A team is a band of people who are assembled to achieve a common goal. A group on the other hand is a collection of people who share some type of common interest. The strongest similarity between the two is that they both consist of people. This blog will help us understand the complete difference between group and team. The content of this article includes;
What Is A Group?
A group is a collection of people who interact with each other in order to accomplish an assignment at a particular time. Groups typically have a leader who coordinates the activities of the group. Members of a group may have different roles, depending on their skills and abilities. A group does not necessarily have to work together to achieve a common goal. For example, a group of friends who meet for lunch is simply a group of people, unlike a team. In the business world, groups are divided into the following two types.
- Formal groups- Are created by an organization to achieve specific objectives.
- Informal groups- Are created spontaneously by people(employees) of an organization so as to share common interests and meet social and psychological needs.
In general, groups can be divided into two main types: primary and secondary.
- Primary groups are small and intimate. They are usually made up of family members or close friends.
- Secondary groups are large and impersonal. They include organizations such as churches, schools, and businesses.
Characteristics Of A Group
Four Of the main characteristics of a group are;
- Each member of the group has a separate identity, i.e the members of the group do not depend on others.
- A group has a structure, which defines how roles and responsibilities are assigned.
- A group may have relationships with other groups.
- It has a leader who coordinates the activities of the group.
For Example: Study groups, friendship circles, trade groups, etc are common examples of a group.
What Is A Team?
A team is a group or an assemblage of interdependent people who are joined for the purpose of achieving a shared goal. The members of a team usually have complementary skills and knowledge. For example, a team might have a mix of people with different strengths and skills such as designing, programming, marketing, sports skills, etc. A team always believes in the motive ‘one for all and all are for one’. Teams typically have higher levels of cohesion than groups because team members typically share common goals and values.
Characteristics Of A Team
The four main characteristics of a team are;
- All the members of a team have shared accountability for success or failure.
- A team usually has members with complementary skills and knowledge.
- A has synergy. ‘Synergy is the combined effect of two or more things working together to produce an effect that is greater than the sum of their individual parts’.
- The members of the team are interdependent on each other.
Group Vs Team(Comparison Table)
| Basis For Difference | Group | Team |
| Definition | A group is simply a collection of people who work together for completing an assignment. | A team is a group of people who work together to achieve a common or shared goal. |
| Leadership | Only one leader | It may have more than one leader |
| Nature of Members | Independent | Interdependent |
| Work product | Separate or individual work product | Collective |
| Focuses On | A group focuses on completing individual goals | A team focuses on completing a team’s common goals and objectives |
| Accountability | Individually | Mutually |
| Shares responsibility | No | Yes |
Key Differences Between Group And Team
The major and core differences between group and team are as follows.
- A group is a collection of people who interact with each other in order to accomplish an assignment at a particular time. On the other hand, A team is a group or an assemblage of interdependent people who are joined for the purpose of achieving a shared goal.
- A team has synergy, whereas a group does not.
- Teams are typically more cohesive than groups. Cohesion is the degree to which members of a group are attracted to each other and motivated to stay in the group.
- The members of the team do not depend on one another. On contrary, the individuals of the team depend on one another for attaining the shared objectives.
- Due to the large size of the groups, their conflicts cannot be resolved easily. On the other hand, a team has fewer conflicts because of its small size and high trust.
Conclusion
After reading this blog, it is evident that there are several key differences between a group and a team. Teams are usually more effective than groups, as they are better able to communicate and cooperate with one another. The members of the team do not depend on one another. On contrary, the individuals of the team depend on one another for attaining the shared objectives.
