COHESION

AND
DEVELOPMEN
T
GROUP DYNAMICS
CHAPTER 5
Prep. By: KZU
 A group is not just a set of individuals, but a
cohesive whole that joins the members
together in interlocking interdependencies.
This solidarity or unity is called group
cohesion and is a necessary, if not sufficient,
condition for a group to exist. A group may
begin as a collection of strangers, but, as
uncertainty gives way to increasing unity, the
members become bound to their group and its
goals. As cohesion and commitment ebb and
flow with time, the group’s influence over its
members rises and falls.

2
 The Latin word haesus means to cling to; it is the basis of such words as adhesive,

SOURCES OF inherit, and, of course, cohesive. when human groups are cohesive, the members stick
together rather than leave to join other groups. They are joined together by strong
COHESION interpersonal bonds and by a shared commitment to the group and its goals. Cohesive
groups remain united, over time and across situations, whereas less cohesive groups
experience frequent changes in their membership, their processes, and their
procedures (Cartwright, 1968).

S O U R CE S O F G RO U P’ S
U N I TY:

• Social cohesion: The attraction of members to one another and to the group as a whole.

• Task cohesion: A shared commitment among members to achieve a goal and the resulting capacity to perform successfully as a
coordinated unit.

• Collective cohesion: Unity based on shared identity and belonging.

• Emotional cohesion: Group-based emotions, including pride, esprit de corps, and overall affective intensity.

• Structural cohesion: The group’s structural integrity, including normative coherence, clarity of roles, and strength and density of
relationships linking members.
3
 Click to add photo
INTERPERSONAL ATTRACTION
The more the members like each other, the more cohesive SOCIAL
the group becomes.
COHESIO
GROUP-LEVEL ATTRACTION N
Cohesion is a multilevel process - group members may be Attraction to the group and its
bonded to each other, to their group, and to the members.
organization in which their group is embedded.

These two forms of social cohesion usually go hand in

hand: if you like many individuals in the group, you likely
also like the group itself. But, when cohesion is based only
on individual-level attraction and those who are liked leave
the group, the remaining members are more likely to quit.
When cohesion is based on group level attraction, people
remain members even when specific members leave the
group (Ehrhart & Naumann, 2004).
 TASK COHESION
A shared commitment among members to achieve a goal
and the resulting capacity to perform successfully as a
coordinated unit.

GROUP MOTIVATION Collective Efficacy

Group members typically have the choice of
working for the group, for themselves, for
both the group and themselves, or for neither,
and thus do not always choose to strive for
group success.
Collective Efficacy and Potency
Groups that are cohesive, in terms of task
commitment, tend to exhibit high levels of
collective efficacy and group potency.
is determined by members’ shared beliefs that
they can accomplish all the components of their
group’s tasks competently and efficiently
Group Potency
is a generalized positive expectation about the
group’s chances for success (Guzzo et al.,
1993). High potency groups tend to select more
difficult goals to pursue and they tend to
outperform their less potent counterparts
(Stajkovic, Lee, & Nyberg, 2009).

5
 COLLECTIVE COHESION
The degree to which the group unites its members, as indicated by the perceived solidarity of the group
(entitativity) and members’ identification with the group.
When a group is cohesive, collectively, members are united; fused to form a single whole. When members talk
about themselves and their group, they use more plural pronouns than personal pronouns: “We won that game”
or “We got the job done” rather than “I got the job done” (Cialdini et al., 1976).
A group that is higher in collective cohesion will, in most cases, be a group that is higher in entitativity: It will
be perceived to be a single, unified entity that resists disintegration

When a group is highly cohesive, members’ identities will be based more on their membership in that group
rather than their own personal, unique qualities. In consequence, their sense of self will become depersonalized:
They will view themselves and their fellow members as relatively interchangeable parts of the whole, and their
sense of membership in the group will become more important to them than their personal relationships with
specific group members. Any factor that increases members’ tendency to categorize themselves as group
members (e.g., conflict with other groups, the presence of outgroups, and activities that focus members’
attention on their group identity) will reduce personal attraction but increase depersonalized attraction to the
group as a whole.

6
GROUP-LEVEL EMOTIONS
EMOTION
Click to add photo
Emotional cohesion, like the other components of cohesion, is a AL
multilevel process. Emotions, although traditionally thought to be
personal and private are more often interpersonal and socially COHESIO
shared Naumann, 2004).
N
The emotional intensity of the
This group affective tone is not tied to any specific aspect of the
group’s activities or to any one individual, but rather pervades all group and individuals when in
the group’s day-to-day activities. the group.

RELATIONAL COHESION THEORY

A conceptual analysis of cohesion that assumes members of groups
develop stronger ties to groups that are perceived to be sources of
positive feelings or emotions and weaker ties to those perceived to
be sources of negative feelings or emotions.
STRUCTURAL
COHESION
The unity of a group that derives from the group’s structural integrity,
including normative coherence, clarity of roles, and strength and density of
relationship linking members. relationships linking members.

Just as a well-designed building can withstand the vicissitudes of time and

weather, so can a structurally cohesive group withstand stresses and strains
that would cause a less coherent group to crumble.

Each member in the group clearly knows his/her:

• Position
• Responsibilities
• Evaluation
• Norms of operation (acceptable behavior)
 DEVELOPING
S TACOHESION
G ES O F G R O U P
D EV EL O P ME N T

9
 CONSEQUENCES OF GROUP COHESION

• Member satisfaction and Adjustment

` OLD SERGEANT SYNDROME Symptoms of psychological disturbance, including depression, anxiety,
and guilt, exhibited by noncommissioned officers in cohesive units that suffer heavy casualties. Strongly loyal
to their unit and its members, these leaders feel so responsible for their unit’s losses that they withdraw
psychologically from the group.
• Group Dynamics and Influence - As cohesion increases, the internal dynamics of the group intensify, so
pressures to conform are greater in cohesive groups, and individuals’ resistance to these pressures is weaker.
• Group Productivity
COHESION PERFORMANCE RELATIONSHIP
PERFORMANCE COHESION RELATIONSHIP

10
 T H E H Y P O T H E T I C A L R E L AT I O N S H I P B E T W E E N F I V E S O U R C E S O F C O H E S I O N ( S O C I A L , TA S K ,
COLLECTIVE, EMOTIONAL, AND
S T R U C T U R A L ) , C O H E S I O N , A N D P E R F O R M A N C E . M E TA - A N A LY S E S S U G G E S T T H AT T H E C O H E S I O N –
P E R F O R M A N C E R E L AT I O N S H I P I S A R E C I P R O C A L R E L AT I O N S H I P : C O H E S I O N C A U S E S I M P R O V E M E N T S I N
PERFORMANCE, BUT PERFORMANCE ALSO FEEDS BACK AND CAUSES CHANGES IN COHESION. THE
M A G N I T U D E O F T H E C O H E S I O N ! P E R F O R M A N C E A N D P E R F O R M A N C E ! C O H E S I O N R E L AT I O N S H I P S
VA R I E S O V E R T I M E A N D S E T T I N G S .

11 20XX
THANK YOU
COMPLETE YOUR WEEKLY E-JOURNAL

12 20XX