Introduction
1.1 Background To The Study
Informal groups exist in almost every organization. They are as real as the formal organization structure, but function independent of it. With their own leaders, values and behaviours. They can exhibit strong cohesion, and group members will assist and support each other.
In return they expect loyalty to the group and its norms. If they are not included, or do not endorse managements’ policies, they can work against the success of an initiative.
Many well intentional, properly conceived reform or improvement has failed because the informal did not accept it. If the groups perceive managements rules to be unfair, it may resist actively or passively, visibly or invisibly, and then devise clever ways to impose its own preferred norms. For example, management may expect each workers to personally sign in and out daily.
If informal group culture says that workers should cover for colleagues when one is late or leaves early, you will have difficulty enforcing this rule.
Cole (2004:196), pointed out that these informal groups involve in conspiracies and atrocious practices and lead to hostility and vengeance which no resolution methods can easily identify and rectify as it mostly happens out of gossiping.
Nwatu (2012:22), observed that these informal groups formulate an implicit code of ethics or an unspoken set of standards, establishing acceptable behaviour that is against the organizations standards. The informal groups may also have established norms below that set by the organization, exercising control its members regarding the amount of output. Informal groups have a powerful influence on the effectiveness of an organization and can even subvert its formal goals at times. But the informal groups role is not limited just ton resistance.
The impact of the informal group upon the large organization depends on the norms that the informal group sets itself. So the informal group can make the organization more effective at times.
Informal groups can also be a force for goof, formal policies, procedures, and standards cannot alone keep a modern organization functioning smoothly, so informal systems help get the work done. One communication manager was responsible for gathering and writing organizations best practices”, nit she had neither staff nor a formal process to collect these stones. Her informal network of friends stepped up to provide the information she needed.
Given all these, this research work on appraisal of the influence of informal groups on workers productivity in Nigeria public sector organizations. A case study of University Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Ituku-Ozala Enugu, is essential to understand the dynamics of informal groups and how to channel them positively.
1.2 Statement Of The Problem
Organizations face situations when their management teams do not meet the production standards without any apparent reason. The staff is well trained, resources intact and expectations reasonable. Then what prevent employees from performing up to the mark? The most possible reason is informal group dynamics sabotaging the managements action plan.
Informal groups device implicit set of rules, standards and ethics that regulate individual behaviours in that groups. In simple terms, the embers make a tacit agreement regarding how they should behave.
These unspoken norms influence their approach to work and control the amount of output they produce. They provide the impetus to counteract coercive directives and subvert the management goals. Informal groups also create many other problems. It may act as a barrier to organizational change. Conflict may also arise between the members of the informal group and the management which may result in industrial disputes.
Sometimes, its members may experience a conflict due to the diverse roles they have to play as members of the organization work group and the informal group.
Yet, management sometimes fail to recognize the activities of these informal groups to their own peril.
In spite of its demerits, informal groups benefit the organization in many ways. They help in the development of an effective organizational system and reduce the workload of managers. Informal organizations also provide employees with an outlet to express their anxieties and problems, improve job satisfaction, and reduce employee turnover. Yet management sometimes ignore them. The University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Ituku-Ozalla Enugu is not an exception to this statement.
This study will therefore, focus attention on other questions of interest such as, to what extent has the management of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Enugu been able to recognize the informal groups in the organisation? To what extent do the informal group activities influence organization’s productivity? And what are the reasons for forming informal groups by the employees?
It become imperative or necessary to research and conduct on appraisal on the influence of informal groups to provide answers to these questions.
