development, and market research. Of these members, three are women and four are of a race other than Caucasian, producing a gender and racially diverse team. The leader of the group, which was assigned by the CEO of the company, is the head of the financial department.
To best study the productivity of the group, participant observation research was the method utilized (Losh, 2011). The observer was located in the same room as the working group for three weeks before any notes were taken. The purpose for this initial three week period was to offset the group recognizing a new person watching them, causing them to act differently than they normally would. Four weeks had been planned for allowing the group to become used to this extra person being in the group, but after three weeks it was determined the group behaviors had already changed from when the observer first integrated herself. Group members were talking freely about personal and professional lives during breaks and including the observer in conversations, indicating they had become comfortable with the new presence and able to act as they
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