1. Group Dynamics

2. Group Dynamics

3. Groups
Two or more individuals , interacting and interdependent , who have come together to achieve particular objectives.
A group can be defined as a small group of people with complementary skills and abilities who are committed to a leader's goal and approach and are willing to be held accountable by the leader

4. Groups
Formal
A designated work group defined by the organization's structure.
Designated work assignments.
Directed towards organizational goals
Informal
A group that is neither formally nor informally structured nor organizationally determined ; appears in response to the need of social interactions.
Friendship groups; kitty groups

5. Need to join Groups Security. Status. Self Esteem Affiliation Power
Goal Achievement

6. Pivotal Studies in the Origins of Group Dynamics
Sherif (1936)
investigated social norms among groups of people
one of the first studies that studied group phenomena experimentally
Newcomb (1939)
topic similar to Sherif
used naturalistic observation
showed that attitudes of individuals are strongly related to the groups to which they belong

7. Pivotal studies, cont. Whyte (1937)
study of social clubs, political organizations, and racketeering
use of participant observer technique
Contributions (Whyte, 1937)
dramatized the great significance of groups in the lives of individuals
gave impetus to the interpretation of group properties and processes in terms of interactions
generated new hypothesis concerning intra group relations

8. Pivotal studies, cont. Lewin, Lippitt, and White (1939)
studied influences of leadership style on group and its members
found that individual members were transferred from one group to another their aggressiveness change to approach the new group level
Earliest use of the phrase “group dynamics”

9. Work Groups vs. Work Teams
Work group -- collection of two or more people who interact with one another and share some interrelated task goals
Work team -- a work group with 3 specific properties:
actions of individuals must be interdependent and coordinated
each member must have a particular, specified role.
there must be common task goals and objectives.

10. Groups vs. Teams Groups Teams Members Independent Interdependent Goals
Individual/group
Mutual
Cognizance of membership
Individual may not know
Individuals know
Leadership
Identified
Shared
Products
Individual
Collective
Reward
Conflict
Reactive
Expected

11. Types of Groups / Teams
Command Group- composed of individuals who directly report to a given manager.
Task Group- Individuals working together to complete a task.
Self Managed-Individuals who operate without a manager and responsible for complete work process/ segment

12. Autonomous Work Groups
Alternative organizational structuring where an entire product (or service) is produced (or provided) by a small group of employees
Properties differ by setting
Job satisfaction higher than in traditional structures
Job performance
equal to traditional in manufacturing organizations
higher than traditional in non-manufactoring organizations

13. Types of Groups/Teams
Virtual teams- Teams that use computer technology to link physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal.
Cross Functional teams – Hybrid grouping of individuals who are experts in various specialties and who work together on a specified task.

14. Types of Groups/Teams
Problem solving teams – Employees form the same department and functional areas who are involved in efforts to improve work activities or solve specific problems.

15. Quality Circles
Groups of employees who meet periodically to discuss problems and propose solutions relevant to their jobs
Benefits (in theory)
individuals enjoy greater participation
welcome break from routine
better production procedures
Problem: Usually considered a parallel function; have no enforcing power.

16. Properties of Groups Roles -- can be formal or informal
Norms -- unwritten rules of behavior
Group cohesiveness -- sum of forces keeping the group together
Process loss -- time and effort expended on activities not directly related to task accomplishment

17. Role Structures Roles Role Structure Role Ambiguity Role Overload
Parts individuals play in groups in helping the group reach its goals.
Role Structure
Set of defined roles and interrelationships among roles group members define and accept.
Role Ambiguity
When the sent role is unclear.
Role Overload
When role expectations exceed an individual’s capacities.

18. Characteristics of Groups and Teams
The Development of a Role
The first two stages of role development are group processes as the group members let the individuals know what is expected of them.
The other two parts are individual processes as the new group members perceive and enact their roles.
Expected
role
Sent
Perceived
Enacted

19. Role Structures Role Conflict
Inter-role Conflict: Conflict between roles.
Intra-role Conflict: Conflicting demands from different sources.
Intra-sender Conflict: When a single source sends contradictory messages.
Person-role Conflict: Discrepancy between role requirements and an individual’s values, attitudes, and needs.

20. Behavioral Norms Norms Factors contributing to norm conformity:
Standards of behavior that a group accepts and expects of its members.
Factors contributing to norm conformity:
Peer pressure
Stimulus prompting group behavior
Individual traits
Situational factors
Socialization
Norm conformity that occurs when a person goes from outsider to insider.

21. Group Cohesiveness Factors increasing cohesiveness
Inter-group competition
Personal attraction
Favorable evaluation
Agreement on goals
Interaction
Factors reducing cohesiveness
Group size
Disagreement on goals
Intra-group competition
Domination
Unpleasant experiences

22. The Interaction Between Cohesiveness and Performance Norms
High
Moderate
Performance
High
Performance
Performance Norms
Low
Performance
Low
Performance
Low
High
Group Cohesiveness

23. Group Polarization Tendency for people to exaggerate
preexisting attitudes as a result of
group discussion. They move to more
extreme shared attitudes.

24. Group Polarization
Are groups more conservative or riskier decision makers than individuals?
Group Polarization -- the groups decision tends to be more extreme than the mean of its individuals.
Why? -- pressure from majority to make minority conform

25. Factors affecting Group Performance
Performance in the presence of others -- effect depends on type of task
Performance on additive tasks vs. nominal groups
Process Loss
Social Loafing -- effort per person decreases as group size increases

26. Social Loafing and Dealing with it
The tendency for people to reduce their efforts on common goal or simple tasks when their efforts are pooled.
Dealing
1. Motivation.
- Increase sense of personal responsibility.
- Feel that contributions are important.
2. Identification.
3. Make the activity interesting.
4. Optimize interpersonal trust.

27. Groupthink
Definition: when groups make decisions that individual members are expected to confirm to.
Factors leading to groupthink:
group cohesiveness (unnecessary according to Aldag & Fuller, 1993)
group isolation
pressure for conformity
strong leader

28. Groupthink, cont. Avoiding groupthink:
group leaders should serve as impartial moderators
Group members at every stage of the decision-making process should critically evaluate decision alternatives
Groups should periodically break into smaller subgroups to discuss critical issues
Group members should discuss issues with subordinates