Unit-5 : Group Behaviour and Team Development (Part -1)

 Part 1- Group Behaviour

Concept/Meaning and Definition of Group

A group consists of two or more persons who interact with each other, consciously for the achievement of certain common objectives. The members are individual and are aware that they are part of a group. Group consists in every organization and they affect the behavior of their members.

According to Stephen Robbind “A group may be defined as two or more individuals, interacting and interdependent, who have come together to achieve particular objectives”.

According to Marvin Shaw, “A group comprises, of two or more persons who interact with one another in such a manner that each person influences and is influenced by each other persons”.

Thus, a group consists of two or more persons to interact with each other consciously for the achievement of certain common objectives. The members influence the group and in turn are influenced by others in the group. To quote David Smith “a group is a set of two or more individuals who are jointly characterized by a network of communication, a shared sense of collective identity and one or more shared dispositions with associated strength”.

In order to be called a group, an aggregation of persons must satisfy the following conditions:

I.         People must interact with one another,

II.       People must be psychologically aware of one another, and

III.     People should perceive themselves to be a group.

Groups are useful for organizations as they provide norms of behavior for its members. They provide a mechanism for people at work place to talk to one another about job or personal problems. They provide a feeling of camaraderie, companionship and understanding. Groups enable the members gain a feeling of belongingness through which the members derive esteem, recognition and status.

 

Group Dynamics

Research has well established that people in organizations form into groups in order to fulfill their social needs. Hawthorne experiments conducted by Elton Mayo and his team established that people at the work place behave as members of a group and the membership shapes their work behavior and attitudes towards organizations. The social process by which people interact with one another in groups is called group dynamics. Group dynamic focuses on team work where small groups contact with each other and share common ideas to accomplish the goals. 

A sound understanding of the group dynamics at the work place keeps the manager in a good stead so that appropriate initiatives for behavior modifications and to introduce change can be implemented.

 

Types of Groups

The following types of groups coexist in every organization.

1. Formal Groups: Formal Groups are a part of the organization structure. They are created deliberately by the management to perform the assigned duties. Work groups, committees and quality circles fall in this category. These groups are characterized by clear-cut authority-responsibility relationships. The pattern of communication is also well defined. Rules are laid down to regulate the behavior of group members.
2. Informal Groups: Informal groups arise spontaneously at the work place because of social interaction between the people. They are created by individuals rather than by management. They are based on common interest, language, taste, religion, background, etc. Thus, informal groups are alliances that are not officially planned. These groups are natural entities in the work environment. Informal groups are more flexible than the formal groups. Since they concentrate on personal contacts between the members, they represent the human side of enterprise as compared to technical side represented by the formal groups. 
3. Command and Task Groups: Formal groups may be sub- classified into command and task groups. The command group is composed of subordinates who report directly to a common boss. Thus, a supervisor and the operative employees reporting to him form a command group. The task group, on the other hand, represents those working together to complete a given task. A task group or teams, say for the introduction of a new product or service, is usually formed to complete an assignment that involves a number of departments. Further, a command group is more permanent than a task group in the organization.
4. Interest and Friendship Groups: Informal alliances may take the shape of interest and friendship groups. An interest group consists of people having a specific objective and not aligned to common command or task groups. For instance, employees who group together to pressurize the management for free transport and other benefits constitute an interest group. But a friendship group includes close friends or relatives. These relations even extend outside the organization. The group members know each other very well and have good relations.

Stages of Group Development

In interpreting behaviour of a particular group, it is important to recognize not only abroad pattern of development but also the unique characteristics of the particular group and the circumstances that contribute to (or detract from) its development. The way in which a particular group develops depends in part on such variables as the frequency with which group members interact and personal characteristics of group members.

The stages of group development process are However, it was believed groups pass through a standard sequence of five stages.

1.     Forming: When a group is initially formed, its members cannot accomplish much until they agree on what their purpose is, how they will work together and so on.Answering such questions brings group members face to face with the first obstacle to maturity: uncertainty, anxiety, and disagreement over power and authority. In this stage, the focus is on the interpersonal relations among the members. Members assess one another with regard to trustworthiness, emotional comfort, and evaluative acceptance. Thus, the forming stage is characterized by a great deal of uncertainty about the group's purpose, structure and leadership. Members are testing the waters to determine that type of behaviour is acceptable. This stage is complete when members have begun to think of themselves as part of a group.

 

2.     Storming: The storming stage is one of inter-group conflict. Members accept the existence of the group, but resist the constraints the group imposes on individuality. Further, there is conflict over who will control the group. After a group leader has emerged, the remaining group members must sort out where they fit in the group. Even if all the group members must sort out where they fit in the group. Even if all the group members accept the leader, the group enters a phase of conflict and challenge. One or more followers may test the leader. The group may split into factions supporting and opposing the leader. If the group gets stuck in this phase of development, group members may engage in battles over turf and expend their energies on a variety of political tactics. When this stage is complete, a relatively clear hierarchy of leadership exists within the group.

 

3.   Norming: In this stage, close relationships develop and the group demonstrates cohesiveness. Entering and conducting the cohesion phase requires intervention by a group member who is emotionally unaffected by power and authority issues.

 

Typically, such a person encourages group members to confront these issues openly. If the group engages in this process, the cohesion phase usually passes quickly.

 

Group members recognize where they fit in, and the group agrees on how it will operate. A new leader may emerge, or the existing leader may become more aware of how much others in the group contribute. The norming stage is complete when the group structure solidifies and the group has assimilated a common set of expectations of what defines correct member behaviour.

 

4.   Performing: The fourth stage is performing. The structure at this point is fully functional and accepted. Group energy has moved from getting to know and understand each other to performing the task at hand. Members' attention is directed to self-motivation and the motivation of other group members for task accomplishment. Some members focus on the task function of initiating activity and ensure that the work of the group really gets moving. Other members contribute to motivation and commitment within the group through maintenance functions such as supporting, encouraging and recognizing the contributions of members or through establishing the standards that the group may use in evaluating its performance.

 

5.   Adjourning: For permanent work groups, performing is the last stage in their development. However for temporary groups, there is an adjourning stage. In this stage, the group prepares for its disbandment. High task performance is no longer the group's top priority. Instead, attention is directed toward wrapping up activities.

Theories of Group Formation

The following four theories explain why and how groups are formed:

Propinquity Theory

Individuals affiliate with one another because of spatial or geographical proximity. In an organization, employees who work in the same area of the plant or office would more probably form into groups than those who are not physically located together. The propinquity theory explains a basic factor, i.e., proximity of people at the work place which leads to formation of groups. This phenomenon is observed in daily practice by all of us. However, it is not essential that groups must come up because of proximity of people at the work place. There may be several other reasons for the formation of groups. Thus, the propinquity theory is not analytical; it does not consider the complexities of group behavior.

 

Homans’ Theory

According to George C. Homans, “The more activities persons share, the more numerous will be their interactions and the stronger will be their shared activities and sentiments: and the more sentiments persons have for one another, the more will be their shared activities and interactions. The Homans theory has contributed a great deal to the understanding of group formation. It is based on three concepts, namely activities, interactions and sentiments which are directly related to each other. The members of a group share activities and interact with one another not just because of physical proximity, but also to accomplish group goals. The key element is interaction because of which they develop common sentiments for one another.

 

Balance Theory

The theory as proposed by Theodore Newcomb states that “persons are attracted to one another on the basis of similar attitudes towards commonly relevant objects and goals. Once a relationship is formed, it strives to maintain a symmetrical balance between the attraction and the common attitudes. If an imbalance occurs, attempts are made to restore the balance. If the balance cannot be restored, the relationship dissolves.” Both propinquity and interaction play a role in the balance theory. Thus, the balance theory   is additive in nature  in the sense that it introduces the factor of ‘balance’ to the propinquity and interaction factors. There must be a balance in the relationship between the group members for the group to be formed and for its survival. According to this theory groups are formed due to some common attitudes and values such as authority, work, life style, religion, politics, etc. They will strive to maintain a symmetrical balance between the attraction and the common attitudes.

 

Exchange Theory

This theory is based on reward-cost outcomes of interactions. To be attracted towards a group, a person thinks in terms of what he will get in exchange of interaction with the group members. Thus, there is an exchange relationship in terms of rewards and costs of associating with the group. A minimum positive level (rewards greater than costs) of an outcome must exist in order for attraction of affiliation to take place. Rewards from interactions gratify needs while costs incur anxiety, frustrations, embarrassment, or fatigue. Propinquity, interaction and common attitudes all have roles in the exchange theory.

Besides the theoretical explanations for group formation discussed above, employees in an organization may form a group for economic security or social reasons. Economically, workers may form a group into work on a project that is paid for on a group incentive plan or form a union to demand higher wages. Joining a group provides the individual with a united front in combating indiscriminate and unilateral treatment.