Essay: Virgin group’s unique team management

Introduction
This report explores Virgin group’s unique team management. Virgin group is famous for their abandoning of the traditional operating system which also affect Virgin group’s team management (Kets De Vries 1996). According to this, combinations between different type of group exist in Virgin although is still go through the stages of development. However, affected by its organisational culture the stages of development become smoother where the characteristic of their groups has shown the ability to minimise conflict and achieve cohesion thus level up their performances. Also, the importance of social interaction is emphasised as key to better performance.
Question 1 Refer to Table 12.2 to identify the types of teams that exist within the Virgin group of companies.
Virgin’s group features characteristics from all types of teams in table 12.2 (Kinicki et al. 2015). While Virgin’s groups, both formal and informal groups, operate as work group (Kinicki et al. 2015), at the same time it also demonstrates the ability to coexisting with other types of team include continuous improvement team, cross-functional team, problem-solving team, self-managed team, top-management team and virtual team.
Question 2 Stages of development and task roles influence the effectiveness of groups. Discuss how the various roles and stage of development are apparent and influence outcomes within the Virgin group of companies.
The stages of development were originally coming up by Bruce Tuckman (1965) which include: forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. The first stage, forming, is when team member first get to know each other and are filled with confusion (Kinicki et al. 2015). Therefore, while break the ice is important, it is also vital to stress the team goal, task and authority. Virgin’s hiring standers ensures they hire team player who are friendly and have personal skill in the aim to minimise conflict in the second stage, storming (Gallo 2013; Kinicki et al. 2015).
Storming stage are filled with conflict due to personality and task related perspective clashes when people first working together. Informal group also established to increase mutual understanding and thus reduce personal conflict (Kinicki et al. 2015). Furthermore, questions about individual’s responsivities and group goal need to be thoroughly answered and fight between leadership need to be resolved. Therefore, open discussion becomes crucial in this period, since conflicts can only resolve through communication, open discussion and group decision (Kinicki et al. 2015).
The third stage, norming, when conflicts eventually resolved (Kinicki et al. 2015). Individuals in this stage acknowledges the differences between them and develop mutual respect. Thus, recognise contribution from each member, open minded to accept other’s opinion and change themselves’. However not all teams can able to pass second stage (Kinicki et al. 2015). Although this stage filled with harmony it is still necessary to repeatedly emphasise team goal, rules and importance of unity.
The next stage is performing. In performing stage team members are highly motivated and work interdependently to achieve the team goal (Kinicki et al. 2015). The trust and cohesion exist between each member allow them to have high performance. Abudi (2009) suggest the possibility for team to may goes back to earlier stage therefore the task it to remain motivated.
Adjourning, the last stage, when finished task and really for disband (Kinicki et al. 2015). Every group have to go through this stage to celebrate the end and appreciate members for this lesson.
Question 3 Define the characteristics of a group and identify how these align to group behaviours and performance within the Virgin group of companies. Explain the strengths and weaknesses of these in terms of team member behaviours such as cohesiveness, conflict and performance.
Size of a group plays a huge role in establish cohesion and maintain high performance (Kinicki et al. 2015). Richard Bronson believe in keep the group small will get members get involves and participate more which will generally deliver a better outcome (Kets De Vries 1996). Moreover, keep the team in odd number will have the break deadlock (Kinicki et al. 2015). Due to Bronson’s belief of the importance of communication, small group ensures high performance. On the other hand, the sense of interaction become difficult within a large group (Kinicki et al. 2015). Also, suggested by Kets De Vries (1996) cohesion is easier to achieve in small group. However, the disadvantage of a small group is that have less resources and less idea will come up compare with a large group (Kinicki et al. 2015).
The structure of a team affect the members’ performance and thus a team as a whole. Virgin’s group moved away from traditional hierarchical structure, instead they flatten the hierarch and operate under flat structure (Kets De Vries 1996). This is due to Branson’s believe that horizontal structure, in other word self-managed team, will avoid negative repercussions of poor performance under oppressive atmosphere when employees simply follow a command (Kets De Vries 1996). In contrast, Branson gives freedom to his employees in decision making which stimulate creativity and become motivated (Gallo 2013; Kets De Vries 1996). However, weakness of self-managed group is need to be cross-coached (Kinicki et al. 2015).
When hiring people under self-managed team, they looking for people who are accountable for their own mistake instead of blaming other people (Kets De Vries 1996). Therefore, this kind of people will less likely involve in conflict. Nevertheless, conflict is common in every workplace but not all conflicts have negative impact, for example constructive conflicts (Campbell, 2014; Stake, 2005). Constructive conflict is those conflict that will stimulate critical thinking, more interactive within group and led to higher the level of performance (Kinicki et al. 2015). This type of conflict can happen when individuals hold different opinion on the task. This disagreement between team members, intergroup conflict (Kinicki et al. 2015), are encouraged in Virgin’s group, as respect to Patton’s view that the only situation when agreement made without any impede is when people haven’t thought about it (Kinicki et al. 2015). This view is similar to the concept of groupthink, when people narrowing its view and refuse or restricted to be creative and think critically (Kinicki et al. 2015). Although intergroup conflicts are generally functional, it is also possible to transfer this type of conflict in personal level which is when it may have negative impact (Quigley, Tekleab & Tesluk 2009).
Question 4 Give examples of how social interactions support group activities with the Virgin group of companies.
Social interaction is vital to group performance. Virgin group is famous of have casual organisational culture which provide an informal and relax environment that encourages social interaction (Kets De Vries 1996). This is showed in the creation of many informal group. Informal group is band by common interest and friendship within people from various department (Kinicki et al. 2015). While formal group’s priority is to finish the task, informal group focus more towards knowing each other in personal level (Kinicki et al. 2015). This type of socialising across entire company not only achieves what Virgin’s descripts themselves as family (HRN 2016) but also beneficial to group performance later on. When team members are familiar with each other beforehand, they can take less time to build what’s essential to high performance: mutual trust and cohesiveness. Even if they don’t know each other before, they also gain experience and develop their ability to working in a group from participating in informal group.
Social interactive is also encouraged between employees and Branson. Although Branson is famous for the degrees of freedom he gives to his employees and don’t step in and fully take in charge, but Branson is place where employees can question and complain also he is the first of contact when things goes wrong (Wilson 2004). This higher level of communication focus on questioning, revealing and be creative. In fact, Branson encourage people to critical thinking in every area and welcome people to speak their mind. Due to his open-door policy, he is not only willing to listen to but also take actions. Furthermore, In the “blame free culture” (Wilson 2004, p. 97), it is discouraged to hide the mistake instead Branson believes report and fix the mistake is the opportunity to knowing future improvement and possibility. In order to build this system of communication Branson gave his personal phone number to employees (Kets De Vries 1996; Kinicki et al. 2015)
Conclusion
Virgin group has participated in many forms of group. Advanced operating culture and system which values communication and interactions allows the group to form unity and complete task with minimum conflict occur. Also, Virgin group’s team development stage is slightly different under friendly and interactive culture with many characteristics comes with it.
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