Topic THE NATURE OF GROUPS AND GROUP BEHAVIOR WITHIN ORGANIZATIONS TABLE OF CONTENT “Groups is an essential feature of the work pattern of any organization”(Mullins) . Indeed, according to Robbins, group is defined as “two or more individuals, interacting and interdependent, who have come together to achieve particular objectives” . There are two types of group: formal and informal. In formal group, people are gathered to achieve specific organizational goal. Here, the management is a person who identifies goals and rules and norms of group. A number of reasons that influent a formal group as membership, task to be performed, the nature of technology or organization’s position. Depend on demands and a process of organization, formal group is divided into two types: command and task group. The use of ICT as a means to look for market information will be an ever greater phenomenon in the future. A supplier does not have to physically visit its prospective buyers to negotiate, and the same idea applies to a buyer. Telephone is basic apparatus that helps this process, facsimile offers a better media to exchange written data, and later the internet provides an environment where exchanges are both audio and video. Marketing through the internet has also been a choice for TI. While the field survey finds no firms that markets through the internet, but it is of no surprise if any of them will start one in the future. The second positive impact of ICT that is revealed from the field survey is its use in communication and socialization among workers, between workers and owners, and communication between workers and other parties outside the office. The use of ICT for internal communication has been elaborated in the previous section. Readers are referenced to the discussion there. Here, we will concentrate more on the use of company’s ICT for non-work-related activities. Contrast with formal group, with individual needs and demand, people gather creating informal group. Within formal organization, it can appear a lot of informal groups. Informal group relates more on personal relationship and agreement than rules or norms as formal group. Two existing informal groups: interest and friendship group. In the case of Texas Instruments, it has applied command group format in working. In fact, a group is created with a critical target to develop the next generation of wireless communications devices; a group of people together complete this job “The company’s Dallas-based mobility and collaboration partners in Europe, Japan, and the United States”. Further, at a meeting in Texas production developer group, individual member report directly to a given manager ”instant-messaged their questions and comments throughout the presentation”. b. Advantages of teams and specific applications of team working: A recent study of Edexcel HNC & HND Business (2004, p.231) has defined team as “A formal group established to achieve particular objective” .Now, team work is also evaluated important skill. Working in a team must be practiced, as collaboration will develop with the experience. Team work is useful because a lot of advantages: a combination of strengths, a range of opinion, divided responsibility, team spirit, administration and increase facility. I. DETAILS: 2 1. The nature of groups and group behavior within organizations: 2 a. Formal and informal group in Texas Instruments: 2 b. Advantages of teams and specific applications of team working: 2 c. Reasons makes group behavior different from individual behavior: 4 2. Various factors lead to effective teamwork at Texas Instruments and the influences that threaten success: 5 a. Various factors lead to effective teamwork: 5 b. How to assess the effectiveness of a team 6 3. The impact of technology on team functioning within a given organization: 7 a. Technology has the undeniable impact on company operating: 7 b. The virtual teams at Texas Instrument working co-ordination with the support of ICT: 8 II. REFERENCES 9