In a day to day setting the formation of groups is one of the most common practices in a social
setting. Man is termed as a social being thus continues interaction with others around him mostly
through the formation of groups. A group can be termed as consisting of two or more individuals
who influence one another through social interaction. In order to better understand what leads to
the formation of these groups, how these groups run and how the relationships are formed and
maintained within the group versus the effect they have on an individual, researchers choose to
study group dynamics so as to get more insight. The term group dynamics was coined to describe
the way groups and individuals act and react to changing circumstances. (Kurt Lewin).
Types of groups in organisation:
Formal Group:
A formal group is a group that is created in order to accomplish some level of productivity and is
headed by a leader. It is a designated work group defined by the organization’s structure, vision
and objectives. The aim of these groups are: to generate new ideas, to perform complex interrelated
tasks for the organization and come up with solutions for certain issues emanating in the work
environment. Some examples of formal groups that are established include:
Command group: this is a formal group which is determined by the
organizational structure it’s mainly formed by mangers and
their subordinates who meet often to try and determine how
to achieve the organizational goals.
Task group: this is a formal group created to achieve a specific task
Committees: handles problems outside of regular assignments and often
times is adjourned when the task is resolved.
Informal group:
An informal group is a group formed by people seeking friendship and it usually has no officially
appointed leader, although a leader may emerge from the membership it is neither formally
structured nor organizationally determined. It usually appears in response to the need for social
contact within the work place. Some examples of informal groups are:
Social groups: people who enjoy each other’s company (chat groups). These groups
are commonly seen during break periods and free time when certain individuals in the
work place come together to pass time and have fun.
Interest groups: groups that develop informally around a common interest (news
groups). In the work place you will often find individuals interested in sports will be
found hanging around each other discussing sports while those interested in money
markets will also be on their own. This is because the individuals in this groups are
brought together through the common interest that they have thus pulling them
together.
INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP BEHAVIOUR
Individual behaviour differs from the behaviour of the same person when participated in groups.
This is due to, the biological explanation behind why people behave differently when they are in
a group as opposed to being on our own is that the limbic system in the brain, which is involved
with emotional activity, dominates the person's actions and thinking, and therefore suppresses the
neo-cortex, or the logical thinking part of the brain when a person joins a crowd. Therefore, the
person acts irrationally because he or she is under "emotional pressure.
Individual traits that may influence organizational behaviour on either a small or large scale
include individual attitudes, values, personality, ethics, and cultural differences. Individuals with
higher status within the organization, even at the lowest levels may make a difference particularly
in the performance of individual teams within the organization. These individuals most times pull
the crowds and usually have a bigger say in terms of group running thus controlling the
productivity of other members of staff. One of the biggest determining factors of organizational
behaviour is values and ethics of the individuals involved in the organization. The values and ethics
of the individual are in many ways similar in regard to the effect they have on the organization.
Group behaviour emanates from the causes that contribute to the group’s effectiveness. The well-
structured, well defined role and status hierarchy, able leadership, well developed norms and
strong cohesiveness a group has, the greater is the groupthink thus ensuring complete synergy and
harmony within the group.
Group cohesion
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