GROU

P
CHRISTIAN S. DE LUMEN
INSTRUCTOR I
WHAT IS GROUP?
• A Group is basically an assemblage of people. It can be understood as
a collection of individuals (two or more), who come together and
interact with each other, so as to achieve the objectives
Other Definitions:
• According to Sherif and Sherif (1969) “A group is a
social unit which consists of a number of individuals
who stand in role and status relationship to one another
stabilized in some degree at the time and who possess a
set of value or norms of their own regulating their
behaviour atleast in matter of consequence to the
group.”
• Group is defined by Baron and Byrne (1988) as
follows: “Groups consist of two or more persons
engaged in social interaction who have some stable
structure relationship with one another, are
interdependent, share common goals and perceive
that they are infact part of a group.”
 A group consists of
more than one
person
The group may disintegrate
when the common motive is
satisfied. This refers to a
temporary group
They meet together to
satisfy some common
motive or common
purpose

It provides the awareness of  It has its own structure

and organization of
members by the process of
forces.
interaction.
Size: To form a group, it must be
having at least two members.
Practically, the number of group
members ranges from 15 to 20.
The more the members in the
group, the more complex it is to
manage.
Goals: Every group has certain goals, that
are the reasons for its existence.
 Norms: A group has
certain rules, for
interacting with the group
members
• Structure: It has a
structure, based on the
roles and positions held by
the members.
Roles: Every member of a group has certain
roles and responsibilities, which are assigned, by
the group leader.
Interaction: The interaction between the group members
can occur in several ways, i.e. face to face, telephonic, in
writing or in any other manner.
Collective Identity: A group is an
aggregation of individuals, which are
separately called as members, and
collectively called as a group.
Types of
groups
Formal Groups
These are the type of work groups created by
the organization and have designated work
assignments and rooted tasks. The behavior
of such groups is directed toward achieving
organizational goals.
Command group − It is a group
consisting of individuals who report
directly to the manager.
•Committees: An association of people
created by the management for different
matters to identify and discuss the
issues of the company and arrive at a
conclusion. It can be:
• Standing Committee
• Advisory Committee
• Audit Committee
• Grievance Committee
• Adhoc Committee
SELF-DIRECTED TEAMS - also called a self-managing team,
is a group of employees within an organization who share
the responsibility of planning and executing their work,
without the supervision of a manager
Task Group: It is a temporary committee, wherein
people belonging to different fields are grouped
together for the performance of the task.
Informal Groups
These groups are formed with friendships and common
interests.
Friendship group − Those brought together because of their
shared interests or common characteristics is known as
friendship group.
Reasons for Group Formation?
 MEMBER’S POINT OF VIEW

Group
Formation
ORGANIZATION’S POINT OF VIEW
 MEMBER’S POINT OF VIEW
Companionship:
The need for relationship with other people is one of the strongest and most constant of human
drives. Relationships give an individual, who earlier felt lonely and miserable, recognition and his
work life pleasant and comfortable.

Identity:
We try to understand ourselves through the
behaviour of others towards us. If others praise us,
we feel we are great

Information:
The informal group to which a member belongs is a source of communication or information to him.
A piece of information available to one member will nearly reach all the members in a short span of
time. An individual comes to know about what is happening in an organisation even if he has been on
leave or is otherwise away.
The group may develop a special code or language for speedy communication. The groups help reduce
many of the psychological barriers to communication.
Security:
Perhaps, the strongest reason for group formation is the people’s need for security. By joining a group,
a person can reduce his insecurity; he feels stronger, has lesser self doubts and is more resistant to
threats. 

Esteem:
Membership in a prestigious group is a
source of enhanced self esteem. The
members will feel good about themselves by
virtue of the group’s power, prestige and
social standing.

Sense of Belongingness:
It is an emotional need for friendship, love,
affection and affiliation. Most people have
strong need for being with others who can
understand, support and help them when
they are in need and render them moral and
emotional support in time of difficulty.
Outlet for Frustrations:
An individual may be faced with several
problems relating to his family life and work
life. At times, he feels tremendous stress in
life and gets frustrated

Generation of New Ideas:

Informal groups are a breeding ground for
new ideas as they provide a supportive
environment in which the members can
engage themselves in creative thinking.

Job Satisfaction:
Many jobs which appear superficially dull and routine are made
interesting by the group and spontaneity is encouraged and protected by
the group
Power:
Membership of group offers power to members
in at least two ways:
(i) There are sayings such as “united we stand, divided we
fall” and “unity is strength.” Workers enjoy much
greater power collectively than they do as individuals.

(ii) Leadership of a group enables an individual to

exercise power over group members even if he does
not enjoy a formal position of authority in the
organisation.
From Organization’s Point of View
Lightening of Responsibility:
A cooperate group can always be
entrusted with some responsibility
which will lighten the manager’s
mental burden to some extent.
Filling the Gaps:
An enlightened group can also fill in gaps
in management’s abilities. Sometimes, a
subordinate who has knowledge in the
area can help the superior, who does not
have adequate grasp over the problem.
Restraining the Authority:
A group also helps to keep checks and balances on the manager’s excessive use of
authority. A manager is not allowed to cross his limits or bounds.
Information:
Groups act as a medium of information for the management. A set of
information, which the management is reluctant to express in writing
can be conveyed to the members through the informal
communication channels of the group. On the other hand, it conveys
to the management also what is in the minds of the employees. 
Activity 5:
Will be posted on the Google Classroom.
NEXT TOPIC:

GROUP DYNAMICS