GROUP DYNAMICS AND TEAM

BUILDING

INTRODUCTION
People may underestimate the importance of society and group memberships on their
lives. Whilst people sometimes undertake solo journeys yet by and large much of our
experiences of life involves being engaged with others and groups.

Within an organization we do find number of groups. Individuals joining group (s) is a

reality – may be formal or informal groups. People work in groups quite frequently and in
many different areas of their life e.g. at work, school/college, sport, hobbies. The
managers need to understand Group Dynamics that can enable managers to adopt the right
approach of interacting with them.

I. WHAT IS GROUP DYNAMICS?

Group dynamics deals with the attitudes and behavioral patterns of a group. Group
dynamics concern how groups are formed, what is their structure and which processes are
followed in their functioning. Thus, it is concerned with the interactions and forces
operating between groups.

II. WHAT IS A GROUP?

Every organization is a group unto itself. A group refers to two or more people who share
a common meaning and evaluation of themselves and come together to achieve common
goals. In other words, a group is a collection of people who interact with one another; accept
rights and obligations as members and who share a common identity.

III. CHARACTERICTICS OF A GROUP

Regardless of the size or the purpose, every group has similar characteristics:
 2 or more persons (if it is one person, it is not a group)
 Formal social structure (the rules of the game are defined)
 Common fate (they will swim together)
 Common goals (the destiny is the same and emotionally connected)
 Face-to-face interaction (they will talk with each other)
 Interdependence (each one is complimentary to the other)
 Self-definition as group members (what one is who belongs to the group)
 Recognition by others (yes, you belong to the group).

IV. PROCESS/STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT/EVOLUTION

Group Development is a dynamic process. How do groups evolve? There is a process of
five stages through which groups pass through. The process includes the five stages:
forming, storming, forming, performing, and adjourning.

 Forming:
o The first stage in the life of a group is concerned with forming a group. This
stage is characterized by members seeking either a work assignment (in a
formal group) or other benefit, like status, affiliation, power, etc. (in an
 informal group). Members at this stage either engage in busy type of activity
or show apathy.

 Storming:
o The next stage in this group is marked by the formation of dyads and triads.
Members seek out familiar or similar individuals and begin a deeper sharing
of self. Continued attention to the subgroup creates a differentiation in the
group and tensions across the dyads / triads may appear. Pairing is a
common phenomenon. There will be conflict about controlling the group.
 Norming:
o The third stage of group development is marked by a more serious concern
about task performance. The dyads/triads begin to open up and seek out
other members in the group. Efforts are made to establish various norms for
task performance.
o Members begin to take greater responsibility for their own group and
relationship while the authority figure becomes relaxed. Once this stage is
complete, a clear picture will emerge about hierarchy of leadership. The
norming stage is over with the solidification of the group structure and a
sense of group identity and camaraderie.
 Performing
o This is a stage of a fully functional group where members see themselves
as a group and get involved in the task. Each person makes a contribution
and the authority figure is also seen as a part of the group. Group norms are
followed and collective pressure is exerted to ensure the Process of Group
effectiveness of the group.
o The group may redefine its goals Development in the light of information
from the outside environment and show an autonomous will to pursue those
goals. The long-term viability of the group is established and nurtured.
 Adjourning:
o In the case of temporary groups, like project team, task force, or any other
such group, which have a limited task at hand, also have a fifth stage, This
is known as adjourning.
o The group decides to disband. Some members may feel happy over the
performance, and some may be unhappy over the stoppage of meeting with
group members. Adjourning may also be referred to as mourning, i.e.
mourning the adjournment of the group.

V. TYPES OF GROUPS
One way to classify the groups is by way of formality – formal and informal. While formal
groups are established by an organization to achieve its goals, informal groups merge
spontaneously. Formal groups may take the form of command groups, task groups, and
functional groups.

 Formal Groups
o Command Groups
 Command groups are specified by the organizational chart and often
consist of a supervisor and the subordinates that report to that
supervisor. An example of a command group is a market research
firm CEO and the research associates under him.
o Command Groups
  Command groups are specified by the organizational chart and often
consist of a supervisor and the subordinates that report to that
supervisor. An example of a command group is a market research
firm CEO and the research associates under him.
o Functional Groups
 A functional group is created by the organization to accomplish
specific goals within an unspecified time 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, or an accounting
department.
 Informal Groups
o In contrast to formal groups, informal groups are formed naturally and in
response to the common interests and shared values of individuals. They are
created for purposes other than the accomplishment of organizational goals
and do not have a specified time frame. Informal groups are not appointed
by the organization and members can invite others to join from time to time.
o Informal groups can have a strong influence in organizations that can either
be positive or negative. For example, employees who form an informal
group can either discuss how to improve a production process or how to
create shortcuts that jeopardize quality. Informal groups can take the form
of interest groups, friendship groups, or reference groups.
 Interest Group
 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 are bound together by some other
common interest.
 The goals and objectives of group interests are specific to
each group and may not be related to organizational goals
and objectives. An example of an interest group would be
students who come together to form a study group for a
specific class.
 Friendship Groups
 Friendship groups are formed by members who enjoy similar
social activities, political beliefs, religious values, or other
common bonds. Members enjoy each other’s company and
often meet after work to participate in these activities.
 Reference Groups
 A reference group is a type of group that people use to
evaluate themselves. The main objectives of reference
groups are to seek social validation and social comparison.
Social validation allows individuals to justify their attitudes
and values while social comparison helps individuals
evaluate their own actions by comparing themselves to
others. Reference groups have a strong influence on
members’ behavior. Such groups are formed voluntarily.
Family, friends, and religious affiliations are strong
reference groups for most individuals.
 VI. GROUP ROLES

 In formal groups, roles are always predetermined and assigned to members. Each
role shall have specific responsibilities and duties. There are, however, emergent
roles that develop naturally to meet the needs of the groups. These emergent roles
will often substitute the assigned roles as individuals begin to express themselves
and become more assertive. Group roles can then be classified into work roles,
maintenance roles, and blocking roles.
 Work roles are task-oriented activities that involve accomplishing the group’s
goals. They involve a variety of specific roles such as initiator, informer, clarifier,
summarizer, and reality tester.
 Maintenance roles are social-emotional activities that help members maintain their
involvement in the group and raise their personal commitment to the group. The
maintenance roles are harmonizer, gatekeeper, consensus tester, encourager, and
compromiser.
 Blocking roles are activities that disrupt the group. Blockers will stubbornly resist
the group’s ideas, disagree with group members for personal reasons, and will have
hidden agendas. They may take the form of dominating discussions, verbally
attacking other group members, and distracting the group with trivial information
or unnecessary humor. Often times the blocking behavior may not be intended as
negative. Sometimes a member may share a joke in order to break the tension, or
may question a decision in order to force group members to rethink the issue. The
blocking roles are aggressor, blocker, dominator, comedian, and avoidance
behavior.
 Role conflicts arise when there is ambiguity (confusion about delegation and no
specific job descriptions) between the sent role and the received role which leads
to frustration and dissatisfaction, ultimately leading to turnover; inconsistency
between the perceived role and role behavior (conflict between work roles and
family roles); and conflicting demands from different sources while performing the
task.

VII. TURNING GROUPS INTO EFFECTIVE TEAMS

 All teams are groups but not all groups are teams. Teams often are difficult to form
because it takes time for members to learn how to work together. People in every
workplace talk about building the team, working as a team, and my team, but few
understand how to create the experience of team work or how to develop an effective
team. Belonging to a team, in the broadest sense, is a result of feeling part of something
larger than oneself. It has a lot to do with your understanding of the mission or
objectives of your organization.
 In a team-oriented environment, one contributes to the overall success of the
organization. One works with fellow members of the organization to produce these
results. Even though you have a specific job function and you belong to a specific
department, you are unified with other organization members to accomplish the overall
objectives. The bigger picture drives your actions; your function exists to serve the
bigger picture.
 It is on record that teams are better than groups, because they are more flexible and
responsive to dynamic environment. A work group has no opportunity to involve in
collective works.
  It is the work team whose members ‘work intensely on a specific, common goal using
their positive synergy, individual and mutual accountability, and complementary
skills’.
 Team-building helps to increase intra-group and inter-group effectiveness to bring
members together, make them share their perception of each other and understand each
other’s point of view.
 Thus, resolve problems and work together in a cooperative and collaborative mode.
Teams can be of four types – problem-solving teams (only making suggestion), self-
managed, teams (operate without a manager), cross-functional teams (a group of
experts from different specialties), and virtual team (members collaborate online). In
terms of size, teams may be institutional (comprising of hundreds of members) and
operational (a small, cooperative group, in regular contact and contributes responsibly
to achieve task at hand).

VIII. EIGHT Cs FOR TEAM BUILDING

To show business results and profitability, ways are explored by the executives to improve their
productivity. Successful team building, that creates effective, focused work teams, requires
attention to each of the following:

 Clear Expectations
o The managers must clearly tell the team members of the expected performance and
the team members must understand the reason for its creation. For it the
organization must support the team with resources of people, time and money.
 Commitment
o Team members must participate in the team, feel that the team mission is important,
and show commitment to accomplishing the team mission and expected outcomes.
Commitment will come if team members perceive their service as valuable to the
organization and to their own careers.
 Competence
o Team members must have the knowledge, skill and capabilities, the resources,
strategies and support needed to accomplish its mission to address the issues for
which the team was formed.
 Control
o The team must have not only enough freedom and empowerment to feel the
ownership necessary to accomplish its charter, but also the accountability. There
has to be a defined review process.
 Collaboration
o The team should understand group processes and work effectively and
cooperatively with other members of the team. For it they have to understand the
roles and responsibilities of team members, team leaders, and team recorders.
 Communication
o To make team members clear about the priority of their tasks, and receive regular
feedback, team members must clearly and honestly with each other. Diverse
opinions be welcome and conflicts be taken up positively.
 Creativity
o The team should value creative thinking, unique solutions, and new ideas; and
reward members who take reasonable risks to make improvements. If necessary, it
should provide the training, education, access to books and films, and field trips to
stimulate new thinking.
 o The creative development of new products, new technologies, new services, or new
organizational structures is possible because teams may have variety of skills
needed for successful innovation.
o Team members can uncover each other’s flaws and balance each other’s strengths
and weaknesses. Managers should empower the team and make it accountable for
the innovation process.
 Coordination
o Teams should understand the concept of internal customer to whom they provide a
product or a service. Team efforts need to be coordinated by a central leadership
team that assists the groups to obtain what they need for success.