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Definitions
Group Dynamics and
Foundations of Group
Behaviour

• Group - A collection of two or more interacting

individuals who maintain stable patterns
of relationships, share common goals, and
perceive themselves as being a group

• Group dynamics - Factors governing a group’s

formation and development, structure, and
interrelationships with individuals, other groups
and the organizations within which it exist

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• Why do people join groups?

Social Identity Theory

• Social identity theory proposes that people have
emotional reactions to the failure or success of their
group because their self-esteem gets tied into the
group's performance.

• This also explains Ingroup favouritism

• When do we develop social identity?

• Similarity, Distinctiveness, Status and Uncertainty

reduction

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Stages of Group Formation

Stages of Group Formation

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Punctuated Equilibrium Model -

Temporary Group Group Properties
• Roles

• Norms

• Status

• Size

• Cohesiveness

• Diversity

Roles

Zimbardo's Prison Experiment

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Norms Norms and Conformity

• Acceptable standards of behaviour within a group
that are shared by the group's members. • The adjustment of one's behaviour to align with the
norms of the group.
• Hawthorne Studies
• Reference groups

Status
Size
• A socially defined position of rank given to groups or group
members by others.
• Social loafing - The tendency for individuals to expend
less effort who working collectively than when working
individually.

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Cohesiveness
• The degree to which group members are attracted to
each other and are motivated to stay in the group.

Diversity
• The degree to which members of a group are similar
to, or different from, one another.

• Surface-level diversity and deep-level diversity

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Group Decision Making

Groupthink

• Groupthink- A phenomenon in which the norm for

consensus overrides the realistic appraisal of
alternative courses of action.

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Group Decision Making

Techniques

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Communication

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Grapevine Communication
• An organisation's informal communication network

• Grapevine communication is oral

• Grapevine communication thrives on insecurity

• It fills in the gaps (rumors)

• Grapevine communication is extensive when

people relate to the situation

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Barriers to Effective Communication

• Lying

• Perceptions

• Over-eagerness to respond

Barriers to Communication •

•
Snap Judgements

Rank

• Credibility Gaps

• Gatekeepers

• Noise

• Poor Listening

Breaking Down Barriers

Inter group behaviour
• Effective Listening
• Pooled interdependence- groups that rely on each
• Encourage upward communication
other only because they belong to the same
• Have an open-door policy organisation.

• Use face-to-face communication whenever possible • Sequential interdependence - when one group's
operations precede and act as prerequisite for the
• Avoid credibility gaps
second group.
• Write for understanding
• Reciprocal interdependence - groups where the
• Watch your timing operations of each precede and act as prerequisites
to the functioning of the other.
• Be sensitive to the needs and feelings of others

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Introduction
• Eric Berne in the 1950s

• Observation of people reveals that

from time to time people show
Transactional Analysis noticeable changes in posture,
viewpoint, voice, vocabulary, and
other aspects of behavior.

• These behavioral changes are often

accompanied by shifts in feeling.
These changes and differences give
rise to the idea of “ego states”

Ego States Child Ego

• Adult state - The Adult is necessary for survival. It processes data and computes the
probabilities which are essential for dealing effectively with the outside world. Another task
of the Adult is to regulate the activities of the Parent and the Child, and to mediate objectively
between them.
• Parent State - The Parent has two main functions. First, it enables the individual to act
effectively as the parent of actual children, thus promoting the survival of the human race. Its
value in this respect is shown by the fact that in raising children, people orphaned in infancy
seem to have a harder time than those from homes unbroken into adolescence. Secondly, it
makes many responses automatic, which conserves a great deal of time and energy
• Child State - the Child is also exhibited in two forms: the adapted Child and the natural
Child. The adapted Child is the one who modifies his behavior under the Parental influence.
He behaves as father (or mother) wanted him to behave: compliantly or precociously, for
example. Or he adapts himself by withdrawing or whining. Thus the Parental influence is a
cause, and the adapted Child an effect. The natural Child is a spontaneous expression:
rebellion or creativity, for example.
Child behaviour reflects a person’s response to communicate in the
form of joy, sorrow, frustration or curiosity. These are the natural
feelings that people learn as children. It reflects immediate action and
immediate satisfaction. It reflects childhood experience of a person
gained generally up to the age of five years.
A child can be:
(i) Natural child:
He is naturally curious, joyous or scornful. He does what comes his
way naturally.
(ii) Adaptive child:
He reacts the way his parents want him to react. He is trained to act.
(iii)Rebellious child:
He has the experience of fear, frustration and anger.

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Parent Ego Adult Ego

Parent behaviour is acquired through external environment. As young
children, their parents’ behaviour remains embedded in their minds
which is reflected as parental ego when they grow up. It usually reflects
• Adult behaviour reflects the ability to analyse the
situation and take logical decisions. He overcomes the
protection, displeasure, reference to rules and working on the basis of emotional feelings and takes decisions based on facts
past precedents. and figures. This state is based upon reasoning, thinking,
This can be: experience, rationality and discussion based on facts.
(i) Nurturing parent ego:
As nurturing parents, managers praise good performance of the
• It updates the parental ego to determine what is right
workers. They interact with them and help them during times of
and wrong and child ego to determine what feelings to
distress. They reflect nurturing behaviour towards others. express and what not to express. These ego states are
(ii) Negative or critical parent ego: present in all human beings at some time or the other.
As critical parents, managers criticize or ignore poor performance of People respond to different situations in different ways
the workers rather than help them to improve. They have a critical depending on their ego state.
attitude while interacting with others.

Transactions
• If two or more people encounter each other in a social aggregation, sooner
or later one of them will speak, or give some other indication of
acknowledging the presence of the others. This is called the transactional
stimulus.

• Another person will then say or do something which is in some way related
to this stimulus, and that is called the transactions/ response.

• When people transact and exchange ideas and information, they are either
comfortable or uncomfortable communicating with each other.
Transactional analysis is a technique which helps to understand the
behaviour of other person so that communication becomes effective.
Understanding human behaviour helps to motivate, guide and direct other
persons.

• Transactional Analysis (TA), thus, facilitates communication. TA studies

transactions amongst people and understands their interpersonal behaviour.

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Life Position
Behaviour of a person depends upon experience at different
stages of one’s life. A person develops a philosophy towards
work from early childhood which becomes part of their
identity and remains with them for lifetime unless some
external factor changes it. These positions are called life time
positions.
They fall into four categories:
(a) I am OK, You are OK.
(b) I am OK, You are not OK.
(c) I am not OK, You are OK.
(d) I am not OK, You are not OK.

Implications of TA
• By proper understanding of one’s own ego state and that of the other,
communication barriers on account of behavioural mal-adjustments can
be reduced. Transaction Analysis transforms negative attitude of people
into positive attitude. It changes failure, fear and defeat to victory,
optimism and courage. It makes people strong and directed towards
positive thinking.

• It improves interpersonal relationships amongst people by understanding

their ego states. Crossed transactions can be converted into
complementary transactions and communication process can be
improved. People will be more comfortable interacting with each other.
This will improve effectiveness of the organisation.

• Positive thinking and complementary transactions help to understand

human needs and improve motivation. People can perform jobs which
give them positive energy. It focuses more on intrinsic satisfaction than
extrinsic satisfaction.

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