GROUP DYNAMICS

Defining and Classifying

Groups
 Groups At Work: Their Basic Nature
Group Dynamics - focus on the nature of groups, including their
formation and development, their structure, and their inter-
relationships with individuals, other groups, and the parent
organization
What Is a Group? - groups have four key characteristics
Social interaction - two or more individuals who are able to
influence each other

Stability - members stay together and function as a unit

Common interests or goals - helps to achieve a mutual goal

Recognition as being a group - members perceive differences

between themselves and non-members
 Why People Join Groups

• Security
• Status
• Self-esteem
• Affiliation
• Power
• Goal Achievement
 Types of groups
I. Formal Groups
a. Part of organisational structure
b. Created deliberately by management to assign duties
c. Pattern of communication is defined and rules are laid down
Are further classified as
i. Command groups:
Relatively permanent and stable and specified by organisational
chart
Comprises of supervisor and subordinates to discuss specific and
general ideas
ii. Task forces:
Organisationally determined
Temporary group representing the employees working together to
complete a task
iii. Committees:
Set up for special purposes
May be permanent or temporary
 Types of groups (contd)
II. Informal Groups
a. Formed by members themselves rather than by
management
b. Arise in orgns. as a result of social interaction
c. Based on common interest language and background
d. Have their own unwritten code of conduct and rules
Are further classified as
i. Interest and friendship groups:
Arise because members know each other before joining
organisations or based on common characteristics like age,
common values and college affiliations
ii. Cliques:
Consist of colleagues who associate with each other and observe
certain social norms but no. of members is less
Objective is to provide recognition to each other and exchange
information and mutual interest
 Functions of a Group
Task Functions
• Handling complex tasks
• Coordinating function
• Implementing complex
decisions
• Generating new and
creative ideas
• Vehicle for training new
employees
Maintenance Function
• Fulfilling need for social
interaction
• Providing identity and
self esteem
• Solving personal
problems
• Reducing anxiety and
uncertainity
Five Stage Model of Group Development
(Tuckman 1965)
Stages of Group Development (cont’d)
 Characteristics of each stage
1. Forming
Group members try to comprehend where they stand in the group
and how they are being perceived by others
Cautious in their interactions and relationships are superficial
Members seldom express their ideas
2. Stroming/ Subgrouping/ Confrontation stage
Internal subgroups get developed and interactions are limited
Establish their positions and test power
Disagreements and resentments get expressed
3. Norming/ Individual differentiation/ Initial Integration
Disagreements get worked out
Tries to get cohesiveness and understands the goals of group and
express feelings openly to resolve problems
Roles get defined and group members express satisfaction and
confidence about being members of the group
 Characteristics of each stage (contd)

4. Performing/ Collaboration/ Final integration Stage:

Group has matured fully and is committed to goals
Group members have full trust in each other and
resolve conflicts properly
Task performance level is high along with member
satisfaction
Performance and member satisfaction are sustained
indefinitely
5. Adjournment
For temporary groups there is an adjourning stage
Attention directed towards wrapping of group activities
 Group processes
These are inherent processes existing within
each group
Group Resources
Group Roles
Group Norms
Group Status
Group Size
Group Cohesiveness
 Group Member Resources
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Interpersonal skills
Conflict management and resolution
Collaborative problem solving
Communication
Personality Characteristics
Sociability
Initiative
Openness
Flexibility
Roles
Roles (cont’d)
Norms

Classes
Classesof
ofNorms:
Norms:
•• Performance
Performancenorms
norms
•• Appearance
Appearancenorms
norms
•• Social
Socialarrangement
arrangementnorms
norms
•• Allocation
Allocationof
ofresources
resources
norms
norms
Norms (cont’d)
 Status

Group
GroupNorms
Norms

Group
GroupMember
Member
Status
StatusEquity
Equity Status
Status

Culture
Culture
 Size

Performance

g)
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a l Otherconclusions:
conclusions:
Ac • • Odd
Oddnumber
numbergroups
groupsdodo
better than even.
better than even.
Group Size • • Groups
Groupsof of77or
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perform
better
better overall thanlarger
overall than larger
or
orsmaller
smallergroups.
groups.
Group Structure - Composition
Group Cohesiveness

Increasing
Increasinggroup
groupcohesiveness:
cohesiveness:
1.1. Make
Makethe
thegroup
groupsmaller.
smaller.
2.2. Encourage
Encourageagreement
agreementwith
withgroup
groupgoals.
goals.
3.3. Increase
Increasetime
timemembers
membersspend
spendtogether.
together.
4.4. Increase
Increasegroup
groupstatus
statusand
andadmission
admissiondifficultly.
difficultly.
5.5. Stimulate
Stimulatecompetition
competitionwith
withother
othergroups.
groups.
6.6. Give
Giverewards
rewardstotothe
thegroup,
group,not
notindividuals.
individuals.
7.7. Physically
Physicallyisolate
isolatethe
thegroup.
group.
Relationship Between Group Cohesiveness,
Performance Norms, and Productivity
 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.
 Group Decision Making

Strengths Weaknesses
Complete More time
information consuming
Increased diversity Increased
of views pressure to
Higher quality of conform
decisions Domination by one
Increased or a few members
acceptance of Ambiguous
solutions responsibility
Group Decision Making (cont’d)
Group Decision-Making Techniques
Teams in the modern
workplace
 Why Have Teams Become So
Popular
Teams typically outperform individuals.
Teams use employee talents better.
Teams are more flexible and responsive to
changes in the environment.
Teams facilitate employee involvement.
Teams are an effective way to democratize
an organization and increase motivation.
Team Versus Groups: What’s the
Difference
Comparing Work Groups and Work
Teams
Types of Teams
Types of Teams (cont’d)

• Task forces

• Committees
 Types of Teams (cont’d)

Team
TeamCharacteristics
Characteristics
1.1. The
Theabsence
absenceofofparaverbal
paraverbaland
andnonverbal
nonverbalcues
cues
2.2. AAlimited
limitedsocial
socialcontext
context
3.3. The
Theability
abilityto
toovercome
overcometime
timeand
andspace
spaceconstraints
constraints
Beware: Teams Aren’t Always the
Answer

Three tests to see if a team fits the situation:

Is the work complex and is there a need for
different perspectives?
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?
Are members involved in interdependent tasks?