Chapter No: 6: Group and Group dynamics
No 1
TERM Group
DEFINITION
A group is a collection of two or more individuals, who interact with each other, form a stable pattern of relationships, share one or more common goal, and collectively strive to achieve them. Even if they do not interact, but feel that the presence of others is affecting their thoughts and behaviour, they constitute a group, which is called a nominal group 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Security Mutual benefits Need for affiliation Need for self-esteem Need for self-esteem 6. External imperatives
Nominal group
Needs to form a group
1. Formal Group:
a. b. c. d. a. Formal groups in organizations are those that the management has created Relationships contractual and Impersonal Well defined goals, Responsibilities. Rewarded or punished based on performance Informal groups are those that individuals create by way of interacting with each other for the purposes that are of interest or importance to them They crop up irrespective of the managements wishes Formal and Informal can Co-exist
2. Informal Group:
b. c.
3. Autonomous Groups: a. An autonomous group is one that functions on its
own terms and conditions. b. High degree of autonomy. c. No supervisor d. Group sets its own rules
Types of group
4. In Group & Out Group: a. An in-group is one in which the members share
psychological affinity and people who are excluded from the in-group are the out-group b. Even if there are in-groups and out-groups in the same dept., they can behave as one in-group wrt other groups
5. Membership-Reference Groups: a. Members belong formally or informally 6. T-Group or Sensitivity Group a. A group of people undergoing therapy or training in
which they observe and seek to improve their own interpersonal relationships or communication skills. Also from sensitising each other E.g.: There are established T-Groups for Ex alcohol addicts to vent their feelings out
No
TERM
DEFINITION 1. Role Differentiation: - Role behaviour - Role Prescription - Various Roles - Task oriented Roles
- Relationship building roles - Self-Servicing roles
Inter role conflict Role Under-load, over-load, Redundancy, Ambiguity Collectivists
1. 2. 3. 4. Not so cut and dry method Not so Not so Empathise while doing so to remain Ego-Sensitive
Individualists
1. 2. 3. 4. Follow Exchange principle. Clear Role perceptions Much less tolerance for non performing members in team Prefer instant and short term benefits. Define roles by implicit and explicit contract 2. Status Differentiation
Group Structures: 5
Pattern of relationships among group members
Status is the perceived superiority of members because of their perceived capacity to contribute more to shared group goals Vertical role differentiation Basis of status differentiation Supervisor, facilitator etc., Predisposing Factors Son of owner etc., Impact Norms are standards to judge the appropriateness or desirability of a response to a situation Prescriptive What one should do; Proscriptive What one shouldnt do Factors leading to Norms: Precedence- No prior set norms. Randomly chosen at various stages; Convergence Interacting group members s individual norms converge; Transfer of Norms From one situation to other; Explicit demand to create norms E.g.: Imposing punctuality; External Compulsions- Globalisation induced changes
3. Norm Formation:
4. Group Cohesiveness:
A groups cohesiveness is the extent to which the members perceive and feel to be the unalienable parts of the group Factors Influencing Internal and external Internal - relate to the members characteristics, their interactions, and the outcomes External Clear boundary from other groups, External threat, Only group rewards Mapping Group Cohesiveness Sociometry: (a) Identify members like or Dislike Nominal (b) Rank from most liked to least liked Ordinal (c) Rate all members from like to dislike - Interval -
No
TERM
DEFINITION 1. Social Facilitation Compresence Improves or decreases performance a. Drive Theory Seeing that others are watching improves performance b. Evaluation apprehension In case of repetitive actions performance will improve under continuous scrutiny. But itll not or profitable in case of jobs involving critical and analytical thinking 2. Social Loafing: When members work in a group for a common task, They stop working as hard as they do individually - Diffusion of work: Happens when, - Members feel they are dispensable - Task is not challenging or engaging - If it is a nominal group - Culture Influence Collectivists and individualists 3. Communication: Communication is defined as the
process by which a person, group, or organization transmits some type of information to another person, group, or organization
Group Functions
Group processes mean the ways in which groups function or group activities are conducted
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Social Facilitation Social Loafing Communication Decision making Group polarisation Group Think
- Verbal or Non-verbal, Formal or informal, face to face or distant - Cultural impact: Collectivist-Emotional, implicit, Individualist-Rational, Explicit. - US individualists; Japan, Indians partly Collectivist 4. Decision Making: It means choosing one of the
alternatives that are already available or to explore new ones, and then to make a choice Rational & analytical or Intuitive Approaches to Decision Making: 1. Bonded rational Decision made after minimum requires information 2. Framing Decision is influenced by framework of problem that is presented 3. Heuristics Rule of thumb followed by decision makers Factors influencing choosing an approach: 1. Members personal characters 2. Group structures 3. Cultural imperatives
5. Group Think: The phenomenon in a cohesive group which prevents its members from thinking critically, apprehended about the division of the group. - Ineffective decision making - Brainstorming at the start of the decision making process may avoid group think 6. Group Polarisation: The decision making of a group is radically different from individual decision making. In group decision making, the decision tends to be at the extremes, either risky or conservative
Balancing sheet of Group processes
Ideally, all the individuals are expected to bring in their own effects in a group to shape the decision making or other process. However it may not happen due to various factors like Social loafing, Heuristics, Group think etc., These factors to be mitigated to grt a good group dynamics
