Professional Documents
Culture Documents
What is group cohesion, and what are its sources? v How does cohesion develop over time? v What are the positive and negative consequences of cohesion? v Do initiations increase cohesion?
v
Sources
Task Orientation
Developing Cohesion
Explaining Initiations
Dynamics and Most people, if asked to choose between influence two groupsone that is cohesive and another that is notwould likely pick the Productivity cohesive group. But cohesiveness has its drawbacks. A cohesive group is an intense group, and this intensity affects the members, the groups dynamics, and the groups performance in both positive and negative ways. Cohesion leads to a range of consequencesnot all of them desirable.
Explaining Initiations
Donald Roys (1959) banana time case study documented the benefits of membership in a cohesive workgroup. Roy worked for two months in 12-hour shifts lasting from 8AM to 8:30PM with three other men in an isolated room in a factory. The work was tedious, menial, repetitive, and tiring, but the cohesive workgroup group filled its workday with jokes, teasing, kidding around, and horseplay that gave structure and meaning to their day. To break up the day into smaller segments, the men stopped from time to time for various refreshments and breaks. There was, of course, lunchtime, but the men added many others, such as coffee time, peach time, fish time, and banana time. These rituals and social activities, collectively called banana time by Roy, turned a bad job into a good one.
Positive Consequences
Enhanced member satisfaction Reduced tension, stress Higher group engagement Reduced turnover Longer duration of membership
Problematic Consequences
Intensification of emotional and social processes Increased influence, pressure Hostility Groupthink
Sources: Mullen & Copper, 1994; Beal et al., 2003; Gully et al., 1995
Unity
(Group Pride) .24
.25
Cohesion
Performance
Task Cohesion
(teamwork)
.25
Task Interdependence
Hazing
Dangers of hazing
Bonding: Increases dependency on the group Dominance: Establishes hierarchy, status Commitment: Increases psychological costs and commitment Tradition: Defended as a sacred tradition
Ineffective: Not as effective a means of increasing commitment as other group-level activities Dangerous: Harmful and fatal in some cases Illegal: Banded in most jurisdictions
C o h e s i o n &
T h e N a t u r e o f C o h e s i o n
D e v e l o p m e n t
Group Development
Tuckmans 5 stage model of group developlment
Performing
Task
Storming
Adjourning Forming