Globalization, coupled with increased competition and knowledge economy, has necessitated organizations to rapidly move towards "group concept". If people have to work effectively in groups in the organizations, they need to be trained adequately in group task accomplishment skills. The paper discusses various dimensions of group orientation, and also the task and maintenance functions to be observed in group work. The role of the trainer and strategies for implementing group learning are discussed. The paper also presents a case study, which can be used in training programs to impart skills among the trainees on group task accomplishment, including the details on how to use it in the training situation.

Organizations today are said to be rapidly moving towards a "group concept" in tackling everything (Krug, 1997). Peter Drucker, the management guru, pointed out that while people have always worked in tandem, in the future, "groups will become the work unit rather than the individual themselves". In fact, group work has to become the predominant work culture in the organizations today. It has, therefore, become a major challenge in training to provide adequate opportunities for the trainees to work in groups with a view to help them understand the concept and develop adequate capacities and capabilities, so that they can work successfully in organizations.

A group is a number of people gathered together to accomplish a task. If a group is to be effective, its task must be clearly identified and group members must reach a common understanding and acceptance of their purpose together. Group efforts are focused towards fulfilling the stated task, or resolving the problems identified. Since groups are made of "a number of people", the interactions that occur between group members are also indicators of group strength. As members of a group come together to work towards a particular goal, they bring their personal sets of values, perspectives, and biases. They need time to build trust with each other before they could share their ideas, opinions, and beliefs.

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