Assignment on group dynamics

1. 1. Assignment on Group DynamicsIntroductionA group can be defined as several

individuals who come together to accomplish a particular task orgoal. Group dynamics
refers to the attitudinal and behavioral characteristics of a group. Groupdynamics
concern how groups form, their structure and process, and how they function.
Groupdynamics are relevant in both formal and informal groups of all types. In an
organizational setting,groups are a very common organizational entity and the study of
groups and group dynamics is animportant area of study in organizational behavior.The
following sections provide information related to group dynamics. Specifically, the
formation anddevelopment of groups is first considered. Then some major types or
classifications of groups arediscussed. Then the structure of groups is examined.GROUP
DEVELOPMENTAs applied to group development, group dynamics is concerned with
why and how groups develop.There are several theories as to why groups develop. A
classic theory, developed by GeorgeHumans, suggests that groups develop based on
activities, interactions, and sentiments. Basically,the theory means that when individuals
share common activities, they will have more interaction andwill develop attitudes
(positive or negative) toward each other. The major element in this theory isthe
interaction of the individuals involved.Social exchange theory offers an alternative
explanation for group development. According to thistheory, individuals form relationships
based on the implicit expectation of mutually beneficialexchanges based on trust and felt
obligation. Thus, a perception that exchange relationships will bepositive is essential if
individuals are to be attracted to and affiliate with a group.Social identity theory offers
another explanation for group formation. Simply put, this theory suggeststhat individuals
get a sense of identity and self-esteem based upon their membership in salientgroups.
The nature of the group may be demographically based, culturally based, or
organizationallybased. Individuals are motivated to belong to and contribute to identity
groups because of the senseof belongingness and self-worth membership in the group
imparts.Group dynamics as related to development concerns not only why groups form
but also how. Themost common framework for examining the "how" of group formation
was developed by BruceTuckman in the 1960s. In essence, the steps in group formation
imply that groups do not usuallyperform at maximum effectiveness when they are first
established. They encounter several stages ofdevelopment as they strive to become
productive and effective. Most groups experience the samedevelopmental stages with
similar conflicts and resolutions.
2. 2. According to Tuckmans theory, there are five stages of group development: forming,
storming,norming, performing, and adjourning. During these stages group members must
address severalissues and the way in which these issues are resolved determines
whether the group will succeed inaccomplishing its tasks.1. Forming. This stage is
usually characterized by some confusion and uncertainty. The majorgoals of the group
have not been established. The nature of the task or leadership of the grouphas not been
determined (Luthans, 2005). Thus, forming is an orientation period whenmembers get to
know one another and share expectations about the group. Members learn thepurpose of
the group as well as the rules to be followed. The forming stage should not berushed
because trust and openness must be developed. These feelings strengthen in
laterstages of development. Individuals are often confused during this stage because
roles are notclear and there may not be a strong leader.2. Storming. In this stage, the
group is likely to see the highest level of disagreement and conflict.Members often
challenge group goals and struggle for power. Individuals often vie for theleadership
position during this stage of development. This can be a positive experience for allgroups
if members can achieve cohesiveness through resolution. Members often voice
concernand criticism in this phase. If members are not able to resolve the conflict, then
the group willoften disband or continue in existence but will remain ineffective and never
advance to the otherstages.3. Norming. This stage is characterized by the recognition of
individual differences and sharedexpectations. Hopefully, at this stage the group
members will begin to develop a feeling ofgroup cohesion and identity. Cooperative effort
should begin to yield results. Responsibilitiesare divided among members and the group
 decides how it will evaluate progress.4. Performing. Performing, occurs when the group
has matured and attains a feeling ofcohesiveness. During this stage of development,
individuals accept one another and conflict isresolved through group discussion.
Members of the group make decisions through a rationalprocess that is focused on
relevant goals rather than emotional issues.5. Adjourning. Not all groups experience this
stage of development because it is characterized bythe disbandment of the group. Some
groups are relatively permanent (Luthans, 2005). Reasonsthat groups disband vary, with
common reasons being the accomplishment of the task orindividuals deciding to go their
own ways. Members of the group often experience feelings ofclosure and sadness as
they prepare to leave.GROUP TYPESOne common way to classify group is by whether
they are formal or informal in nature. Formal workgroups are established by an
organization to achieve organizational goals. Formal groups may takethe form of
command groups, task groups, and functional groups.
3. 3. COMMAND GROUPSCommand groups are specified by the organizational chart and
often consist of a supervisor and thesubordinates that report to that supervisor. An
example of a command group is an academicdepartment chairman and the faculty
members in that department.TASK GROUPSTask groups consist of people who work
together to achieve a common task. Members are broughttogether to accomplish a
narrow range of goals within a specified time period. Task groups are alsocommonly
referred to as task forces. The organization appoints members and assigns the goals
andtasks to be accomplished. Examples of assigned tasks are the development of a new
product, theimprovement of a production process, or the proposal of a motivational
contest. Other common taskgroups are ad hoc committees, project groups, and standing
committees. Ad hoc committees aretemporary groups created to resolve a specific
complaint or develop a process. Project groups aresimilar to ad hoc committees and
normally disband after the group completes the assigned task.Standing committees are
more permanent than ad hoc committees and project groups. Theymaintain longer life
spans by rotating members into the group.FUNCTIONAL GROUPSA functional group is
created by the organization to accomplish specific goals within an unspecifiedtime frame.
Functional groups remain in existence after achievement of current goals and
objectives.Examples of functional groups would be a marketing department, a customer
service department, oran accounting department.In contrast to formal groups, informal
groups are formed naturally and in response to the commoninterests and shared values
of individuals. They are created for purposes other than theaccomplishment of
organizational goals and do not have a specified time frame. Informal groups arenot
appointed by the organization and members can invite others to join from time to time.
Informalgroups can have a strong influence in organizations that can either be positive or
negative. Forexample, employees who form an informal group can either discuss how to
improve a productionprocess or how to create shortcuts that jeopardize quality. Informal
groups can take the form ofinterest groups, friendship groups, or reference
groups.INTEREST GROUPS.Interest groups usually continue over time and may last
longer than general informal groups.Members of interest groups may not be part of the
same organizational department but they arebound together by some other common
interest. The goals and objectives of group interests arespecific to each group and may
not be related to organizational goals and objectives. An example ofan interest group
would be students who come together to form a study group for a specific class.
4. 4. FRIENDSHIP GROUPSFriendship groups are formed by members who enjoy similar
social activities, political beliefs,religious values, or other common bonds. Members enjoy
each others company and often meetafter work to participate in these activities. For
example, a group of employees who form a friendshipgroup may have an exercise group,
a softball team, or a potluck lunch once a month.REFERENCE GROUPSA reference
group is a type of group that people use to evaluate themselves. According
toCherrington, the main purposes of reference groups are social validation and social
comparison.Social validation allows individuals to justify their attitudes and values while
social comparison helpsindividuals evaluate their own actions by comparing themselves
to others. Reference groups have astrong influence on members behavior. By comparing
themselves with other members, individualsare able to assess whether their behavior is
 acceptable and whether their attitudes and values areright or wrong. Reference groups
are different from the previously discussed groups because theymay not actually meet or
form voluntarily. For example, the reference group for a new employee ofan organization
may be a group of employees that work in a different department or even a
differentorganization. Family, friends, and religious affiliations are strong reference
groups for mostindividuals.GROUP STRUCTUREGroup structure is a pattern of
relationships among members that hold the group together and help itachieve assigned
goals. Structure can be described in a variety of ways. Among the more
commonconsiderations are group size, group roles, group norms, and group
cohesiveness.GROUP SIZE.Group size can vary from 2 people to a very large number of
people. Small groups of two to ten arethought to be more effective because each
member has ample opportunity to participate andbecome actively involved in the group.
Large groups may waste time by deciding on processes andtrying to decide who should
participate next. Group size will affect not only participation butsatisfaction as well.
Evidence supports the notion that as the size of the group increases,
satisfactionincreases up to a certain point. In other words, a group of six members has
twice as manyopportunities for interaction and participation as a group of three people.
Beyond 10 or 12 members,increasing the size of the group results in decreased
satisfaction. It is increasingly difficult formembers of large groups to identify with one
another and experience cohesion.
5. 5. GROUP ROLESIn formal groups, roles are usually predetermined and assigned to
members. Each role will havespecific responsibilities and duties. There are, however,
emergent roles that develop naturally tomeet the needs of the groups. These emergent
roles will often replace the assigned roles asindividuals begin to express themselves and
become more assertive. Group roles can then beclassified into work roles, maintenance
roles, and blocking roles.Work roles are task-oriented activities that involve
accomplishing the groups goals. They involve avariety of specific roles such as initiator,
informer, clarifier, summarizer, and reality tester. Theinitiator defines problems, proposes
action, and suggests procedures.The informer role involves finding facts and giving
advice or opinions. Clarifiers will interpret ideas,define terms, and clarify issues for the
group. Summarizers restate suggestions, offer decisions, andcome to conclusions for the
group. Finally, reality testers analyze ideas and test the ideas in
realsituations.Maintenance roles are social-emotional activities that help members
maintain their involvement inthe group and raise their personal commitment to the group.
The maintenance roles are harmonizer,gatekeeper, consensus tester, encourager, and
compromiser. The harmonizer will reduce tension inthe group, reconcile differences, and
explore opportunities. Gatekeepers often keep communicationchannels open and make
suggestions that encourage participation. The consensus tester will ask ifthe group is
nearing a decision and test possible conclusions. Encouragers are friendly, warm,
andresponsive to other group members. The last maintenance role is the compromiser.
This roleinvolves modifying decisions, offering compromises, and admitting
errors.Blocking roles are activities that disrupt the group. They make take the form of
dominatingdiscussions, verbally attacking other group members, and distracting the
group with trivialinformation or unnecessary humor. Often times the blocking behavior
may not be intended asnegative. Sometimes a member may share a joke in order to
break the tension, or may question adecision in order to force group members to rethink
the issue. The blocking roles are aggressor,blocker, dominator, comedian, and
avoidance behavior. The aggressor criticizes members valuesand makes jokes in a
sarcastic or semi-concealed manner.Blockers will stubbornly resist the groups ideas,
disagree with group members for personal reasons,and will have hidden agendas. The
dominator role attempts to control conversations by patronizingothers. They often
interrupt others and assert authority in order to manipulate members. Comediansoften
abandon the group even though they may physically still be a part. They are attention-
gettersin ways that are not relevant to the accomplishment of the groups objectives. The
last blocking role,avoidance behavior, involves pursuing goals not related to the group
and changing the subject toavoid commitment to the group.Role ambiguity concerns the
discrepancy between the sent role and the received role, as shown inExhibit 1.
 Supervisors, directors, or other group leaders often send (assign) roles to group
members
6. 6. in formal groups. Group members receive roles by being ready and willing to
undertake the tasksassociated with that role. Ambiguity results when members are
confused about the delegation of jobresponsibilities. This confusion may occur because
the members do not have specific jobdescriptions or because the instructions regarding
the task were not clear. Group members whoexperience ambiguity often have feelings of
frustration and dissatisfaction, which ultimately lead toturnover.Role conflict occurs when
there is inconsistency between the perceived role and role behavior.There are several
different forms of role conflict. Interrole conflict occurs when there is conflictbetween the
different roles that people have. For example, work roles and family roles oftencompete
with one another and cause conflict. Intrarole conflict occurs when individuals must
handleconflicting demands from different sources while performing the tasks associated
with the same role.GROUP NORMSNorms are acceptable standards of behavior within a
group that are shared by the members of thegroup. Norms define the boundaries of
acceptable and unacceptable behavior. They are typicallycreated in order to facilitate
group survival, make behavior more predictable, avoid embarrassingsituations, and
express the values of the group. Each group will establish its own set of norms thatmight
determine anything from the appropriate dress to how many comments to make in a
meeting.Groups exert pressure on members to force them to conform to the groups
standards. The normsoften reflect the level of commitment, motivation, and performance
of the group.Performance norms determine how quickly members should work and how
much they shouldproduce. They are created in an effort to determine levels of individual
effort. They can be veryfrustrating to managers because they are not always in line with
the organizations goals. Membersof a group may have the skill and ability to perform at
higher levels but they dont because of thegroups performance norms. For example,
workers may stop working a production machine at 20minutes before quitting time in
order to wash up, even though they produced fewer items that daythan management
intended.Reward-allocation norms determine how rewards are bestowed upon group
members. For example,the norm of equality dictates equal treatment of all members.
Every member shares equally sorewards are distributed equally to everyone. Equity
norms suggest that rewards are distributedaccording to the members contribution. In
other words, members who contribute the most receivethe largest share of the rewards.
Members may contribute through effort, skill, or ability. Socialresponsibility norms reward
on the basis of need. Members who have special needs thereforereceive the largest
share of the reward.The majority of the group must agree that the norms are appropriate
in order for the behavior to beaccepted. There must also be a shared understanding
7. 7. Exhibit 1Role Ambiguity and Role ConflictThat the group supports the norms. It should
be noted, however, that members might violate groupnorms from time to time. If the
majority of members do not adhere to the norms, then they willeventually change and will
no longer serve as a standard for evaluating behavior. Group memberswho do not
conform to the norms will be punished by being excluded, ignored, or asked to leave
thegroup.GROUP COHESIVENESSCohesiveness refers to the bonding of group
members and their desire to remain part of the group.Many factors influence the amount
of group cohesiveness. Generally speaking, the more difficult it isto obtain group
membership the more cohesive the group. Groups also tend to become cohesivewhen
they are in intense competition with other groups or face a serious external threat to
survival.Smaller groups and those who spend considerable time together also tend to be
more cohesive.Cohesiveness in work groups has many positive effects, including worker
satisfaction, low turnoverand absenteeism, and higher productivity. However, highly
cohesive groups may be detrimental toorganizational performance if their goals are
misaligned with organizational goals. Highly cohesivegroups may also be more
vulnerable to groupthink. Groupthink occurs when members of a groupexert pressure on
each other to come to a consensus in decision making. Groupthink results incareless
judgments, unrealistic appraisals of alternative courses of action, and a lack of
realitytesting. It can lead to a number of decision-making issues such as the following:1.
Incomplete assessments of the problem,2. Incomplete information search,3. Bias in
 processing information,4. Inadequate development of alternatives, and5. Failure to
examine the risks of the preferred choice.Evidence suggests that groups typically
outperform individuals when the tasks involved require avariety of skills, experience, and
decision making. Groups are often more flexible and can quickly
8. 8. assemble, achieve goals, and disband or move on to another set of objectives. Many
organizationshave found that groups have many motivational aspects as well. Group
members are more likely toparticipate in decision-making and problem-solving activities
leading to empowerment and increasedproductivity. Groups complete most of the work in
an organization; thus, the effectiveness of theorganization is limited by the effectiveness
of its groups.