IMPROVING GROUP PRODUCTIVITY

Improving Group Productivity

IMPROVING GROUP PRODUCTIVITY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Introduction

The University of Southern California (USC) is a research, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, private university. USC is the California's oldest private research university. The USC is situated in Los Angeles, USA. The University was established in 1880. 17,380 students were registered in USC's four year, full-time undergraduate program for Fall 2010. USC has many specialized students in various programs, such as law, business, medicine, and social work. USC has incredibly high rank of researches. The University of Southern California is a private corporation. It is managed by a Board of Trustees with several life trustees and 50 voting members. The members of the Board of Trustees are made for 05 years terms. The USC management is composed of a provost, a treasurer, several vice-presidents of different departments, an athletic director, a chief information officer and a president.

Thesis Statement

In order to improve group productivity in the “University Of Southern California”, it must solve the issues related to groups', cohesiveness & diversity, inter & intra group conflicts and communication problems.

Explanation And Research Findings

Following are the problems identified by research:

1. Role conflicts within groups

Just like other organizations, the Role conflicts within groups was also found in the University of Southern California (USC). Many people mistakenly believe that good groups never have conflicts. On the contrary, conflict is unavoidable in all good groups. The word conflict is derived from the Latin conflictus, meaning a “striking together with force.” There are times when group members' wants and goals “strike together” and produce disruptive effects. To understand what a conflict of interest is, however, it is first necessary to define interest. We are all unique individuals with separate wants, needs, and goals. Therefore, within joint efforts, conflicts of interest inevitably result. To know conflicts of interest, one must first realize what needs, wants, interests, and goals are. (Brown 2000, 85)

Conflicts, however, carry the potential for many important positive outcomes. Conflicts can centre concentration on troubles that need to be resolved, and can motivate and energize group members to solve them. Conflicts can clarify how members of the group need to change. Behaviour patterns of which are impractical are highlighted and clarified by conflicts. Conflicts can clarify what and whom group members care about and are committed to. Conflicts clarify group members' identity and values. Conflicts help group members understand the values and identities of groupmates. Conflicts keep the relationships among members clear of irritations and resentments and strengthen members' confidence that they can resolve conflicts constructively. Conflicts can free anxiety, anger, sadness, and insecurity that, if kept within, make a person physically and mentally ill. Conflicts can be fun. Life would be boring if there were no conflict.

There is a considerable literature that links destructively managed conflicts with interpersonal aggression. Aggression is physical (e.g., striking, kicking, shoving) or verbal (e.g., insulting, cursing, threatening) behavior intended to injure another. Three important aspects of this definition are that aggression is behavior (as opposed ...