Group Dynamics. Groups Two or more individuals, interacting and interdependent, who have come together to achieve particular objectives. A group can.

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

HighHigh

LowLow Group CohesivenessGroup Cohesiveness

Per

form

ance

No

rms

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