Group Cohesiveness

Khursheed Yusuf

Group:
A collection of people who must
interact with one another;
Be socially attracted to one another;
Share goals or objectives;
and have shared identity which
distinguishes them from other
groups
2

Cohesiveness:
The extent to which members are
loyal and committed to the group.

Two types of Cohesion:

Task Cohesion the degree to
which members of a group work
together to achieve common goals
Social Cohesion reflects the
degree to which members of a team
like each other and enjoy each
others company
4

Four Stages of Group Development

Forming

Storming

Norming

Conforming (Performing)
5

 Four Stages of Group

Development
Forming Group members are uncertain of
the groups structure and its goals or a
strategy for achieving them; they will as a
result be quite dependent on the leader
Storming Conflict and disagreements
between the group members and the leader
will arise, as well as between various subgroups; there will be a tendency to rebel
against the rules which have been
established
6

Norming The group becomes more mature

and cohesive; group norms develop beyond any
formally established rules
Performing Conflicts between individuals
are resolved; the group works constructively on
problem-solving and energy is directed towards
the task

Factors which affect

Cohesiveness
Increase
Intergroup
competition
Personal attraction
Favorable evaluation
Agreement on Goals
Interaction

Decrease

Large group size

Disagreement on goals
Intragroup competition
Domination
Unpleasant
experiences
8

Behavioral Norms
Norms standards of behavior that a group
accepts and expects of its members.
The more cohesive a group is, the greater an
influence it will have on individual members to
conform to the groups norms, thus lessening
the possibility of having loafers. Loafing is the
tendency for individuals to lessen their effort
when they are part of a group also known as
the Ringelmann effect.

The Team-Building Strategy

Team Structure
Leadership
Conformity to Standards
Team Environment
Team Processes

10

 Team Structure involves role clarity

and acceptance, such as when group
members clearly understand their
roles in the group
Leadership should coincide with
type of individuals or vise versa
Conformity of Standards is when
conformity to group social and task
norms contribute to enhanced
cohesion

11

Team Environment consists of togetherness, when

group members area repetitively put in close physical
proximity, feeling of cohesion increases.
Team Processes group goals are more strongly
associated with team success than with individual
goals, cooperative behavior is superior to individualistic
behavior

12

Consequences of Cohesion
Member Satisfaction
In general, people are more satisfied in groups
that are cohesive.
Cohesion provides a healthier social and
psychological setting than non-cohesive groups.
However, when people become dependent on
the group any disruption can cause emotional
stress.
While cohesion provides initial psychological support,
the loss of group members can also cause stress.
Also, new members may not be accepted.

Consequences of Cohesion
Group Dynamics
Members more readily accept group goals.
Pressure to conform is greater groupthink.

Group Performance
The cohesion-performance link is significant.
Three associated variables are: attraction,
group pride, and commitment to task.
Strongest when cohesion is based on
commitment to task, rather than attraction or
pride.

Work Teams
Cohesive productive units.
But work teams are distinguished by the
magnitude of the group dynamics.
Interaction cooperative and coordinated
Structure highly structured, group norms, roles,
and communication patterns are explicitly stated.
Cohesion united in the pursuit of a common
goal.
Social Identity common identity which is greater
than the sum of the individuals.
Goals teams are oriented toward a specific goal.

Effective Contributors to a Group:

Get to know members of the group
Help group members whenever possible
Give group members positive
reinforcement
Are responsible
Communicate honestly and openly with
the coach or leader
Resolve conflicts immediately
Give 100% effort at all times
16

Ricky Griffin, states that in a

highly cohesive team, members
work well together, support and
trust one another, and are
generally effective at achieving
their chosen goal.

17

Closing Statement
Teamwork is something that one
hears about more and more today in
the business world, in sports, in
school and essentially in our daily
lives. For teamwork to be effective,
however, the group, whether it
consists of two or ten, must be able
to possess a type of cohesiveness.
18