

For example, the manufacturing department in a company is clearly dependent on the purchasing department for the success of its own operation, whereas the purchasing department is much less dependent on manufacturing. Sequential interdependence exists when the outputs of one unit or group become the inputs for another. Although produced separately, both kinds of products come together in the shipping department, and both represent products of the same company. In a factory setting, pooled interdependence can be seen in a company with two distinct manufacturing divisions e.g., one for consumer products and one for industrial products. For example, although the physics and music departments may not interact frequently, both contribute to the larger goals of the university, and both use university resources. Pooled interdependence occurs when various groups are largely independent of one another, even though each contributes to and is supported by the larger organization. The quality of intergroup performance is affected by the extent to which all parties to the interaction can meet these requirements.Įxhibit 9.11 Three Types of Group Interdependence (Attribution: Copyright Rice University, OpenStax, under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license) Within this context, performance is largely influenced by three types of interaction requirements: interdependence requirements, information flow requirements, and integration requirements. Each group has its own characteristics and uniqueness, but both operate within the larger confines of organizational policies, culture, reward systems, and so forth. As shown, intergroup behavior occurs when two groups intersect. 27 We can do this by suggesting a model of intergroup performance. To understand how groups interact with one another, it is important to identify the primary variables that characterize intergroup behavior. Without smooth intergroup relations, organizational effectiveness and industrial competitiveness are virtually impossible. Even in small companies, the production group must interact with the sales group, and both must accommodate the finance and accounting groups. That is, what happens when one group in an organization must interact with another? Clearly, in any corporation, a high degree of intergroup interaction is vital to organizational success. We are now ready to move on to an examination of intergroup behavior.
#Definition of sequential interdependence how to#
What are barriers to intergroup cooperation, and how do you take action to minimize such impediments and understand how to get the most out of the collective actions of groups in organizations in order to enhance industrial competitiveness?.
