Group Behaviour

Management Science I Prof. M.
Thenmozhi
GROUP BEHAVIOUR
Dr. M. Thenmozhi
Professor
Department of Management Studies
Indian Institute of Technology Madras
Chennai 600 036
E-mail: mtm@iitm.ac.in

Management Science I Prof. M.Thenmozhi
Group
Behaviour

INTRODUCTION TO GROUP BEHAVIOUR
What are Groups?
Two or more individuals, interacting and Interdependent, who have

come together to achieve particular objectives
Group Behaviour
Group behaviour emanates from the causes that contribute to the

group’s effectiveness.
¾ The well structured, well defined role and status hierarchy, able
leadership, well developed norms and strong cohesiveness a group
has, the greater is the groupthink.
¾ Groupthink is defined as “the deterioration of mental efficiency,

reality testing, and moral judgement in the interest of group
solidarity.”
As groups function and interact with other groups, they develop their
own unique set of characteristics including structure, cohesiveness, roles,
norms and processes. As a result, groups may cooperate or compete with
other groups, and intergroup competition can lead to conflict.

WHY DO PEOPLE WORK IN GROUPS ?
Security
¾ By joining a group, individuals can reduce the insecurity of “standing
alone.” People feel stronger, have fewer self-doubts, and are more
resistant to threats when they are part of a group.
Status
¾Inclusion in a group that is viewed as important by others provides
recognition and status for its members.
Self-Esteem
¾Groups can provide people with feelings of self-worth. That is, in addition
to conveying status to those outside the group, membership can also

give increased feelings of worth to the group members themselves.
Power
¾ What cannot be achieved individually often becomes possible through
group action. There is power in numbers.
Goal Achievement
¾There are times when it takes more than one person to accomplish a
particular task; there is a need to pool talents, knowledge, or power in

order to complete a job.

STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT
Forming
¾The first stage in group development, characterized by much uncertainty
Storming
¾The second stage in group development, characterized by intragroup

conflict
Norming
¾The third stage in group development, characterized by close relationships

and cohesiveness
Performing
¾The fourth stage in group development, when the group is fully functional
Adjourning
¾The final stage in group development for temporary groups, characterized

by concern with wrapping up activities rather than task performance

A SCHEMATIC OF THE STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT
Stage I
Prestage 1 Forming
Stage II Stage III

Storming Norming
Stage IV Stage V
Performing Adjourning

GROUP BEHAVIOUR MODEL
Group
Task
Group
member
resources
External
conditions Performance
imposed on Group and
the group Process satisfaction
Group
Structure

EXTERNAL CONDITIONS IMPOSED ON THE GROUP
Groups are a subset of a larger workplace consisting of the following:
Organization Strategy
Organizational Infrastructure
¾ Leadership
¾ Rules
¾ Resources
¾ Evaluation and Rewards
Organizational Culture
GROUP MEMBER RESOURCES
A group’s potential level of performance is, to a large extent, dependent on the

resources that its members individually bring to the group.
Abilities
¾ Set the parameters for what members can do and how effectively they
will perform in a group
Personality Characteristics
¾ The magnitude of the effect of any single Characteristic is small, but

taking personality characteristics together, the consequences for group
behaviour are of major significance.

ROLES
A role is a set of expected behaviour patterns attributed to someone occupying

a given position in a social unit.
¾Role Identity: Certain attitudes and behaviours consistent with a role
¾Role Perception: An individual’s view of how he or she is supposed to act

in a given situation
¾Role Expectations: How others believe a person should act in a given

situation
¾Role Conflict: A situation in which an individual is confronted by divergent

role expectations
ROLES IN GROUPS
Task-oriented roles
Roles performed by group members to ensure that the tasks of the group
are accomplished
Maintenance roles
Roles performed by group members to maintain good relations within the

group
Individual roles
Roles performed by group members that are not productive for keeping the
group on task

GROUP COHESIVENESS , PRODUCTIVITY VS PERFORMANCE
Cohesiveness
High Low
High Moderate
Performance Norms
High productivity productivity
Low
Low Moderate to
productivity low productivity
BUILDING BETTER WORKING GROUPS
Assigning Appropriate Tasks
Providing Organizational Support
Building Group Cohesiveness

ASSIGNING APPROPRIATE TASKS
The group task is a whole and meaningful piece of work, with a visible
outcome
The outcomes of the group’s work on the task have significant

consequences for other people
The task provides group members with substantial autonomy for deciding
about how they do the work
Work on the task generates regular, trustworthy feedback about how well
the group is performing
BUILDING GROUP COHESIVENESS
Clear Purpose
Participation
Civilized Disagreement
Open Communications
Listening
Informal Climate
Consensus Decisions
Clear Roles and Work Assignments
Shared Leadership
Style Diversity
External Relationships
Self-assessment
TEAMWORKING
TEAM AND TEAMWORKING
DEFINITION
Specific form of group made up of individuals who work together in a

coordinated effort.
CHARACTERISTICS
1. Share common identity
2. Have common goals and objectives
3. Share common leadership
4. Share successes and failures
5. Cooperate and collaborate
6. Have membership roles
7. Make decision effectively

BENEFITS
a) To the organization
1. Increased productivity and quality
2. Increased employee morale
3. Reduced overhead
b) To individuals
1. Work become less stressful
2. Responsibility is shared
3. Greater feelings of self-worth
4. Rewards and recognition are shared
TEAM FORMATION AND ASSESSMENT
TEAM RECRUITMENT CONSIDERATION
1. The level of technical ability of potential team members
2. The level of interpersonal skills of potential team members

TEAM SELECTION CRITERIA
1. Personal attributes
2. Interpersonal behaviors
3. Communication skills
4. Administrative skills

TEAM DEVELOPMENT
STAGES OF TEAM DEVELOPMENT
• Stage I: Orientation or forming
• Stage II: Conflict or storming
• Stage III: Collaboration or norming
• Stage IV: Productivity or performing
• Stage V: Changing or transforming
TEAM MEMBERS ROLES
DEFINITION OF TEAM -MEMBER ROLES
Interaction to carry out tasks where members settle into individual 'roles' by
mutual consent. Such roles include both task and processes aspects of the
team's interaction.
THE ROLES
1. Giving information
2. Seeking information
3. Initiating
4. Standard setting
5. Clarifying
6. Summarizing
7. Consensus testing

DECISION MAKING
DEFINITION OF DECISION MAKING
The process by which individuals or groups arrive at a decision, judgment,

or conclusion through a process of deliberation
A DECISION-MAKING MODEL
1. Clarify the purpose of the decision
2. Establish criteria
3. Separate the criteria
4. Generate options
5. Compare options
6. Identify the risks of each option
7. Assess the risks of each option by ranking them
8. Make the decision

DECISION MAKING PROCEDURES
1. Decision by authority
2. Decision by minority
3. Decision by majority
4. Decision by consensus
5. Decision by unanimity
ADVANTAGES OF PARTICIPATORY DECISION MAKING
1. Increased information and knowledge
2. Increased diversity of views
3. Increased acceptance of the solution
4. Increased legitimacy
RESOLVING TEAM CONFLICT
DEFINITION OF CONFLICT
Emotional disturbance resulting from a clash of opposing points of view or

from an inability to manage those points of view with realistic or moral
considerations

VIEW OF CONFLICT
1. Traditional perspective
2. Human relation perspective
3. Interactionist perspective
MEETING MANAGEMENT SKILLS
DEFINATION OF A TEAM MEETING
Act or process of coming to gather for a common purpose:
OBJECTIVE OF MEETING
1. To share information
2. To receive information
3. To generate new ideas
4. To analyze and solve problem
5. To reach group decisions
6. To explain problems or goals and gain support
7. To make recommendations
8. To motivate employees

PREPARE THE AGENDA
1. The topics to be discussed
2. The person responsible for each topic
3. The time allocated for each topic
4. The topic category
PROBLEM SOLVING
DEFINITION OF PROBLEM SOLVING
Objective examination of issues to arrive at a solution
THE SEVEN-STEP PROCESS
Step 1: Define the problem
Step 2: Identify the desired future state
Step 3: Identify the forces acting on the problem
Step 4: Analyze the forces acting on the problem
Step 5: Plan a strategy
Step 6: Develop an action plan
Step 7: Evaluate

POLITICS OF PARTICIPATION
DEFINITION OF THE POLITICS OF PARTICIPATION
Competing interests involved when teams play a role in deciding

organizational undertaking
CRITICAL FACTORS
1. Management's philosophy and core values
2. Organizational structure
3. Problem solving groups
4. Information system
5. Physical and technical design
6. Reward systems
7. Personnel policies
8. Career systems
9. Employee-selection systems
10. Training orientation
11. Leadership style

CRITICAL ROLES IN THE CHANGE PROCESS
1. The sponsor
2. The change agent
3. The target
4. The champion
CONFLICT, NEGOTIATION AND INTER GROUP BEHAVIOUR
CONFLICTS
• Traditional view:
– All conflicts are dysfunctional, to be avoided.
• Human relations view:
– Conflicts are inevitable.
• Interactionist view :
– There should be a minimum number of constructive conflicts.
NEGOTIATION
BARGAINING
1. Distributive bargaining
2. Integrative bargaining
3. Third party negotiations:

- Mediator, arbitrator, conciliator, consultant.

SUMMARY
• Conflicts can be either constructive or destructive to the functioning of

the group or unit.
• Distributive bargaining can resolve disputes but it often negatively affects

one or more negotiators satisfaction.
• Integrative bargaining, in contrast,tends to provide outcomes that satisfy

all parties and to build lasting relationships.
• According to the interactionists view,even all intergroupconflicts need

not be dysfunctional.
INTERGROUP RELATIONS
1. Interdependence
2. Liaison roles
3. Task forces
THE CONFLICT PROCESS
1. Potential opposition or incompatibility.
2. Cognition and personalization
3. Intentions:
• Competing
• Collaborating
• Avoiding
• Accommodating
• Compromising

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES
1. Problem solving
2. Super-ordinate goals
3. Expansion of resources
4. Avoidance
5. Smoothie
6. Compromise
7. Authoritative command
8. Altering human and structural variables.
TEAMWORKING
TEAM AND TEAMWORKING
DEFINITION
Specific form of group made up of individuals who work together in a

coordinated effort.

CHARACTERISTICS
1. Share common identity
2. Have common goals and objectives
3. Share common leadership
4. Share successes and failures
5. Cooperate and collaborate
6. Have membership roles
7. Make decision effectively
BENEFITS
a) To the organization
1. Increased productivity and quality
2. Increased employee morale
3. Reduced overhead
b) To individuals
1. Work become less stressful
2. Responsibility is shared
3. Greater feelings of self-worth
4. Rewards and recognition are shared

TEAM DEVELOPMENT
STAGES OF TEAM DEVELOPMENT
Stage I: Orientation or forming
Stage II: Conflict or storming
Stage III: Collaboration or norming
Stage IV: Productivity or performing
Stage V: Changing or transforming

TEAM MEMBERS ROLES
DEFINITION OF TEAM -MEMBER ROLES
Interaction to carry out tasks where members settle into individual 'roles' by
mutual consent. Such roles include both task and processes aspects of the
team's interaction.
THE ROLES
1. Giving information
2. Seeking information
3. Initiating
4. Standard setting
5. Clarifying
6. Summarizing
7. Consensus testing
DECISION MAKING
DEFINITION OF DECISION MAKING
The process by which individuals or groups arrive at a decision, judgment, or

conclusion through a process of deliberation

A DECISION-MAKING MODEL
1. Clarify the purpose of the decision
2. Establish criteria
3. Separate the criteria
4. Generate options
5. Compare options
6. Identify the risks of each option
7. Assess the risks of each option by ranking them
8. Make the decision
DECISION MAKING PROCEDURES
1. Decision by authority
2. Decision by minority
3. Decision by majority
4. Decision by consensus
5. Decision by unanimity

ADVANTAGES OF PARTICIPATORY DECISION MAKING
1. Increased information and knowledge
2. Increased diversity of views
3. Increased acceptance of the solution
4. Increased legitimacy
RESOLVING TEAM CONFLICT
DEFINITION OF CONFLICT
Emotional disturbance resulting from a clash of opposing points of view or

from an inability to manage those points of view with realistic or moral
considerations
VIEW OF CONFLICT
1. Traditional perspective
2. Human relation perspective
3. Interactionist perspective
MEETING MANAGEMENT SKILLS
DEFINATION OF A TEAM MEETING
Act or process of coming to gather for a common purpose:

OBJECTIVE OF MEETING
1. To share information
2. To receive information
3. To generate new ideas
4. To analyze and solve problem
5. To reach group decisions
6. To explain problems or goals and gain support
7. To make recommendations
8. To motivate employees
PREPARE THE AGENDA
1. The topics to be discussed
2. The person responsible for each topic
3. The time allocated for each topic
4. The topic category
PROBLEM SOLVING
DEFINITION OF PROBLEM SOLVING
Objective examination of issues to arrive at a solution

THE SEVEN-STEP PROCESS
Step 1: Define the problem
Step 2: Identify the desired future state
Step 3: Identify the forces acting on the problem
Step 4: Analyze the forces acting on the problem
Step 5: Plan a strategy
Step 6: Develop an action plan
Step 7: Evaluate
POLITICS OF PARTICIPATION
DEFINITION OF THE POLITICS OF PARTICIPATION
Competing interests involved when teams play a role in deciding

organizational undertaking
CRITICAL FACTORS
1. Management's philosophy and core values
2. Organizational structure
3. Problem solving groups
4. Information system
5. Physical and technical design

6. Reward systems
7. Personnel policies
8. Career systems
9. Employee-selection systems
10. Training orientation
11. Leadership style
CRITICAL ROLES IN THE CHANGE PROCESS
1. The sponsor
2. The change agent
3. The target
4. The champion

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Management Science I Prof. M.

Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Indian Institute of Technology Madras

INTRODUCTION TO GROUP BEHAVIOUR

What are Groups?

Two or more individuals, interacting and Interdependent, who have

Group behaviour emanates from the causes that contribute to the

¾ Groupthink is defined as “the deterioration of mental efficiency,

Indian Institute of Technology Madras

WHY DO PEOPLE WORK IN GROUPS ?

¾ By joining a group, individuals can reduce the insecurity of “standing

¾Inclusion in a group that is viewed as important by others provides

recognition and status for its members.

to conveying status to those outside the group, membership can also

¾ What cannot be achieved individually often becomes possible through

group action. There is power in numbers.

particular task; there is a need to pool talents, knowledge, or power in

Indian Institute of Technology Madras

STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT

¾The first stage in group development, characterized by much uncertainty

¾The second stage in group development, characterized by intragroup

¾The third stage in group development, characterized by close relationships

¾The final stage in group development for temporary groups, characterized

Indian Institute of Technology Madras

A SCHEMATIC OF THE STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT

Stage II Stage III

Indian Institute of Technology Madras

GROUP BEHAVIOUR MODEL

Indian Institute of Technology Madras

EXTERNAL CONDITIONS IMPOSED ON THE GROUP

Groups are a subset of a larger workplace consisting of the following:

¾ Evaluation and Rewards

GROUP MEMBER RESOURCES

A group’s potential level of performance is, to a large extent, dependent on the

¾ The magnitude of the effect of any single Characteristic is small, but

Indian Institute of Technology Madras

A role is a set of expected behaviour patterns attributed to someone occupying

¾Role Identity: Certain attitudes and behaviours consistent with a role

¾Role Perception: An individual’s view of how he or she is supposed to act

¾Role Expectations: How others believe a person should act in a given

¾Role Conflict: A situation in which an individual is confronted by divergent

Roles performed by group members to maintain good relations within the

Indian Institute of Technology Madras

GROUP COHESIVENESS , PRODUCTIVITY VS PERFORMANCE

High productivity productivity

BUILDING BETTER WORKING GROUPS

 Assigning Appropriate Tasks

 Providing Organizational Support

 Building Group Cohesiveness

Indian Institute of Technology Madras

ASSIGNING APPROPRIATE TASKS

 The outcomes of the group’s work on the task have significant

BUILDING GROUP COHESIVENESS

 Clear Roles and Work Assignments

TEAM AND TEAMWORKING

Specific form of group made up of individuals who work together in a

1. Share common identity

2. Have common goals and objectives

3. Share common leadership

4. Share successes and failures

5. Cooperate and collaborate

6. Have membership roles

7. Make decision effectively

Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Assigning Appropriate Tasks

Providing Organizational Support

Building Group Cohesiveness

The outcomes of the group’s work on the task have significant

Clear Roles and Work Assignments