Likert's
Characteristics Of An Effective Work Group
Rensis Likert (1961). New Patterns of Management,
pp. 166-169.
|
Members are skilled
in all the various leadership and membership roles and functions required
for interaction between leaders and members and between members and other
members. |
The group has been
in existence sufficiently long to have developed well-established, relaxed
working relationship among all its members. |
The members of the
group are attracted to it and are loyal to its members, including the leader. |
The members and
leaders have a high degree of confidence and trust in each other. |
The values and goals
of the group are a satisfactory integration and expression of the relevant
values and needs of its members. They have helped shape these values and
goals and are satisfied with them. |
Insofar as members
of the group are performing linking functions, they endeavor to have the
values and goals of the groups which they link in harmony, one with the
other. |
The more important
a value seems to the group, the greater the likelihood that the individual
member will accept it. |
The members of the
group are highly motivated to abide by the major values and to achieve
the important goals of the group. Each member will do all that he or she
reasonably can--and at times all in his or her power--to help the group
achieve its central objectives. Each member expects every other member
to do the same. |
All the interaction,
problem-solving, decision-making activities of the group occur in a supportive
atmosphere. Suggestions, comments, ideas, information, criticisms are all
offered with a helpful orientation. Similarly, these contributions are
received in the same spirit. Respect is shown for the point of view of
others both in the way contributions are made and in the way they are received. |
The superior of
each work group exerts a major influence in establishing the tone and atmosphere
of that work group by his or her leadership principles and practices. In
the highly effective group, consequently, the leader adheres to those principles
of leadership which create a supportive atmosphere in the group and a cooperative
rather than a competitive relationship among the members. |
The group is eager
to help each member develop to his or her full potential. It sees, for
example, that relevant technical knowledge and training in interpersonal
and group skills are made available to each member. |
Each member accepts
willingly and without resentment the goals and expectations that the individual
and the group establish for themselves. The anxieties, fears, and emotional
stresses produced by direct pressure for high performance from a boss in
a hierarchical situation are not present. Groups seem capable of setting
high performance goals for the group as a whole and for each member. These
goals are high enough to stimulate each member to do his or her best, but
not so high as to create anxieties or fear of failure. In an effective
group, each person can exert sufficient influence on the decisions of the
group to prevent the group from setting unattainable goals for any member
while setting high goals for all. The goals are adapted to the member=s
capacity to perform. |
The leader and the
members believe that each group member can accomplish the Aimpossible.
These expectations stretch each member to the maximum and accelerate personal
growth. When necessary, the group tempers the expectation level so that
the member is not broken by a feeling of failure or rejection. |
When necessary or
advisable, other members of the group will give a member the help needed
to accomplish successfully the goals set for that person. Mutual help is
a characteristic of highly effective groups. |
The supportive atmosphere
of the highly effective group stimulates creativity. The group does not
demand narrow confirmation as do the work groups under authoritarian leaders.
NO one has to Ayes the boss,@
nor is a person rewarded for such an attempt. The group attaches high value
to new, creative approaches and solutions to its problems and to the problems
of the organization of which it is a part. |
The group knows
the value of "constructive" conformity and knows when to use it and for
what purposes. Although it does not permit conformity to affect adversely
the creative efforts of its members, it does expect conformity on mechanical
and administrative matters to save the time of members and to facilitate
the group's activities. |
There is strong
motivation on the part of each member to communicate fully and frankly
to the group all the information which is relevant and of value to the
group's activity. |
There is high motivation
in the group to use the communication process so that it best serves the
interests and goals of the group. Every item which a member feels is important,
but which for some reason is being ignored, will be repeated until it receives
the attention that it deserves. Members strive also to avoid communicating
unimportant information so as not to waste the group's time. |
Just as there is
high motivation to communicate, there is correspondingly strong motivation
to receive communications. Each member is genuinely interested in any information
on any relevant matter that any member of the group can provide. This information
is welcomed and trusted as being honestly and sincerely given. Members
do not look "behind" information and attempt to interpret it in ways opposite
to its purported intent. |
In the highly effective
group, there are strong motivations to try to influence other members as
well as to be receptive to influence by them. This applies to all the group's
activities: technical matters, methods, organizational problems, interpersonal
relationships, and group processes. |
The group efforts
of the highly effective group enable the members to exert more influence
on the leader and to communicate far more information to him or her, including
suggestions as to what needs to be done and how the leader could do a better
job, than is possible in one-to-one relationship. By "tossing the ball"
back and forth among the members, a group can communicate information to
the leader which no single person on a one-to-one basis dare do. |
The ability of the
members of a group to influence each other contributes to the flexibility
and adaptability of the group. Ideas, goals, and attitudes do not become
frozen if members are able to influence each other continuously. |
In the highly effective
group, individual members feel secure in making decisions which seem appropriate
to them because the goals and philosophy of operation are clearly understood
by each member and provide a solid base for making decisions. This unleashes
initiative and pushes decisions down while still maintaining a coordinated
and directed effort. |
The leader of a
highly effective group is selected carefully. His or her leadership ability
is so evident that he or she would probably emerge as a leader in any unstructured
situation. To increase the likelihood that persons of high leadership competence
are selected, the organization is likely to use peer nominations and related
methods in selecting group leaders. |