Kasturi College

BBA V

1
Group Concept Definition

2
Defining and Classifying Groups
Group(s)
Two or more individuals interacting and
interdependent, who have come together
to achieve particular objectives.

Formal Group Informal Group

A designated work
group defined by the
organization’s structure.
A group that is neither
formally structured nor
organizationally determined;
appears in response to the
need for social contact.

8–3
 Defining and Classifying Groups (cont’d)
Formal groups

Command Group Task Group

A group composed of Those working together
the individuals who to complete a job or task.
report directly to a
given manager.

Interest Group Friendship Group

Informal Groups

Those working together Those brought together

to attain a specific because they share one
objective with which or more common
each is concerned. characteristics.
8–4
Why People Join Groups

• Security
• Status
• Self-esteem
• Affiliation
• Power
• Goal Achievement

8–5
 The Five-Stage Model of Group
Development
1. Forming Stage
The first stage in group development, characterized
by much uncertainty.

2. Storming Stage
The second stage in group development,
characterized by intragroup conflict.

3. Norming Stage
The third stage in group development,
characterized by close relationships and
cohesiveness.

8–6
…Group Development (cont’d)
4. Performing Stage
The fourth stage in group development, when the
group is fully functional.

5. Adjourning Stage
The final stage in group development for temporary
groups, characterized by concern with wrapping up
activities rather than performance.

8–7
 Components of Group Structure
1. Formal leader
2. Roles,
3. Norms
4. Status
5. Group size
6. Group status
7. Degree of group cohesiveness

8
 Group Structure
• Formal Leadership
– Leadership that is imposed on the group by the
organization.
– Leaders who derive their power from the positions
they occupy in the organizational structure.
– Formal leaders may or may not also be the
informal leaders of the groups in which they
function.

9
Group Structure - Roles (cont’d)
Role(s)
A set of expected behavior patterns attributed to
someone occupying a given position in a social unit.

Role Identity
Certain attitudes and behaviors consistent with a
role.

Role Perception
An individual’s view of how he or she is supposed to
act in a given situation.
8–10
Group Structure - Roles (cont’d)
Role Expectations
How others believe a person should act in a given
situation.

Psychological Contract
An unwritten agreement that sets out what
management expects from the employee and vice
versa.

Role Conflict
A situation in which an individual is confronted by
divergent role expectations.
8–11
 Group Structure - Norms
Norms : Acceptable standards of behavior within a group that
are shared by the group’s members.
Classes
Classesof
ofNorms:
Norms:
•• Performance
Performancenorms: norms: acceptable
acceptablestandards
standardsforfordegree
degree
ofofeffort,
effort,procedures
proceduresfor forperforming
performingthe thetask,
task,level
levelofof
output,
output,appropriate
appropriatelevel
levelofoftardiness.
tardiness.
•• Appearance
Appearancenorms: norms:standards
standardsfor forappropriate
appropriatedress
dress
code,
code,loyalty
loyaltytotothe
theorganization
organization
•• Social
Socialarrangement
arrangementnorms norms: :suchsuchnorms
normscome
comefrom
from
informal
informalgroups
groupsandandregulates
regulatessocial
socialinteraction,
interaction,e.g.
e.g.
with
withwhom
whomgroupgroupmembers
memberstake takelunch,
lunch,friendship,
friendship,what
what
kind
kindof ofgames
gamesto toplay
playetc
etc
•• Allocation
Allocationof ofresources
resourcesnorms
norms: :pay payassignment
assignmentofof
difficult
difficultjobs,
jobs,allocation
allocationofofnew
new
8–12
tools
toolsand
andequipments.
equipments.
 Characteristics of norms
1. Norms summarize and simply group influence
process
2. Norms apply only to over behaviours not the
covert behaviour (thought, emotions, feelings)
etc.
3. Norms are developed through mutual agreement
4. Norms develop gradually and they dynamic in
nature
5. Not all norms apply to every group members

13
 The Hawthorne Studies
• A series of studies undertaken by Elton Mayo at
Western Electric Company’s Hawthorne Works in
Chicago between 1924 and 1932.
• Research Conclusions:
– Worker behavior and sentiments were closely related.
– Group influences (norms) were significant in affecting
individual behavior.
– Group standards (norms) were highly effective in
establishing individual worker output.
– Money was less a factor in determining worker output
than were group standards, sentiments, and security.

8–14
Group Structure - Norms (cont’d)
Conformity
Adjusting one’s behavior to align with the norms of
the group. Group members conformity depends on;
1.Personal factors
2.Situational factor
3.Compatible goals
4.Intragroup relationship

Reference Groups
Important groups to which individuals belong or
hope to belong and with whose norms individuals
are likely to conform. 8–15
Group Structure - Norms (cont’d)
Deviant Workplace Behavior
Antisocial actions by organizational members that
intentionally violate established norms and result in
negative consequences for the organization, its
members, or both.

8–16
 Methods of enforcing group norms
1. Education : by providing training to the group members
about the norms, rewards and punishment for violating
norms.
2. Close supervision : identifying deviance from the group
norms
3. Warning : those who do not follow the norms will be
warned in this steps and it can be oral and written
4. Sanction (punishment ):

8–17
 Group Structure - Status
Status
A socially defined position or rank given to groups or
group members by others.

Group
GroupNorms
Norms

Group
GroupMember
Member
Status
StatusEquity
Equity Status
Status

Culture
Culture

8–18
 Characteristics of status
1. Status is determined by criteria set by the group.
2. It is an aggregate estimate of worth.
3. It serves as device for ranking people.
Status equity : justifiable equality between status
hierarchy.
Types of status :
1.Formal status : it is closely related to the organizational
chain of command
2.Informal Status : values and norms of the group
determine the status of a member. Based on experience,
age , sex, skills, social membership etc.
19
 Group Size
• Number of members in the group determines the
size of the group.
• Group size affect overall group behaviour
• Smaller groups are faster at completing the task
than are larger ones.
• For problem solving groups larger are better
• Groups with odd number (3,5,7,9, 11 ) tend to be
preferable than the even ones.

20
 Group Structure - Size
Social Loafing
The tendency for individuals to expend less effort when
working collectively than when working individually.
Performance

Other
Otherconclusions:
conclusions:
• • Odd
Oddnumber
numbergroups
groupsdodo
g)
ed

fin better than even.

better than even.
ct

a
pe

lo • • Groups
Groupsofof77oror99perform
Ex

e to perform
(du better
better overall thanlarger
overall than largeroror
l smaller
t ua smallergroups.
groups.
Ac

Group Size
8–21
Group Structure - Composition
Group Demography
The degree to which members of a group share a
common demographic attribute, such as age, sex,
race, educational level, or length of service in the
organization, and the impact of this attribute on
turnover.

Cohorts
Individuals who, as part of a group, hold a common
attribute.

8–22
Group Structure - Cohesiveness
Cohesiveness
Degree to which group members are attracted to
each other and are motivated to stay in the group.

Increasing
Increasinggroup
groupcohesiveness:
cohesiveness:
1.1. Make
Makethe
thegroup
groupsmaller.
smaller.
2.2. Encourage
Encourageagreement
agreementwith withgroup
groupgoals.
goals.
3.3. Increase
Increasetime
timemembers
membersspendspendtogether.
together.
4.4. Increase
Increasegroup
groupstatus
statusand
andadmission
admissiondifficultly.
difficultly.
5.5. Stimulate
Stimulatecompetition
competitionwithwithother
othergroups.
groups.
6.6. Give
Giverewards
rewardstotothethegroup,
group,not
notindividuals.
individuals.
7.7. Physically
Physicallyisolate
isolatethe
thegroup.
group.

8–23
 Group Tasks
• Decision-making
– Large groups facilitate the pooling of information
about complex tasks.
– Smaller groups are better suited to coordinating
and facilitating the implementation of complex
tasks.
– Simple, routine standardized tasks reduce the
requirement that group processes be effective in
order for the group to perform well.

8–24
 Group Decision Making
• Strengths • Weaknesses
– More complete – More time consuming
information (slower)
– Increased diversity of – Increased pressure to
views conform
– Higher quality of – Domination by one or a
decisions (more few members
accuracy) – Ambiguous
– Increased acceptance of responsibility
solutions

8–25
Group Decision Making (cont’d)
Groupthink
Phenomenon in which the norm for consensus
overrides the realistic appraisal of alternative course
of action.

Groupshift
A change in decision risk between the group’s
decision and the individual decision that member
within the group would make; can be either toward
conservatism or greater risk.

8–26
 Symptoms Of The Groupthink
Phenomenon
• Group members rationalize any resistance to
the assumptions they have made.
• Members apply direct pressures on those who
express doubts about shared views or who
question the alternative favored by the
majority.
• Members who have doubts or differing points
of view keep silent about misgivings.
• There appears to be an illusion of unanimity.
8–27
Group Decision-Making Techniques
Interacting Groups
Typical groups, in which the members interact with
each other face-to-face.

Nominal Group Technique

A group decision-making method in which individual
members meet face-to-face to pool their judgments
in a systematic but independent fashion.

8–28
Group Decision-Making Techniques
Brainstorming
An idea-generation process that specifically
encourages any and all alternatives, while
withholding any criticism of those alternatives.

Electronic Meeting
A meeting in which members interact on computers,
allowing for anonymity of comments and
aggregation of votes.

8–29
Group Behavior Model

30
External Conditions Imposed on the
Group
Imposed
ImposedConditions
Conditions: :
•• Organization’s
Organization’soverall
overallstrategy
strategy
•• Authority
Authoritystructures
structures
•• Formal
Formalregulations
regulations
•• Resource
Resourceconstraints
constraints
•• Selection
Selectionprocess
process
•• Performance
Performanceand
andevaluation
evaluationsystem
system
•• Organization’s
Organization’sculture
culture
•• Physical
Physicalwork
worksetting
setting

31
 Group Member Resources
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
– Interpersonal skills
• Conflict management and resolution
• Collaborative problem solving
• Communication
– Personality Characteristics
• Sociability
• Initiative
• Openness
• Flexibility

32
 Relationship Between Group
Cohesiveness, Performance Norms,
and Productivity

33
Group Processes

34
 Group Tasks
• Decision-making
– Large groups facilitate the pooling of information
about complex tasks.
– Smaller groups are better suited to coordinating
and facilitating the implementation of complex
tasks.

*Consider: What is the task? Simple or complex?

35
 Group Decision Making
• Strengths • Weaknesses
– More complete – More time consuming
information – Increased pressure to
– Increased diversity of conform
views – Domination by one or a
– Higher quality of few members
decisions – Ambiguous
– Increased acceptance of responsibility
solutions

36
Summary & Implications for Managers
Performance:
• Structural factors show a relationship to performance.
• There is a positive relationship between role perception and an
employee’s performance evaluation.
• Norms control group member behavior by establishing standards of
right and wrong.
• Status inequities create frustration and can adversely influence
productivity.
• The impact of size on a group’s performance depends upon the type
of task in which the group is engaged.

Satisfaction:
• Most people prefer to communicate with others at their own status
level or a higher one.
• Large groups are associated with lower satisfaction.
37
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