Dr.

Faisal Asghar Imam

„a group is any collection of individuals who
perceive themselves to be a group’
Charles Handy

‘any number of people who (1) interact with

one another (2) are psychologically aware of
one another and (3) perceive themselves to
be a group’

Schein
 Fraser
1. Interaction
2. Perception
3. Goals
4. Roles
5. Norms
6. Affective relations
 “Management succeeds or fails in proportion
as it is accepted without reservation by the
group as authority and leader.” Elton Mayo
 Understanding the element of perception &
culture.
 The importance of Social Controls on
productivity and management.
 The alignment of individual and group goals
leads to more commitment, satisfaction and
productivity.
Formal Organizational Functions

 Complex, interrelated tasks

 A means of generating new ideas
 Facilitate implementation of decision-
participation
 Socialization- internalized control
Individual Functions
 A means of developing a sense of identity
& self esteem
 A means of defining reality
 Fulfilling Affiliation needs
 Reducing anxiety & powerlessness – help
& support
 REMEMBER:

The critical importance of alignment of

individual and group needs
 Formal & Informal groups
 Dalton identified three types of „cliques‟-
horizontal, vertical and random
 Informal groups can facilitate
communication
 Informal groups can also be disruptive and
restrictive- Hawthorne Studies
 FORMING – a set of individuals

 STORMING – goals, roles and controls

 NORMING – cohesion and identity

 PERFORMING- energy for completion of

tasks
 In certain situations the group rapidly goes through
these stages (If people are committed, if individual
and group needs are aligned or if the task is too
important-common enemy)
 Sometimes it would take a longer time for these
stages (the task of the manager to know the stage
the group is at).
 Certain organizational cultures do not encourage
storming, which leads to politiking.
 A misconception- groups only perform at the
performing stage.
 Conformity- degree of influence by the
group
 Experiments of Solomon Asch;
1. Distortion of perception
2. Distortion of judgment
3. Distortion of action
 Power comes from unanimity &
cohesion
‘how strongly they are attracted to groups.
Why members stay members’
 Size
 Frequency of interaction
 Agreement on goals
 Inter group competition
 Age of members
 Shared background
 Large size
 Disagreement on goals
 Intra group competition
 Discussion dominated by few members
Sherif and Sherif
Intra group behavior
1. More cohesion
2. Concern with task needs
3. Autocratic leadership
Inter group behavior
1. Diminished interaction
2. Stereotyping and selective perception
3. Distorted perception on forced interaction
 Locating a common enemy-emphasis on
organizational goals
 Frequent rotation
 Encourage communication
 The group becomes too cohesive
1. Invulnerability
2. Rationalization
3. Inherent morality
4. Stereotype
5. Direct pressure
6. Self censorship
7. Unanimity
8. Mind guards
 Leon Festinger
1. Propinquity
2. Social Comparison theory

 The Balance Theory

 The Exchange Theory
 Collective Goals