Tuckman Stages of
Group Development
By: Aliska
Muna
Sagun and Sapan
KEY POINTS:
Introduction
Five Stages of Group Development
Criticism
Literature Review
Nepalese Context Examples
Introduction
Challenge Transforming a team of diverse
individuals
into a productive, highfunctioning team.
Agreeable points:
Predictable stages
Leaders and group members who are aware
of these stages can improve the quality of
their teams interactions during each stage
Bruce Wayne Tuckman
Born : 1938 New York
Field: Educational Psychology
Group Dynamics
Published the model in 1965 with 4
stages and added 5th one in 1977.
Development of Model
He researched small groups and
organizational behavior.
Analysis of Interpersonal and Task functions of
groups were conducted.
Forming
Adjournin
g
Performin
g
Group
Developme
nt
Stormin
g
Norming
Stages:
Stage I : FORMING
Key Issue: Inclusion
Who are these people?
Do I want to be the part of this team?
Will I be accepted as a member?
Who is the leader?
What is expected out of me?
Behaviors
Tasks
Unclear purpose &
Build common
goals
Low level of
communication
Cautious members,
do not initiate
Low level of
commitment
purpose
Understand personal
interest &
expectations
Assess resources
Leader provides
direction
Outcome: Commitment
Acceptance
Stage II : STORMING
Key issue : Control
How will I validate my opinion?
How much control will I have?
Who do I support and who supports me?
How much influence do I have?
Whats wrong with our roles and goals?
Behaviors
Tasks
Differences and
Involve everyone on
confusion arises
discussion
Conflict over direction Seek further clarity
and control
and make
High level of energy
adjustments with
Competition
resources
Two way
communication
Define norms
Problem solving jointly
Outcome: Clarification
Belonging
Stage III : NORMING
Key issue: Cohesion
What kind of relationships can we develop?
Will we be successful as a team?
What is my relationship to the team leader?
Are there established channels for giving and
receiving feedback?
Behaviors
Tasks
Gains confidence and
Develop process for
trust
What, how, who and
when become clarified
Agreements on goals,
approach & leadership
roles
Builds relationships with
externals and relate
interdependently
information sharing,
feedback, etc.
Leader create
opportunity for others
to lead
Work toward
consensus on
overarching issues
Outcome: Involvement
Support
Stage IV : PERFORMING
Team members are able to:
Define tasks
Manage conflicts
Accomplish missions
Make decisions
Solve problems
Exhibit high productivity
Behaviors
Tasks
Full responsibility of tasks
Continuously seek to
and relationships.
Team achieves effective
and satisfying results.
Team facilitates itself
improve tasks and
relationships.
Celebrate successes
reward and recognize
easily through the various
both team and
stages.
individuals wins.
Differences appreciated
Continuously test for
and used to enhance the
better methods and
team's performance
approaches.
High commitment to
Outcome: Achievement
Pride
Stage V : ADJOURNING
Characterized by:
Task completion
Good feeling about achievements
Recognition
Sadness or sense of loss (mourning stage)
Behaviors
Tasks
Ments
Discuss achievements
Self evaluation
Acknowledge change
and shortcomings
Recognize individual and
team effort
Celebrate the groups
accomplishments
Conduct closure
ceremony
Outcome: Recognition
Satisfaction
Criticism
Literature review did not represent a
representative sample of settings.
Even Tuckman (1965) himself scrutinized his
original work, saying it was limited due to a lack
of quantitative research rigour to his
observations, and a concern with the description
and control of independent variables.
Lacks a complete explanation of how groups
change over time - Rickards and Moger (2000)
High degree ofconsistency and similarity in the
description of the stages - Miller (2003)
Literature Review
Napier & Gershenfeld,
1999: LAIG Model
Latent Phase: Group is keen to agree the
purpose,
methods, expectations and
obligations.
Adaptation: Generation of essential facts for
completing their task and allocating roles.
Integration: Traces of compromising and
greater level of flexibility.
Goal Attainment: Group is focused on
completing and achieving the goal.
May not be linear process and may show
cyclical pattern of behavior
Gersick, 1990: Punctuated
Equilibrium Model
No universal sequence of activities in the
groups nor was progress steady and gradual.
Group was quick to establish their norms
without discussion and quickly settled into the
task.
Half way through, the group adopted
significant change.
The midpoint of their task was the start of a
major jump in progress when the students
became concerned about the deadline and their
progress so far.
Following this shift in approach, the groups again
settled into another productive phase of working
together, followed by a sudden increase of
energy to complete their task.
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