Group maturity models in the Knowledge Eco

Thèmes abordés

Knowledge economy, group maturity models

Résumé du document

this short document answers to the questions: To what extent are group maturity models (i.e., Form-Storm-Norm-Perform) relevant in the Knowledge Economy
It was done for a course of advanced organizational behavior...................................................................

Extraits

[...] To conclude, the group maturity model is aiming at creating a strong team spirit in order to reach the best efficiency for the project. The goal of the model is for people to work together, to share knowledge and ideas to perform well. On the other side, the concept of Knowledge Economy is the also to share knowledge and skills. Those two concepts have the same objective, this is the reason why I really think that group maturity models are relevant in the Knowledge Economy. [...]

[...] Indeed, people most of the time don't know each other at the beginning, and then, there are often conflicts, with different personalities, opinions, organizational problems with the roles' sharing etc With the application of the group maturity model, it improves the ability of people to work together to exchange knowledge and so to create productivity for the company. Nowadays, in our information society, knowledge management is recognized to be of supreme importance to the competitive advantage of organizations as well as a major agent of change. In order to perform well as a team, the very first stage of the process is “forming”. It consists in the creation of the team. [...]

[...] The arguments appear for instance when more than one person wants to be the leader, when the roles are not clearly defined or when the objectives are not clearly defined. At this stage, without tolerance and patience the team will fail. The third stage is “norming”. It is characterized by relationships and cohesiveness. Indeed, as the roles and personal conflicts are sorted out, the team members can focus on what needs to be done, speaking calmly and listening to critics. They are now ready to work for the success of the team's goals. [...]

[...] In this case, knowledge is a product. Another meaning, more frequently used and popularized by Peter Drucker in his book The Age of Discontinuity, refers to the use of knowledge technologies to produce economic benefits as well as job creation. In this case, the knowledge is a tool. Another important concept is the Tuckman's group maturity model “form, storm, norm and perform” of 1965. This concept shows the 4 different stages essential to turn many individuals into a competitive and efficient team. [...]