Group Behavior 1650598210917

Managing People & Organization
Module 2 Group Behavior

Foundation of Group Behaviour
BITS Pilani
Pilani Campus Dr. Shikha Sahai
Course Name or Code MBAZG511 1

BITS Pilani
Pilani Campus
Group Behaviour
Foundation of Group Behaviour
Course Name or Code 2

Learning Objective
– Define groups, and identify the five stages of group

development.
– Discuss the Group Properties for High Group

performance.
– Contrast the strengths and weaknesses of group

decision making.
– Evaluate Team Effectiveness Model

BITS Pilani, Deemed to be University under Section 3 of UGC Act, 1956
Defining and Classifying Groups
Group(s) and Teams
Two or more individuals interacting and interdependent,
who have come together to achieve particular objectives.
Formal Group Informal Group

A designated work A group that is neither
group defined by the formally structured nor
organization’s structure. organizationally determined;
appears in response to the
need for social contact.
Subclassifications of Groups
• Formal Groups • Informal Groups

• Command Group • Interest Group
– A group composed of the – Members work together to
individuals who report attain a specific objective
directly to a given manager with which each is
• Task Group concerned
– Those working together to • Friendship Group
complete a job or task in an – Those brought together
organization but not limited because they share one or
by hierarchical boundaries more common
characteristics
Course Name or Code MBAZG511 9-5

5
Social Identity
Characteristics that make social identity important to a

person
• Similarity begets higher group identity
• Distinctiveness: Identity also makes us realise how

different we are from other groups
• Status: People like to associate with high status groups
• Uncertainty Reduction: Membership in a group reduces

uncertainty
Social Identity Theory
• Henri Tajfel & John Turner

• Three Stages of social identity
• Social Categorization
• Social Identification
• Social Comparison
– Us (in-group) & Them (out-group)
– Positive Opinion About In-Group
– Negative Opinion About Out-Group
– Performance Assessment of In-Group & Out-Group
• Success
• Failure
Course Name or Code MBACTZG511 7

Social Identity Theory
• Perception
– Self-serving bias
– Fundamental Attribution Error
• Application
– Recruitment
– Appraisal
– Team Selection
– Reward
– Diversity & Inclusion

Tuckman’s Five Stages of Group Development Model

Stages of group formation - Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kugPxS8
_YuE
10
Five Stages of Group Development Model
Limitations of Tuckman’s Model:
1. Not always true – group behavior is more complex

2. High levels of conflict may be conducive to high
performance
3. The process is not always linear
4. Several stages may occur simultaneously
5. Groups may regress
More importantly, it ignores the organizational context

Pause and Ponder
1. We formed a group in our organization, which reached

its norming stage over the time. Suddenly, we observed
conflicts emerging within the group. What does this
suggest?
a) Group never reached Norming stage
b) Five stage model is not always true
c) Groupmates did not adhere to 5 stage model

An Alternative Model for Group Formation
Temporary groups with deadlines don’t follow the five-stage

model
•Punctuated-Equilibrium Model
– Temporary groups under deadlines go through transitions
between inertia and activity—at the halfway point, they
experience an increase in productivity.
– Sequence of Actions
1. Setting group direction
2. First phase of inertia
3. Half-way point transition
4. Major changes
5. Second phase of inertia
6. Accelerated activity
Pause and Ponder
1. Application of Punctuated Equilibrium Model

Group Properties
Norms
Status
Roles
Group
Performance
Cohesiveness Size

Group Properties
Role(s)
A set of expected behavior patterns attributed to
someone occupying a given position in a social unit.
Role Identity
Certain attitudes and behaviors consistent with a
role.
Role Perception
An individual’s view of how he or she is supposed to
act in a given situation.
Course Name or Code MBAZG511 © 2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights 16
8–16
reserved.
Group Property - Roles (cont’d)
Role Expectations
How others believe a person should act in a given
situation.
Psychological Contract
An unwritten agreement that sets out what
management expects from the employee and vice
versa.
Role Conflict
A situation in which an individual is confronted by
divergent role expectations.
8–17
reserved.
Zimbardo’s Prison Experiment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2TCfex1aFw
8–18
reserved.
Group Property- Norms
Norms
Acceptable standards of behavior within a group
that are shared by the group’s members.
Classes of Norms:
• Performance norms
• Appearance norms
• Social arrangement norms
• Allocation of resources norms
8–19
reserved.
Group Property- Norms (cont’d)
Conformity
Adjusting one’s behavior to align with the norms of
the group.
Asch’s Conformity Experiment
8–20
reserved.
Group Property - Norms (cont’d)
Deviant Workplace Behavior
Antisocial actions by organizational members that

intentionally violate established norms and result in
negative consequences for the organization, its
members, or both.
8–21
reserved.
Pause and Ponder
What should we do when we observe Deviant
Workplace Behavior
• As Managers
• As Colleagues
• As Subordinates
8–22
reserved.
Group Property - Status
Status
A socially defined position or rank given to groups or
group members by others.
Group Norms
Group Member
Status Equity
Status
Culture
8–23
reserved.
Group Property - Size
Social Loafing
The tendency for individuals to expend less effort when
working collectively than when working individually.
Other conclusions:
Performance
• Odd number groups do

better than even.
• Groups of 7 or 9 perform
better overall than larger or
smaller groups.
Group Size
Course Name or Code MBAZG511
© 2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved. 24
Group Property - Composition
Group Demography
The degree to which members of a group share a
common demographic attribute, such as age,
gender, race, educational level, or length of service
in the organization, and the impact of this attribute
on turnover.
Cohorts
Individuals who, as part of a group, hold a common
attribute.
- DO PEOPLE FORM GROUPS ON DEMOGRAPHY???
8–25
reserved.
Group Property - Cohesiveness
Cohesiveness
Degree to which group members are attracted to
each other and are motivated to stay in the group.
Increasing group cohesiveness:

1. Make the group smaller.
2. Encourage agreement with group goals.
3. Increase time members spend together.
4. Increase group status and admission difficultly.
5. Stimulate competition with other groups.
6. Give rewards to the group, not individuals.
7. Physically isolate the group.
8–26
reserved.
Schachter Study
• Tested the effect of group cohesiveness
and induction on productivity
Pitch fork Productivity Curve

Implications of the Schachter Study
• High Cohesive Groups have very

powerful dynamics (+ve and –ve)
• Performance depends on how the

high and low cohesive groups are
induced
Group Tasks
• Decision-making
– Large groups facilitate the pooling of
information about complex tasks.
– Smaller groups are better suited to
coordinating and facilitating the
implementation of complex tasks.
– Simple, routine standardized tasks reduce the
requirement that group processes be effective
in order for the group to perform well.
8–29
reserved.
Group Decision Making
• Strengths • Weaknesses
– More complete – More time
information consuming (slower)
– Increased diversity of – Increased pressure
views to conform
– Higher quality of – Domination by one
decisions (more or a few members
accuracy) – Ambiguous
– Increased responsibility
acceptance of
solutions
8–30
reserved.
Group Decision Making (cont’d)
Groupthink: Panchtantra Story
8–31
reserved.
Groupthink: Panchtantra Story
8–32
reserved.
Groupthink
Phenomenon in which the norm for consensus
overrides the realistic appraisal of alternative course
of action.
Groupshift
A change in decision risk between the group’s
decision and the individual decision that member
within the group would make; can be either toward
conservatism or greater risk.
8–33
reserved.
Symptoms Of The Groupthink Phenomenon
• Group members rationalize any resistance to

the assumptions they have made.
• Members apply direct pressures on those who
express doubts about shared views or who
question the alternative favored by the majority.
• Members who have doubts or differing points of
view keep silent about misgivings.
• There appears to be an illusion of unanimity.
8–34
reserved.
Pause and Ponder
• Do your Groups suffer from
– Group Think
– Social Loafing
• What Can you do to Overcome the
problems of
– Group Think
– Social Loafing
8–35
reserved.
Group Decision-Making Techniques
Interacting Groups
Typical groups, in which the members interact with
each other face-to-face.
Nominal Group Technique

A group decision-making method in which individual
members meet face-to-face to pool their judgments
in a systematic but independent fashion.
8–36
reserved.
Group Decision-Making Techniques
Brainstorming
An idea-generation process that specifically
encourages any and all alternatives, while
withholding any criticism of those alternatives.
Electronic Meeting
A meeting in which members interact on computers,
allowing for anonymity of comments and
aggregation of votes.
8–37
reserved.
Review
1. Group decision making is not always attributed with

effectiveness.
1. True
2. False

Pause and Ponder
1. Peer pressure can be a positive thing; it is really just a

way to communicate group norms. Do you agree with
this statement? Can you think of workplace situations
where peer pressure has worked well

Teams and Groups - Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uG-
FLOi4OOU

Comparing Work Groups and Work Teams

Examples of work groups and work
teams
• Lets take an example of workgroups and work teams

– A business may have a client services group, but one
person may focus on local clients, one person may
focus on regional clients and a third person may
assist those individuals.
– Before a small business creates a new product, it
may organize a team composed of people from all
departments – engineering, finance, legal, marketing,
etc. – to consider all aspects of the potential new
product to avoid costly surprises down the road.

Review
1. Accountability and responsibility are two different terms.

But when it comes to accountability it is individual
whether in group or a team.
State true/false, with a rationale.

Review
1. Virtual teams work through computer technologies and

therefore are very reliable and do not need much
monitoring over them.
1. True
2. False

A Team-Effectiveness Model
Caveat 1: This is a
general guide only.
Caveat 2: The
model assumes
that teamwork is
preferable to
individual work.
Course Name or Code MBAZG511 10-48

48
Turning Individuals into Team Players
• Selection
– Make team skills one of the interpersonal skills in the
hiring process.
• Training
– Individualistic people can learn
• Rewards
– Rework the reward system to encourage cooperative
efforts rather than competitive (individual) ones
– Continue to recognize individual contributions while
still emphasizing the importance of teamwork
Beware! Teams Aren’t Always the
Answer
Teams take more time and resources than does

individual work.
Three tests to see if a team fits the situation:
1. Is the work complex and is there a need for different
perspectives – will it be better with the insights of
more than one person?
2. Does the work create a common purpose or set of
goals for the group that is larger than the aggregate
of the goals for individuals?
3. Are members of the group involved in
interdependent tasks?
Johari Window
Course
Course Name or Name
Code or Code
MBACTZG511 51
Course
Course Name or Name
Code or Code
MBACTZG511 52
Johari Window
Course
Course Name or Name
Code or Code
MBACTZG511 53
Summary and Managerial Implications
• Effective teams have common characteristics:

– Adequate resources
– Effective leadership
– A climate of trust
– Appropriate reward and evaluation systems
– Composed of members with correct skills and roles
– Are smaller
– Do work that provides freedom, autonomy, and the chance to
contribute
– The tasks are whole and significant
– Has members who believe in the team’s capabilities
• Managers should modify the environment and select

team-oriented individuals to increase the chance of
developing effective teams.
Thank you
BITS Pilani
Pilani Campus

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Managing People & Organization

Module 2 Group Behavior

Course Name or Code MBAZG511 1

Course Name or Code 2

– Define groups, and identify the five stages of group

– Discuss the Group Properties for High Group

– Contrast the strengths and weaknesses of group

– Evaluate Team Effectiveness Model

Course Name or Code 3

Formal Group Informal Group

• Formal Groups • Informal Groups

Course Name or Code MBAZG511 9-5

Characteristics that make social identity important to a

• Similarity begets higher group identity

• Distinctiveness: Identity also makes us realise how

• Status: People like to associate with high status groups

• Uncertainty Reduction: Membership in a group reduces

• Henri Tajfel & John Turner

Course Name or Code MBACTZG511 7

– Fundamental Attribution Error

– Diversity & Inclusion

Course Name or Code MBAZG511 9

Limitations of Tuckman’s Model:

1. Not always true – group behavior is more complex

More importantly, it ignores the organizational context

Course Name or Code MBAZG511 11

1. We formed a group in our organization, which reached

Course Name or Code MBAZG511 12

Temporary groups with deadlines don’t follow the five-stage

1. Application of Punctuated Equilibrium Model

Course Name or Code MBAZG511 14

Course Name or Code MBAZG511 15

Asch’s Conformity Experiment

Antisocial actions by organizational members that

• Odd number groups do

Increasing group cohesiveness:

Pitch fork Productivity Curve

Course Name or Code MBAZG511 27

• High Cohesive Groups have very

• Performance depends on how the

• Group members rationalize any resistance to

Nominal Group Technique

1. Group decision making is not always attributed with

Course Name or Code MBACTZG511 38

1. Peer pressure can be a positive thing; it is really just a

Course Name or Code MBACTZG511 39

Course Name or Code MBAZG511 40

Course Name or Code MBAZG511 41

• Lets take an example of workgroups and work teams

Course Name or Code MBAZG511 42

1. Accountability and responsibility are two different terms.

Course Name or Code MBAZG511 45

1. Virtual teams work through computer technologies and

Course Name or Code MBAZG511 47

Course Name or Code MBAZG511 10-48

Teams take more time and resources than does

• Effective teams have common characteristics:

• Managers should modify the environment and select