Group Culture

Group culture refers to values, beliefs and customs held in common by team members.

The culture of a team can be displayed through:

• Symbols and rituals.
• The way team members interact with each other.
• The way team members deal with conflict.
• Things that is important to the team.

The group culture has a powerful influence on its ability to achieve its goals and satisfying the needs of the members of the team. A culture that emphasises values of self-determination, openness, fairness and diversity helps the members of the team to achieve the goals of the group.

Conflict in Teams

Conflict is an occurrence that we tend to find painful and frustrating. It often becomes a large roadblock along the way to the things we want to or must achieve. However, this does not have to be our experience.

There is always going to be conflict because its causes are many and varied. They derive from our values, perceptions and perspectives, cultures, use of language, attitudes and so on. We live with difference and diversity; we will continue to do so and therefore we will continue to have unlimited opportunities for misunderstanding which may lead to conflict.