Group Dynamics: Theory and Practice

Group Dynamics: Theory and Practice

Ari Sudan Tiwari, Ph. D.

Objectives

To identify and analyze the processes that impact on group’s:

Formation

Development

Performance

Interaction among the group members

To acquire the necessary skills to intervene and improve individual and group performance in an organizational context

To build more successful organizations by applying techniques that provide positive impact on goal achievement

Group means there are

Two or more individuals

Interacting and interdependent

Perceive themselves as members of the group

Come together to achieve particular shared objectives and goals

Groups: Concept

Groups: Formation and development

Stages of group formation and development (Tuckman, 1965)

Forming: Orientation, guidance (dependence)

Storming: Conflict over roles and responsibilities, rules and procedures, individual recognition (counter-dependence)

Norming: Issue resolution, Social agreements, cohesion, establishment of group norms (interdependence)

Performing: Mutual assistance, creativity, understanding goals and roles (independence)

Adjourning/Reforming/Transforming

Groups: Functions

Task behaviours

Maintenance behaviours

Self-interest behaviours

Task behaviours

Initiating

Information seeking/giving

Clarifying ideas

Brining closure

Consensus testing

Maintenance behaviours

Encouraging

Improving group atmosphere

Harmonizing

Compromising

Gate-keeping

Self-interest behaviours

Dominating/controlling

Blocking

Manipulating

Belittling

Splitting hairs

Group dynamics: Concept

Structure of the group guiding interaction among group members

The social process by which people interact in a group environment

The influences of personality, power and behaviour on the group process

Group dynamics: Exchange theory

Cost involved

Reward received

Outcome (reward-cost)

Comparison level: Societal norms, past experiences, observations, alternate interactions

(Reward-Cost)-CL

Factors of group dynamics: Types

Structural factors

Norms

Roles

Status

Functional factors

Cohesiveness

Social loafing

Conflict: Group and inter-personal

Group norms

Social standards and acceptable behaviours (formal/informal)

Collectively held expectations of group functioning

Provide regularity and predictability to group functioning

Norms differ among groups, communities and societies; but they all have them

Group norms: Types and classes

Prescriptive Norms: Expectations within group regarding what is prescribed/supposed to be done

Proscriptive Norms: Expectations within group regarding behaviors in which members are not prescribed/supposed to engage

Classes of norms

Performance norms

Appearance norms

Arrangement norms

Allocation of resources norms

Roles

Concept

The set of behaviours and tasks that a group member is expected to perform because of his or her position in the groupTypes

Assigned roles: Cross-functional/specificEmergent roles

Issues in role play

Role Identity: Attitude and behavior associated with a roleRole Ambiguity: Unclear job definitionRole Conflict: Job overlap

Status

Socially defined position or rank given to the group members

Differences in status characteristics create status hierarchies within group

Cohesiveness

Degree to which members are:

Attracted to one another

Motivated to stay in the group

Share group goals

Have common values

Cohesiveness: Sources and consequences

Group size

Effectively managed

diversity

Group identity and

healthy competition

Success

Sources

Group cohesivenes

s

Level of participation

Level of conformity

Emphasis on group

goals

Consequences

Enhancing cohesiveness

Making small groups

Encouraging agreement with the group goals

Increasing the time members spend together

Increasing the status of the group and the perceived difficulty of attaining membership in the group

Stimulating competition with the other groups

Reward to the group rather than to the individual members

Concept

The human tendency to put forth less effort in a group than individually

Results in possibly lower group performance and failure to attain group goals

Reducing social loafing

Make individual efforts identifiable and accountable

Emphasize the valuable contributions of individual members

Keep group size at an appropriate level

Social loafing

Conflict: Group and inter-personal

Concept

Scarcity of resources and valued commodities

Competition and struggle between people of groups over:

Opposing needs and goals

Ideas, values and attitudes

Conflict: Behaviour modes

Competing

Avoiding

Compromising

Accommodating

Collaborating

Conflict: Sources

Prejudices: Negative attitude towards a person only on the basis of his/her belongingness to a particular social group/section

Discrimination: Expressed behaviours based on ones prejudices

Social categorization: Us-vs.-Them

Enhanced self-identity

Socio-biological roots

Realistic conflict and relative deprivation: Robbers’ cave study

Conflict: Resolution

Increased proximity

Social re-categorization

Increased cooperation and super ordinate goal: Robbers’ cave study

Group dynamics: An optimum model

Individual Level Group Level Organizational Level

Trust CohesivenessAdaptability Shared Functions

Group effectiveness

What is the group’s goal

What are the patterns of communication in the group?

What determines how influential each member is?

What method of decision making is used and how effective is it?

Why do/why don’t members challenge each other?

What and how do conflicts arise and how are they managed?

What actions by the group members help/hurt the group effectiveness?

Group dynamics: Practicing principles

Thank You