GROUP DEVELOPMENT THEORY

OVERVIEW IDENTIFY THE WORKING DEFINITION OF A GROUP IDENTIFY FORMAL AND INFORMAL GROUPS IDENTIFY THE REASONS PEOPLE JOIN GROUPS DESCRIBE THE FOUR STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT IDENTIFY GROUP TASK AND MAINTENANCE FUNCTIONS

THE FORMATION OF GROUPS A group is more than two persons who interact with each other in such a manner that the behavior or performance of one is influenced by the behavior of the others

Primary and Secondary Groups One way of characterizing the distinction is to distinguish between primary and secondary groups.

Primary groups A fairly typical definition is given by Schein (1980), any number of people who interact with one another are psychologically aware of one another perceive themselves to be a group tend to involve regular contact between members of the group, including direct face-to-face interaction fairly small (maybe up to 20 or so members) involving co-operation sharing some common goals knowing who all the members of the group are having a rough idea of what other people's roles are in the group

Secondary Groups and Reference Groups The larger, more impersonal groups. (all people in library; college; on bus; in hotel) Reference Group Definition People whose attitudes, behaviour, beliefs, opinions, preferences, and values are used by an individual as the basis for his or her judgment. One does not have to be (or even aspire to be) a member of a reference group to be negatively or positively influenced by its characteristics.

Reference Grouping family group group of friends neighbours group of lecturers teaching a particular subject. Meet infrequently, don't know all their names or what they teach; trade union - member of group dispersed across whole country, - never met, have little in common. group of middle-aged people group of English Interest groups Tories, Roman Catholics. Muslims

reference groups What are your reference groups? Think of a student and try to work out his/her reference groups

TWO TYPES OF GROUPS FORMAL GROUPS (TASK ORIENTED) INFORMAL GROUPS (SOCIAL ORIENTED) Make two lists 1. informal groups you belong to 2. formal groups you belong to

Group Membership Formal or Informal Group members Purpose Role

How much time do you spend? Group F/I Purpose Frequency time Time per month

The value of groups What do we get from being in groups? Why do we join groups?

REASONS FOR GROUP FORMATION security social esteem proximity attraction ordered to

Group functioning Group must have Purpose and Outcome Organisation and structure Process Defined (formal/informal) Roles

Productive and Nonproductive In Productive Groups In Less Productive Groups  1. People listen and pay attention to one another.  1. People do not listen and many tend to talk at the same time.  2. People discuss the subject at hand.  2. The discussion jumps from one idea to another.  3. Everyone’s ideas and suggestions are welcomed.  3. Some member’s ideas don’t seem "to count," so these people do not act as if they belong to the group.  4. Everyone has a chance to state his or her view.  4. One or two people do all the talking.  5. The group uses its agenda as a guide for discussion.  5. The agenda is not clear and there is no written guide for discussion.  6. One or two members are appointed to summarize the discussion and to see that everyone has had a chance to speak.  6. No one summarizes or checks to see if everyone who wants to speak has actually spoken. Discussions go on and on until people get tired.  7. Members know and use problem-solving steps.  7. No order is followed for identifying and solving problems.  8. Members are clear about group decisions and committed to them.  8. Decision making is muddy and people are not committed to the group’s plans.

Some individual needs may be met: affiliation needs: the need to have close contact with others and be accepted by them social needs: in part affiliation needs, +confirmation through contact with others + sharing their views that the world is the way we believe it to be self-esteem needs: need to have a positive opinion of ourselves, arising in part from being accepted by others and evidence they share our views &values control needs & need for achievement: the need to realise objectives which we, as individuals, cannot achieve safety needs: reduce sense of powerlessness and anxiety experienced in ambiguous or threatening situations SSee Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs )

THE FIVE STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT FORM STAGE STORM STAGE NORM STAGE PERFORM STAGE ADJOURN STAGE

The initial group meeting In what ways do people respond? What formal activities are carried out? What informal activities occur?

Four Key Stages Forming - polite but untrusting Storming - testing others Norming - valuing other types Performing - flexibility from trust Adjourning – ending the process

Notes: Forming - formalities are preserved and members are treated as strangers. Storming - members start to communicate their feelings but probably still view themselves as part of their parent department rather than part of the team. They attack others insular attitudes while guarding their own. Norming - people feel part of the team and realise that they can achieve work if they accept other viewpoints. Performing - the team works in an open and trusting atmosphere where flexibility is the key and hierarchy is of little importance.

FORM STAGE FIRST STAGE - THE BEHAVIOR OF THE GROUP MEMBERS CAN BE DESCRIBED AS: DEPENDENT ON DIRECTION MEMBERS ARE POLITE INTRODUCTION AND SHARING OF INFORMATION STEROTYPING INDIVIDUALS BASED ON FIRST IMPRESSIONS CONVERSATIONS ARE ABOUT SAFE ACCEPTABLE TOPICS AVOID DISCLOSURE, FEEDBACK, AND INTERPRETING NON-VERBALS

STORM STAGE Second Stage - The Behaviour Of The Group Can Be Characterised As: counter-dependent: each group member strongly feels the need to take care of himself/herself during this stage bid for power 8. unexpressed individual needs Competitive 9. creativity suppressed Rationalization 10. try to reach resolution by vote, close-minded compromise, or arbitration conflict/hostility cliques are formed

NORM STAGE Third Stage - The Behaviour Of The Members Of The Group Can Be Characterized As: independent and constructive real listening takes place attempts to gain and maintain control lessen progress toward objectives creativity begins roles identified the leader may become somewhat less identifiable or necessary to the group

PERFORM STAGE fourth stage - the group’s behavior can be defined as: independent high group morale and esprit intense group loyalty individual creativity is encouraged disagreement is ok no cliques group adopts an identification symbol

ADJOURN STAGE fifth stage - the behavior of the group can be characterized as: less task ability regression to less productive behavior separation, grieving behaviors re-definition termination or mini-death

THE TASK AND MAINTENANCE FUNCTIONS task functions information seeking or giving opinion seeking or giving initiating activity clarifying/elaborating coordinating summarizing consensus testing

TASK AND MAINTENANCE FUNCTIONS… CONTINUED Gate keeping climate making and encouraging harmonizing compromising expressing personal feelings expressing group feelings standard setting

SUMMARY identify the working definition of a group identify formal and informal groups identify the reasons people join groups describe the four stages of group development identify group task and maintenance functions

focus on group work 1 Task functions relate to the work Recognizing and practicing them will help to make sure that project is completed: Initiating activity – suggesting new ways to approach the work and encouraging others to do the same Opinion/Information giving – putting forward one’s views/information Opinion/Information seeking – asking for others’ views/information Clarifying – asking for, or offering, clear explanations Elaborating – developing ideas and making sure that they are fully explored; giving examples Coordinating – drawing out the relationships between ideas Summarising – bringing together the discussion points, briefly 29

focus on group work 2 Consensus taking – asking what agreement there is Recording – noting suggestions and decisions Orienting – making sure the work is directed accurately towards its goals Maintenance functions relate to the group’s unity Recognizing and practicing them will help to strengthen the group: Encouraging – giving confidence to group members to make contributions; giving opportunities for them to do so Harmonizing/compromising – dealing with disagreement, possibly by suggesting a compromise Standard setting – expressing standards for the group to work to, and making sure that it does so Analyzing the group’s effectiveness – reviewing progress regularly and acting on the review 30

Bales’ Interaction Process Analysis 31