Term Paper II

7/31/2019 Term Paper II

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Contents

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2

GROUP DYNAMICS AND INTERPERSONAL INFLUENCE: ---------------------------------------------------- 2

THE PROCESS OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT: -------------------------------------------------------------------- 4

POWER IN GROUPS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5

LEADERSHIP ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7

CONCLUSION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10

REFERENCES:------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11


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INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND:

Groups are a part of everyday life, whether in schools, hospitals, police stations or commercial

companies. In this text, we have tried to show how groups are formed, their functionality and how

individuals behave in a group. We have argued that the key to successful groups lies in a better

understanding of the needs and motivations of the people within them.

Understanding Groups offers an extended 'dictionary' of the key concepts - culture, motivations,

leadership, role-playing, coordinating and consultation - and then shows how this 'language' can help usfind new solutions to familiar problems. All groups need to select, develop and reward their people; to

structure and design their work; to resolve political conflicts; to lay down guidelines for their groups;

and to plan for the future.

We have carried out this research as a group and compiled the different findings that we got from

different authors.

GROUP DYNAMICS AND INTERPERSONAL INFLUENCE:


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In a group, members have access to goods and services more easily than they would have on anindividual basis;

Group members pull together scarce resources, own and manage them themselves in order tofight against poverty, food shortage, powerlessness of an individual person against market

forces, unemployment and low self-esteem.

Groups can be learning laboratories, promoting skills such as enterprise management andproblem solving;

It reduces on administrative transaction costs of lending; A group reduces default through collective risk taking; and Groups provide a channel for information.

THE PROCESS OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT:

In forming a group it goes through various stages;

1. Forming At this stage people try to share their ideas and see if they can work as a groupwith a common goal(s).

2. Storming This a crucial stage where conflicts can emerge and depends on how they aresolved, if not do well some members can withdraw from the group.

3. Norming-Did you move on to agree methods of working? Did you have a common goal?


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Did you cooperate with each other?

Did you work out how to proceed at all? (If not, you were probably still storming.)

4. Performing-Did everyone take on a functional role to achieve the task?

Did you work constructively and efficiently?

Did the group's activity focus on fulfilling the task?

Did you experience a sense of achievement?

5. Retiring/Adjourning-Did you stop abruptly and all go your separate ways or did you finishthe task and then go off together and socialize?

Did you talk about the group and your experience of it?

6. Mourning/Grieving- A t this stage the following questions are asked and answered; Have you experienced the mourning stage following the completion of a show or

project?

Have you ever felt empty or sad when a group activity has finished Why might some people feel the mourning stage more acutely than others? How do you deal with your own feelings after the project or show?

POWER IN GROUPS

Some of the factors that make a group a social work groupare the awareness and employment of the

following principles:

a. Inclusion and respect. Groups validate every persons voice and honor each participants view by

exemplifying faith and belief in each individuals capability of constructive contributions.

b. Mutual aid. Mutual aid involves fostering peoples ability to conceptualize and to articulate their own

needs, and to recognize and respond to other group members needs.

2002). Mutual aid creates the conditions in which people can support and assist one another with their

personal goals.


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c. Stage Management. Effective social group workers recognize and make use of the various stages of

group development, and use the products and by products of energy generated by the interactions of

the group in beginnings, middles, and ends.

d. Use of Conflict. Facing and exploring conflict is core to the expertise and effectiveness of group work

or understanding euphemisms and codes that group members use, and helping members see

contradictions, commonalities and differences.

e. Conscious development, use, and implications of purpose. Skilled facilitators regularly bring members

awareness to defining and developing the groups changing purpose .Consistent agreement and

crystallization of purpose adds to group cohesion and the group sense of self determination.

f. Breaking taboos. Group work practitioners develop the ability to say the things people have the

hardest time saying. At times the things that some individuals regard as shameful, deviant, or abnormal

are normalized by the practitioners ability to break taboos.

g. Value of activity. Social learning theories have taught us that there are major differences in learning

styles. Use of art, music, writing, Playing and acting are invaluable in reaching varied populations,

Meeting people where they are at, and using clients strengths.

h. Problem-solving. Practitioners regularly are called upon to guide the group through decision-making

and problem-solving processes. A mistake commonly made by the non-educated group worker is to leap

to resolution and solution of the presenting issue without benefiting group members with a proper

exploration of the issue.


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LEADERSHIP

Leadership style is the manner and approach of providing direction, implementing plans, and motivating

people.

a. Authoritarian or autocratic

b. Participative or democratic

c. Delegative or Free Reign

(employee orientation) leaders are concerned about the human needs of their

employees. They build teamwork, help employees with their problems, and provide psychological

support.

(task orientation) leaders believe that they get results by consistently keeping people busy

and urging them to produce.

A good leader uses all three styles i.e., Authoritarian or autocratic, Participative or democratic and or

Delegative or Free Reign depending on what forces are involved between the followers, the leader, and

the situation. Some examples include:


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(1) Encouraging self-reinforcementby team members. Through the reinforcement of high levels ofgroup performance, the Super leader encourages the group to recognize and appreciate actions that

lead to high performance.

(2)Encouraging self-evaluationso that team members gather the relevant information to monitor andevaluate their performance.

(3)Encouraging team members to be self-criticalof their own performance.(4)By promoting a culture based on group outcomes the Super Leader helps assist team members to

engage in behavior ofself-goal setting.

(5)Encouraging self-expectationamong work team members so that the team has high expectations forgroup performance.

(6)Encouraging the behaviors of task rehearsal so that the team practices a work activity beforeperforming it.


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CONCLUSION

From the research, we have found that for individuals to have a success in organizations they tend to

form groups as their source of unity and strength. Groups create need for understanding other

individuals and solving problems together. Its a source of strength and increase bargaining power. It

simply concur with the saying unity is strength.


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REFERENCES:

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Term Paper II