Foundations of Group Behavior

By: Dr. Urvashi Sharma

Groups
Two or more individuals, interacting and interdependent, who come together to achieve particular objectives

Groups exist in every organization and they affect the behavior of their members. They not only affect the behavior of their members rather they have impact on other groups and the organization as a whole. Such groups are created by the organization as well as by organization members for their own satisfaction.

GROUP DYNAMICS

A branch of social psychology which studies problems involving the structure of a group.
The interactions that influence the attitudes and behaviour of people when they are grouped with others through either choice or accidental circumstances.

Group is basically a collectivity of two or more persons. Dynamics comes from Greek word meaning force. Group dynamics refers to the interaction of forces between group members in a social situation. The social process by which people interact face to face in small groups is called group dynamics

DEFINITION of Group
A group may be defined as a number of individuals who join together to achieve a goal. People join groups to achieve goals that cannot be achieved by them alone. Johnson & Johnson (2006) A collection of people who interact with one another, accept rights and obligations as members and who share a common identity.

CRITERIA/FEATURES FOR A GROUP

2 or more persons: No specific limit on the maximum nmber of persons in a group but the si\e of the group will be determined by rules and regulations of the organisation in this context, or meaningful interaction among the members in the case of informal groups.

 Collective Identity: He should be award of his membership. Each member of group must believe that he is a member of, is a participant in, some specific group. Interaction: Each member shares his ideas with each others though communication and it may be face-toface, in writing, over phone or across a computer network etc. It may be regular or occasionally.

 Shared Goal Interest: Members of the group should subscribe to the attainment of some common objectives. If a group has a variety of objectives or interests, each member of the group must share at least one of the groups concerns.

TYPE OF GROUPS
Formal groups: refers to those which are established under the legal or formal authority with the view to achieve a particular end results. Eg: trade unions. Informal groups: refers to aggregate of personal contact and interaction and network of relationship among individual. Eg: friendship group.

TYPE OF GROUPS
Primary groups: are characterized by small size, face to face interaction and intimacy among members of group. Eg: family, neighbourhood group. Secondary groups: characterized by large size, individual identification with the values and beliefs prevailing in them rather than cultural interaction. Eg: occupational association and ethnic group. Not interested in problems and pleasures of members as its more formal

TYPE OF GROUPS
Task groups: are composed of people who work together to perform a task but involve cross-command relationship. Eg: for finding out who was responsible for causing wrong medication order would require liaison between ward in charge, senior sister and head nurse.

Command groups: formed by subordinates reporting directly to the particular manager are determined by formal organizational chart.

TYPE OF GROUPS
Reference groups: one in which they would like to belong. The attractiveness of the reference group makes the norms of that group more attractive to the individual who aspires to it and its nors will become more influential in determining behaviour. Membership groups: those where the individual actually belongs.

TYPE OF GROUPS
Functional groups: the individuals work together daily on similar tasks. Problem solving groups: it focuses on specific issues in their areas of responsibility, develops potential solution and often empowered to take action.

 In-groups: Clustering of individuals holding prevailing values in a society or, at least, having a dominant place in social functioning. Out-groups: conglomerate looked up as subordinate or marginal in the society, usually referred to as the minority group.

OBJECTIVES OF GROUP DYNAMICS

To identify and analyze the social processes that impact on group development and performance. To acquire the skills necessary to intervene and improve individual and group performance in an organizational context. To build more successful organizations by applying techniques that provides positive impact on goal achievement.

PRINCIPLES OF GROUP DYNAMICS

The members of the group must have a strong sense of belonging to the group. Changes in one part of the group may produce stress in other person, which can be reduced only by eliminating or allowing the change by bringing about readjustment in the related parts The group arises and functions owing to common motives.

PRINCIPLES OF GROUP DYNAMICS

Groups survive by placing the members into functional hierarchy and facilitating the action towards the goals The intergroup relations, group organization and member participation is essential for effectiveness of a group. Information relating to needs for change plans for change and consequences of changes must be shared by members of a group.

Types of Groups
Groups can be either formal or informal. 1-Formal defined by the organizations structure. command and task groups 2-Informal neither formally structured nor organizationally determined. interest and friendship groups Informal groups provide a very important function by satisfying their members social needs.

Formal Groups
These are created and maintained to fulfill specific needs or tasks which are related to the total organizational mission. These are consciously and deliberately created. Such groups may be either permanent in the form of top management team such as board of directors or management committees in the various departments of the organization. When such objectives are fulfilled they disappear.

Characteristics of formal groups

Organization structure is designed by the top management to fulfill certain requirements. Based on the principles of division of labor and efficiency in operations. Organization concentrates more on the performance of jobs and not on the individuals performing the jobs. The authority and responsibility assigned to each job have to be adhered to by the job holders with specified procedures and rules.

Characteristics of informal groups

It is a natural outcome at the workplace. It is designed and planned. Informal organization is created on the basis of some similarity among its members. Basis of similarity may be age, sex, place of origin, caste, religion, personality etc. Membership is voluntary and one person may become member of may groups at the same time. Behavior of members is coordinated and controlled by group norms and not by the norms of formal organization.

Differentiation of formal and informal organizations/groups.

Origin: Created deliberately operation of socio-psychological forces at the workplace with certain liking and disliking. Purpose: Created for achieving the legitimate objectives of the organisation For their social and psychological satisfaction Size: large in size Small as to maintain the group cohesiveness

 Nature of Groups: More stable and continue for a long period. Unstable and functioning depend upon value systems, other personality features of the members concerned . Number of Groups: Divided in so many groups and subgroups Large number of informal groups may be found in organization. Authority: Derive authority through the formal source, through the process of delegation and re delegation. All are equal and some may command authority by virtue of their personal qualities.

 Behavior of Members: Governed by formal rules and regulations. Behavior of members is governed by norms, beliefs, and values. Communication: it is passed through formal channel. Can be in any form. Abolition: Can be abolished at any time. Difficult to abolish by organizational process. No control of management as its made by the natural desire of human beings.

Problem due to Informal Organisation

Resistance to Change: Dynamic organizations want change but a group develops responses to return to its perceived best way of life whenever change occurs. They often resist change. Role conflict: As they try to meet the social needs of their members, there is a natural tendency to produce role conflict. It can be avoided by carefully cultivating mutual interests.

 Rumour: It is a specific proposition for belief, passed from person to person, usually by words of mouth, without secured standards of evidence being present. Mostly it carry false information and also have ambiguity. Conformity: The conformity to informal group implies that members become subject to willful control of an informal leader who may manipulate the group towards selfish or undesirable ends.

Four Types of Groups

Subclassify groups into command, task, interest, or friendship categories. a)Command determined by the organization chart b)Task working together to complete a job task c)Interest affiliate to attain a specific objective of shared interest d)Friendship members have one or more common characteristics

Why People Join Groups

Reason Security Status Self-esteem Affiliation Power Benefits Reduce the insecurity of standing alone; feel stronger, fewer self-doubts, and more resistant to threats Inclusion in a group viewed by outsiders as important; provides recognition and status Provides feelings of self-worth to group members, in addition to conveying status to outsiders Fulfills social needs. Enjoys regular interaction; can be primary source for fulfilling need for affiliation What cannot be achieved individually often becomes possible; power in numbers

Some tasks require more than one person; need to pool talents, knowledge, or power to complete the Goal achievement job. In such instances, management may rely on the use of a formal group

Basic Group Concepts

Roles Norms Status Cohesiveness Size Composition

Roles
To engage in a set of expected behavior patterns that are attributed to occupying a given position in a social unit

Roles
Psychological contract Unwritten agreement that exists between employees and their employer Sets out mutual expectations

Roles
Role research conclusions: People play multiple roles. People learn roles from the stimuli around them: friends, books, movies, television. People have the ability to shift roles rapidly when they recognize that the situation and its demands clearly require major changes. People often experience role conflict when compliance with one role requirement is at odds with another.

Norms
Acceptable standards of behavior within a group that are adopted and shared by the groups members

The Hawthorne Studies

Series of studies at Western Electric Companys Hawthorne Works, Chicago Concluded that a workers behavior and sentiments were closely related Group influences were significant in affecting individual behavior. Group standards were highly effective in establishing individual worker output. Money was less a factor in determining worker output than were group standards, sentiments, and security.

The Hawthorne Studies

The Hawthorne researchers began by examining the relation between the physical environment and productivity. Illumination and other aspects of working conditions were manipulated. Initial findings contradicted anticipated results. Results varied but in no case were the increase or decrease in output in proportion to the increase or decrease in illumination. Researchers introduced a control group. An experimental group was presented with varying intensity of illumination, while the controlled unit worked under a constant illumination intensity. The Hawthorne researchers concluded that illumination intensity was only a minor influence among the many influences on an employees productivity

The Hawthorne Studies

A second set of experiments was performed in the relay assembly test room at Western Electric. A small group of women was isolated from the main work group so that their behavior could be more carefully observed. Observations over a multiyear period found that this small groups output increased steadily. What became evident was that this groups performance was significantly influenced by its status of being a special group.

The Hawthorne Studies

A third study in the bank wiring observation room was introduced to ascertain the effect of a sophisticated wage incentive plan. The assumption was that individual workers would maximize their productivity when they saw that it was directly related to economic rewards. The most important finding of this study was that employees did not individually maximize their outputs. Members were afraid that if they significantly increased their output the unit incentive rate would be cut, the expected daily output would be increased, layoffs might occur The group established its idea of a fair output neither too much nor too little.

 Status - a socially defined position or rank given to groups or group members by others

Cohesiveness
The degree to which members of the group are attracted to each other and motivated to stay in the group
Related to the groups productivity

Relationship of Cohesiveness to Productivity

Cohesiveness
High Low

High

Strong increase in productivity

Moderate increase in productivity

Low

Decrease in productivity

No significant effect on productivity

How Can Managers Encourage Cohesiveness?

Make the group smaller Encourage agreement on group goals Increase the time spent together Increase the status and perceived difficulty of group membership Stimulate competition with other groups Give rewards to the group rather than members Physically isolate the group

How Size Affects a Group

Smaller groups are faster at completing tasks Large groups are consistently better at problem solving Increases in group size are inversely related to individual performance

 Social loafing tendency to expend less effort in a group than as an individual

Composition
When a group is diverse, there is an increased probability that it will possess the needed characteristics to complete its tasks effectively. Diversity promotes conflict, which stimulates creativity, which leads to improved decision making

Individual versus Group Decision Making

Individual
More efficient Speed No meetings No discussions Clear accountability Consistent values

Group
More effective More information and knowledge Diversity of views Higher-quality decisions Increased acceptance

Symptoms of Groupthink
Group members rationalize any resistance to their assumptions Members pressure any doubters to support the alternative favored by the majority Doubters keep silent about misgivings and minimize their importance Group interprets members silence as a yes vote for the majority