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Group Dynamics
Definition and Nature of Group:
When two or more people communicate with each other a group is formed.
Groups are formed because of the intercommunication between people. When
different people communicate with one another, they share some common goals and
motives. This intercommunication between two or three people makes them form a
group, even if it is a temporary one.
Definitions:
1. Group consists of two or more interacting people, who share common goals,
and have a stable but somewhat interdependent relationship. (Paulus 1989)
2. According to Bogardus “a group may be thought of as two or more number
of persons, who have some common objects of attention, who stimulate each
other and have common loyalties and participate in similar activities.”
In simple language it means that a mere collection of individuals who happen to be
at one place at the same time but have no common goals or motives cannot fit into
the concept of a group, e.g. people walking on the road, not knowing each other and
without a common goal cannot be considered as a group.
The group membership can be sometimes formal and sometimes informal.
Many times an individual becomes a member of a group because he feels that his
joining a group will directly or indirectly satisfy at least some of his needs.
Groups have some common features as follows:
1. Members of group have something in common i.e. habit, culture, hobby,
language etc.
2. There should be interaction among group members.
3. Some exchange of emotions takes place between group members. They are
generally emotionally attached. e.g. peer group, family group etc.
4. Each individual has a different status and plays a specific role. Failure to play
this role can create problems.
5. The members should have common interests and ideals and should come
together to achieve these ideals.
6. A group is dynamic in nature. It evolves changes, develops and disintegrates
over an extended period of time.
7. Some groups are short lived whereas others survive for a very long period of
time.
Group possess four common characteristics
1. Common interests or goals
2. People see themselves as members
3. Two or more people are needed to form group.
4. Interaction among members
Reasons for Emergence of Social Group :
Some groups, like a family, are naturally formed but most other groups are formed
due to various other reasons :
1. Sometimes they are formed because a person likes the activities which
group membership allows him to take part in.
2 OR MORE PEOPLE
2. We may form a group to enjoy the company of other members, e.g.
friendship group.
3. A person may become member of a group because of its prestige in the
eyes of others, e.g. a person becoming member of a social organization,
thinking about the prospective business contacts he may get through it.
The greater the perceived probability that group membership will satisfy
his motives, the greater the probability that membership will become a
goal for him.
4. Social groups are psychologically satisfying. They help an individual to
fulfill many of his / her psychological needs, such as the need for
affiliation, need for power etc.
Some of the important functions of a group are as follows :
1. Satisfies psychological needs : First, groups help us to satisfy important
psychological or social needs such as those for belonging or for receiving
attention or affection.
2. Help us to achieve certain goals that cannot be achieved on our own :
Groups help us to achieve various goals that we could not attain as
individuals. Belonging to various groups helps us perform tasks we could not
perform alone. In addition, group membership often provides us with
knowledge and information that would not otherwise be available to us.
3. Help establish positive social identity : Group membership also contributes
to the establishment of a positive social identity – it becomes part of the self
concept.
4. Helps bring about desired organizational changes : Groups also play an
important role in bringing about desired organizational changes.
5. Helps to attain peace and maintain cordial relations : Many social groups
such as the Ekta Committee, the Mohalla committee, Associated Locality
Management group, etc, help to maintain peace and stability in the
community between people of different communities and religious groups.
Stages of Group Development :
A group does not arise suddenly. They develop gradually through several stages of development. According to Tuckman and Jensen (1977) following are the important stages in the process of group development. Many groups follow these stages of development. However, specific groups may skip or combine one or more stages.
Following are some important stages of group development. 1.FORMING : During the forming stage, members discover what behaviors are acceptable to the group. For newly established groups, this stage is the transition from individual to member status . At the forming stage ground rules are established. Members become acquainted with each other. A group can be spontaneously formed or it can be an intentional and deliberate attempt to achieve some desired objectives. Formation of a group can be, a collective effort, where few individuals meet together and decide together or it can be a single individual’s effort who decides to bring different like-minded individuals together in the form of a group.
Group begins to experience:• Feelings of excitement, anticipation, and optimism; also feelings of suspicion, fear, and anxiety about the job ahead• Identification of its reason for existence• Self-orientation• Identification of the task to be accomplished• Exploration and discovery of how to interact with one another as a group
This stage is also characterized by the following:• Attempts to identify tasks in terms of relevancy and decide how the group will accomplish the tasks• Decisions on the type of information needed and how it will be used• Hesitant participation• Initial feelings about the group• Complaints about the organizational environment• Suspicion, fear and anxiety about the new situation• Little work is accomplished
2. STORMING :
This is the second stage in the formation or development of group. At this stage members compete for attractive roles and positions within the group. This competition can generate conflict. At this stage individuals compete for leadership position. Leadership in a group emerges at this stage.
During the storming stage, members become hostile or overzealous as a way of expressing their individuality and resisting group formation. Members recognize the extent of the task needed and may respond with animosity or apathy.
“Hey! I’ve got something to say here!”
Some group behaviors and attitudes:• Negativity• Dissatisfaction• Hostility• Crisis mode• Adjustment anxiety
Differences and suppressed tension begin to surface. Members further define the energy level they dedicate to the task or project at hand; questions arise during this period:- Do I feel passionate about the purpose of this program?- Do I like how they are planning to meet the needs?- What am I going to do or say that will get my opinion heard?
Other characteristics of this stage include:• Infighting, defensiveness and competition• Disunity, increased tension and jealousy• Polarization of group members• Sharp fluctuations in relationships and reversals of feelings• Concern over excessive work• Establishing a pecking order
• Little work is accomplished
The leader can help the group move through this stage by encouraging and supporting members and emphasizing areas of agreement.
3. NORMING :It refers to the development of a common shared perspective, a feeling of ‘we ness’ within the group. Rules concerning how the group will operate are more fully established, and a sense of shared responsibility for dealing with the group’s problems develops. During this stage feelings of attachment to the group intensify. During the norming stage, members accept the group norms, their own roles, and personality traits of fellow members.
Characteristics:“We’re all in this Together!”
Some group behaviors:• Cohesion around shared goals• Resolution of conflict• More acceptance of diversity in the group• Reconciliation; show of affection• Re-evaluation
Members have seen the coming together (forming), the semi-separation (storming), and now they have reconciled themselves to working together(norming) despite their differences with a new definition of purpose.
Other characteristics of this stage include:• An attempt to achieve maximum harmony by avoiding conflict• A new ability to express emotions constructively• A sense of cohesiveness with a common spirit and goals• Establishing and maintaining group boundaries• Developing effective decision making techniques• A moderate amount of work is accomplished• A sense of connection characterized by confiding in each other, expressing opinions and discussing team dynamics
As the group assumes increased responsibility, the leader continues to encourage and support participation by all.
4. PERFORMING :This is the fourth stage of group development. During this stage group members concentrate on carrying out its major tasks and moving towards shared goals. Here, energies are focused on specific goals, tasks and jobs and progress towards these
goals is often made. As long as a group is relatively successful in achieving their goals, they may remain in existence. Now that the group has established its own norms, it becomes capable of diagnosing and solving problems and making decisions.
Characteristics:• Interdependency• Have a sense of ownership• A great deal of work is accomplished
“Getting Things Done!”• Cohesiveness• Teamwork• Leadership• Performance
The group is starting to utilize its newly found “norms of trust,” and can begin focusing on the service to be done; there should be enough drive, creativity, and cohesiveness to take on most tasks.
The leader provides minimal input to the group.
5. ADJOURNING :When all the goals of a group are met or when group does not function efficiently, the stage is called as adjourning. Adjourning is especially likely to occur in groups that has been formed for a specific purpose (eg. Fund raising groups, special task force, etc.) Groups may also disintegrate if key members leave, if irresolvable conflicts develop or, if disagreement over long-term goals emerges.
Characteristics:“Now What?”Possible group feelings or reactions:• Negativity• Dissatisfaction• Hostility• Purging• Crisis
The group is realizing the end of service is near; it has been a year of sharing and growing with each other and now members are going to separate. For many, the group has been a safety net and truly has become their community.
Characteristics of Social Group :
Group dynamics is the study of groups, and also a general term for group processes. Relevant to the fields of psychology, sociology, and communication studies, a group is two or more individuals who are connected to each other by social relationships. Because they interact and influence each other, groups develop a number of dynamic processes that separate them from a random collection of individuals. These processes include norms, roles, relations, development, need to belong, social influence, and effects on behavior. The field of group dynamics is primarily concerned with small group behavior. Groups may be classified as aggregate, primary, secondary and category groups.
In organizational development (OD), or group dynamics, the phrase "group process" refers to the understanding of the behaviour of people in groups, such as task groups, that are trying to solve a problem or make a decision. An individual with expertise in 'group process, such as a trained facilitator, can assist a group in accomplishing its objective by diagnosing how well the group is functioning as a problem-solving or decision-making entity and intervening to alter the group's operating behaviour.
Because people gather in groups for reasons other than task accomplishment, group process occurs in other types of groups such as personal growth groups (e.g. encounter groups, study groups, prayer groups). In such cases, an individual with expertise in group process can be helpful in the role of facilitator
Social groups have certain characteristics with respect to its structure and functions.
Some important characteristics of Social group are as follows:
1. Cohesiveness: It refers to various forces acting on group members to remain
a part of a group. It refers to the attraction we have towards a particular
group. It is a feeling of emotional unity that binds the different members of
the group together. Cohesiveness is defined as the extent to which members
find the group attractive. It represents the sum of all the factors that induce
members to remain in the group. There are four important factors that
influence cohesiveness among group members.
a) The more difficult to get into a group, the more the members are
attracted to it.
b) Groups that are facing an external threat or severe competition are
generally higher in cohesiveness that ones not confronted with such
conditions.
c) Groups that have a past history of success are generally more cohesive
that ones that do not.
d) Smaller groups tend to be higher in cohesiveness as compared to larger
group.
2. Morale: The term moral is used to refer to group’s satisfaction. Group
morale considerably influences an individual’s satisfaction level because
individuals very often take cues from their work associates and adapt their
own attitudes to conform to the group norms. A member who is satisfied in a
group can raise the morale of his group members. Individuals, who belong to
cohesive groups, generally have high morale. High morale is a motivating
force and helps an individual to become an active and productive member of
a given group. Group members under authoritarian leader have low morale as
they do not get feedback on their performance. Democratic leaders boost
group morale.
3. Identification : In order for an individual to get integrated in a group, he/she
must be able to identify with the group. Group must make attempts to provide
atmosphere so that an individual is able to identify with the group as a whole
and group members in particular. An important process in increasing an
individual’s identification with the group is that he/she should feel accepted,
has positive attitudes and must be able to relate to members both as a group,
as well as on an individual basis. The group should also provide
opportunities for an individual to expand his identity by associating with the
group.
4. Norms : Norms refers to rules established by various groups to regulate the
behaviour of members. Norms tell group members how to behave or how not
to behave in various situations. Most of the groups require that their members
must behave in accordance with group norms. Behaviour that deviates from
group norm is considered to be abnormal. In short, norms help to regulate and
control our behaviour and thus preserve social order. Norms provide for
uniformity and predictability of behaviour. Norms also provide ready-made
solutions to variety of day to day problems we are faced with.
5. Structure : Group structure basically deals with how the group is composed
and organized with respect to hierarchy, authority, roles and status. The
structure of a group influences its activities, productivity, group morale and
general functioning of the group. Decision making groups in an organization
have a participative and democratic structure. The personality characteristics
of the individual members as well as their collective goals determine as to
what structure a given group will adopt.
6. Group Size : Group size has a considerable influence on the working and the
functioning of the group. An effective work group should generally consist of
5 to 6 members only. If the group size increases then there is a tendency that
the members will divide themselves into subgroups and this can influence the
functioning of the group. Large groups tend to be less cohesive, display
competition within groups and disruptive tendencies among members
become evident. According to the concept ‘Social Loafing’, when
individuals work in a group, their contribution becomes less as the group size
increases.
7. Communication Patterns : Communication patterns refer to the nature and
type of communication that takes place between two or more members or
group. Groups have definite communication patterns and these patterns of
communication helps us to understand the characteristics and the working of
the internal group dynamics. The term ‘communication networks’ is
frequently used to refer to recurring patterns of who talks to whom in a
group.
Types of Groups :
1. Primary and Secondary Groups :
Primary groups are those in which interpersonal relationships take place
on a face to face basis, with great frequency. Such relationships are at a
more intimate level than relationships in groups in which there is less
personal contact. Some important examples of primary groups are :
Family, Peer groups
Few example of peer groups
Computer users seek out others for help in solving problems Police officers help other officers deal with trauma Elementary school students mediate conflicts between other students Experienced employees show new employees "the ropes" A friend listens while another friend describes a problem Students tutor other students Co-workers help colleagues manage work challenges Seniors help each other with loneliness and grief Executives orient other managers to steps for success Experienced parents support new parents Hockey players coach other hockey players
Secondary groups are likely to be more impersonal and there is more formal
and contractual relationship among members, e.g. political parties,
national groups, etc. Emotional expression by the members of
secondary groups is more restrained and sometimes even suppressed
altogether. Different emotions like love, disappointment, depression, anger,
etc., are more likely to be expressed in primary group membership.
2. Formal and Informal Groups :
Formal groups are one that is deliberately created to perform a specific
task. Members are usually appointed by the organization, but it may not
always be the case. Example a group is committee and other example are
work units, such as a small department, a research and development
authority.
A distinctive feature of formal groups is that a hierarchy of authority exists,
with specified member rules and regulation
Variation of member Group:
1) Standing task group
2) Task group
Standing task group: Also known as command group, is
permanently specifies in the organizational structure and consists of a
supervisor who exercises formal authority over subordinates.
Eg: The foremen and his group of subordinates constitute a command group.
Task Group: Also known as project group is a temporary formal group
that is created to solve specific problem. The employee belong to different
departments. They stay together till the task is completed and once the work
is completed, the task group disbands and members return to their respective
task groups.
Informal groups also called clique, is an alliance that is neither formally
structures, nor organizationally determined. Informal groups are natural
formations in the work environment which appear in response to the need for
social contact.
Variation of member group
1) Interest group
2) Friendship group
3) Reference group
Interest Group: is made up of individual who affiliate to achieve an
objective of mutual interest that may have nothing to do with their formal
task group memberships.
Example: Working mothers who lobby together to get their
organization to facilitate their multiple roles by providing day care
facilities on the premises, flexi time and shared job assignments is an eg.
A friendship group: It develops on common characteristics such as
marital status, political views, college affiliations and sports. Enlightened
managers maintain good relations with friendship groups because these
groups have tremendous influence on their member s that managers would
prefer to have directed towards organizational goals.
A reference group is any group with which an individual identifies for the
purpose of forming opinions or making decisions. Reference groups are the
bases for many interest and friendship groups, but they may also exist outside
of the organization and still influence a person behavior at work. Reference
groups are based on such factors as race, gender, politics, religion, education
level etc.
Distinguish between formal group and informal group
Sr .
No
Formal Group Informal group
1 Origin: It is deliberately structured to serve organizational goals
It emerges voluntarily and spontaneously
2 Activities: The manager decides about the
Members themselves develop their activities , interactions
3 Purpose: Purpose is to serve the organization and it is delegated from top to the bottom
Purpose is to provide social satisfaction and stability to work groups
4 Authority: Authority is given by
the organization and it is delegated
from top to bottom
Authority is earned from members. Members are elected on the basis of performance.
5 Communication: All messages
pass through the chain of command
There is no chain of command people remain in mutual contact with each other
6 Nature: These groups are stable
and continue for longer period
These groups are unstable and continue for short period
7 Controlled of behavior:
Behavior is controlled by
predetermined rules and regulation
Behavior is controlled through common
norms, values and beliefs of the group
8 Sanction to members:
Members are rewarded and
punished for the work done
Members are recognized through non- financial rewards and punishments in terms of feelings status and prestige
3. In-group and Out-group :
The group to which we belong are in groups and to which we do not
belong are out groups. The in group versus out group concept is applicable
to friendly rivalries between schools, clubs, and associations. In groups
are known as ‘we groups’ and out groups known as ‘they groups’
Members of In groups posses a high degree of loyalty, sympathy and
devotion for each other. Citizens of countries in which there is a strong
sense of nationality think about their relationship with each other as ‘we
group’ and people in other countries as ‘they group’. Members of the in-
group share a common fate belong to a common culture and resemble
each other in many ways. Out group is group or a category towards which
one has no feeling of identity or of belongingness. These groups are ‘other
groups’ to which we do not belong. For example other families,
occupations, religions etc.
6. Open group and closed group: In open groups true to their nature, members
keep changing – news members joining and existing ones leaving. And in
closed group maintains relatively stable membership, with few addition and
losses in member’s overtime.
7. Membership Group: Membership group are formed informally and
formally through membership cards certificates. The institute of engineers
is a membership group and is secondary group.
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