Group Dynamics

The behavior of people as an individual and as a

member of a group widely differs. Modern
organizations are made up of people and an
organization becomes successful because of its
people. Individuals in an organization do not work
in isolation rather most of the work in organizations
is done by groups of people. Therefore, it is
important for a manager to understand how groups
are formed in the organization & the performance
and expectations of the members of various
groups. People in organizations form groups to
fulfill their social needs.
People at the work place behave as members of a
group and the membership shapes their work
behavior and attitudes towards organizations.
 The social process by which people interact with
one another in groups is called group dynamics.
 Group dynamics focuses on team work where
small groups contact with each other and share
common ideas to accomplish the goals. Thus, a
group consists of two or more persons who
interact with each other consciously for the
achievement of certain common objectives.
The members influence the group and in turn are
influenced by others in the group.
 A group is a set of two or more individuals who
interact through network of communication, share
collective identity & work to achieve common goals.
• People must fulfill the following conditions, to be
called a group:
• I. People must interact with one another.
• II. People must know one another and
• III. People must behave as a part of the group.
• Groups are useful for organizations as they provide
norms of behavior for its members. They provide a
feeling of companionship and understanding.
• Groups enable the members gain a feeling of
belongingness through which the members derive
esteem, recognition and status.
• Groups enable people at work place to talk to one
another about job or personal problems. A sound
understanding of the group dynamics at the work
place helps the manager to initiate behavior
modifications and implement changes in the
organization.
Types of Groups
i. Formal Groups: are a part of the organization
structure & are created deliberately by the
management to perform the assigned duties. Work
groups, committees and quality circles fall in this
category. These groups are characterized by clear-cut
authority-responsibility relationships. The pattern of
communication is also well defined. Rules are laid
down to regulate the behavior of group members.
ii. Informal Groups: arise spontaneously at the work
place because of social interaction between the
people. They are created by individuals rather than
by management. They are based on common
interest, language, taste, religion, background, etc.
• Informal groups are alliances that are not officially
planned and are more flexible than the formal
groups.
• Since they concentrate on personal contacts
between the members, they represent the human
side of enterprise as compared to technical side
represented by the formal groups.
 Command and Task Groups
Formal groups may be further classified as
command and task groups. The command group
comprises of subordinates who report directly to a
common boss. Thus, a supervisor and the operative
employees reporting to him form a command
group. The task group, on the other hand,
represents those working together to complete a
given task. A task group or teams, say for the
introduction of a new product or service, is usually
formed to complete an assignment that involves a
number of departments. A command group is more
permanent than a task group in the organization.
 Interest and Friendship Groups:
• Informal alliances may take the shape of interest and
friendship groups. An interest group consists of people
having a specific objective and not aligned to common
command or task groups.
• For instance, employees who group together to
pressurize the management for free transport and other
benefits constitute an interest group. But a friendship
group includes close friends or relatives. These relations
even extend outside the organization. The group
members know each other very well and have good
relations.
• Clique : consists of those people who have frequent
interactions and observe certain norms and standards.
Its purpose is to gain and control power. The number of
members of a clique is restricted to five or six
organizational members.
• Some members of a clique may also form another
group which may even consist of some persons
who are not members of the organization. Thus,
the group known as sub-clique is partially
external to the organization.
• Types of cliques
• i. Vertical clique: It consists of people working in
the same department drawing membership
regardless of ranks. For example, superior may be
a member in a group consisting mainly of
subordinates. Such groups cutting across
hierarchical lines develop because of the earlier
acquaintance of people or because the superior
is dependent upon the subordinate for some
formal purposes.
• ii. Horizontal clique: It consists of people of
more or less same rank and working in the
same unit. The members have certain common
interest for whose achievements they follow
certain norms and standards.
• iii. Mixed or random clique: Such a group
draws members from different ranks,
departments and physical locations that come
together for a common purpose. The members
may be residing in the same locality and
travelling by the common bus, or they may be
members of the common club.