Group Dynamics
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Transcript of Group Dynamics
Group Dynamics
Group Dynamics
Groups
Two or more individuals , interacting and interdependent , who have come together to achieve particular objectives.
A group can be defined as a small group of people with complementary skills and abilities who are committed to a leader's goal and approach and are willing to be held accountable by the leader
Groups
FormalA designated work
group defined by the organization's structure.
Designated work assignments.
Directed towards organizational goals
InformalA group that is neither
formally nor informally structured nor organizationally determined ; appears in response to the need of social interactions.
Friendship groups; kitty groups
Need to join Groups
Security. Status. Self Esteem Affiliation Power Goal Achievement
Pivotal Studies in the Origins of Group Dynamics
Sherif (1936) investigated social norms among groups
of people one of the first studies that studied group
phenomena experimentally Newcomb (1939)
topic similar to Sherif used naturalistic observation showed that attitudes of individuals are
strongly related to the groups to which they belong
Pivotal studies, cont.
Whyte (1937) study of social clubs, political
organizations, and racketeering use of participant observer technique Contributions (Whyte, 1937)
dramatized the great significance of groups in the lives of individuals
gave impetus to the interpretation of group properties and processes in terms of interactions
generated new hypothesis concerning intra group relations
Pivotal studies, cont.
Lewin, Lippitt, and White (1939) studied influences of leadership style
on group and its members found that individual members were
transferred from one group to another their aggressiveness change to approach the new group level
Earliest use of the phrase “group dynamics”
Work Groups vs. Work Teams
Work group -- collection of two or more people who interact with one another and share some interrelated task goals
Work team -- a work group with 3 specific properties: actions of individuals must be interdependent
and coordinated each member must have a particular, specified
role. there must be common task goals and
objectives.
Groups vs. TeamsGroups Teams
Members Independent Interdependent
Goals Individual/group Mutual
Cognizance of membership
Individual may not know
Individuals know
Leadership Identified Shared
Products Individual Collective
Reward Individual Collective
Conflict Reactive Expected
Types of Groups / Teams
Command Group- composed of individuals who directly report to a given manager.
Task Group- Individuals working together to complete a task.
Self Managed-Individuals who operate without a manager and responsible for complete work process/ segment
Autonomous Work Groups
Alternative organizational structuring where an entire product (or service) is produced (or provided) by a small group of employees
Properties differ by setting Job satisfaction higher than in traditional
structures Job performance
equal to traditional in manufacturing organizations
higher than traditional in non-manufactoring organizations
Types of Groups/Teams
Virtual teams- Teams that use computer technology to link physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal.
Cross Functional teams – Hybrid grouping of individuals who are experts in various specialties and who work together on a specified task.
Types of Groups/Teams
Problem solving teams – Employees form the same department and functional areas who are involved in efforts to improve work activities or solve specific problems.
Quality Circles
Groups of employees who meet periodically to discuss problems and propose solutions relevant to their jobs
Benefits (in theory) individuals enjoy greater participation welcome break from routine better production procedures
Problem: Usually considered a parallel function; have no enforcing power.
Properties of Groups
Roles -- can be formal or informal Norms -- unwritten rules of behavior Group cohesiveness -- sum of forces
keeping the group together Process loss -- time and effort
expended on activities not directly related to task accomplishment
Role Structures Roles
Parts individuals play in groups in helping the group reach its goals.
Role Structure Set of defined roles and interrelationships among
roles group members define and accept. Role Ambiguity
When the sent role is unclear. Role Overload
When role expectations exceed an individual’s capacities.
Characteristics of Groups and Teams
The Development of a Role The first two stages of role development are group processes as
the group members let the individuals know what is expected of them.
The other two parts are individual processes as the new group members perceive and enact their roles.
ExpectedExpectedrolerole
SentSentrolerole
PerceivedPerceivedrolerole
EnactedEnactedrolerole
Role Structures
Role Conflict Inter-role Conflict: Conflict between roles. Intra-role Conflict: Conflicting demands from
different sources. Intra-sender Conflict: When a single source
sends contradictory messages. Person-role Conflict: Discrepancy between role
requirements and an individual’s values, attitudes, and needs.
Behavioral Norms Norms
Standards of behavior that a group accepts and expects of its members.
Factors contributing to norm conformity: Peer pressure Stimulus prompting group behavior Individual traits Situational factors
Socialization Norm conformity that occurs when a person goes
from outsider to insider.
Group Cohesiveness
Factors increasing cohesiveness Inter-group competition Personal attraction Favorable evaluation Agreement on goals Interaction
Factors reducing cohesiveness Group size Disagreement on goals Intra-group competition Domination Unpleasant experiences
The Interaction Between Cohesiveness and Performance Norms
ModerateModeratePerformancePerformance
ModerateModeratePerformancePerformance
LowLowPerformancePerformance
LowLowPerformancePerformance
HighHighPerformancePerformance
HighHighPerformancePerformance
LowLowPerformancePerformance
LowLowPerformancePerformance
HighHigh
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LowLow Group CohesivenessGroup Cohesiveness
Per
form
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Group Polarization
Tendency for people to exaggeratepreexisting attitudes as a result ofgroup discussion. They move to moreextreme shared attitudes.
Group Polarization
Are groups more conservative or riskier decision makers than individuals?
Group Polarization -- the groups decision tends to be more extreme than the mean of its individuals.
Why? -- pressure from majority to make minority conform
Factors affecting Group Performance
Performance in the presence of others -- effect depends on type of task
Performance on additive tasks vs. nominal groups Process Loss Social Loafing -- effort per person
decreases as group size increases
Social Loafing and Dealing with it
The tendency for people to reduce their efforts on common goal or simple tasks when their efforts are pooled.
Dealing 1. Motivation.- Increase sense of personal responsibility.- Feel that contributions are important.2. Identification.3. Make the activity interesting.4. Optimize interpersonal trust.
Groupthink
Definition: when groups make decisions that individual members are expected to confirm to.
Factors leading to groupthink: group cohesiveness (unnecessary according to
Aldag & Fuller, 1993) group isolation pressure for conformity strong leader
Groupthink, cont.
Avoiding groupthink: group leaders should serve as impartial
moderators Group members at every stage of the decision-
making process should critically evaluate decision alternatives
Groups should periodically break into smaller subgroups to discuss critical issues
Group members should discuss issues with subordinates