ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOR

TOPIC
GROUP DYNAMICS

SUBMITTED BY
Mr. Vinod Kumar P

ROLL.NO
2018MBA037

SUBMITTED TO
DR. Archana Thulaseedharan

DATE
24/01/2019

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF PLANTATION MANAGEMENT

JNANABHARATHI CAMPUS, MALLATHALLI
BANGALORE 560056
 GROUP DYNAMICS
A group is defined as a process of individuals who come together to achieve
a particular goal or task or goal. Group dynamics refers to the attitudinal
and behavioural characteristics of a group. Group dynamics concern
organizational characteristics of a group and organizational success
because it considers of various groups and a lot depends on how they
function. Group dynamics are pertinent.
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.
Group dynamics is relevant to groups of all kinds – both formal and
informal. If the UPA government has set up Group of Ministers for every
governance issue, the Supreme Court of India has 27 Group of Judges
committees overseeing all manner of non-judicial work in the apex court.
In an organizational setting, the term groups are a very common and the
study of groups and group dynamics is an important area of study.
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.
Characteristics 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).
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:
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:
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:
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.

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:
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.

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:
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.

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.
The readers must note that the four stages of group development mentioned above for

permanent groups are merely suggestive. In reality, several stages may go on

simultaneously.

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.

1. 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.

2. Task Groups:
Task groups consist of people who work together to achieve a common task. Members

are brought together to accomplish a narrow range of goals within a specified time

period. Task groups are also commonly referred to as task forces. The organization

appoints members and assigns the goals and tasks to be accomplished.

Examples of assigned tasks are the development of a new product, the improvement of a

production process, or designing the syllabus under semester system.

Other common task groups are ad hoc committees, project groups, and standing

committees. Ad hoc committees are temporary groups created to resolve a specific

complaint or develop a process are normally disbanded after the group completes the

assigned task.

3. 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.

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.

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.

i. 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.

ii. 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. For example, a group of

employees who form a friendship group may have a yoga group, a Rajasthani

association in Delhi, or a kitty party lunch once a month.

iii. 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.

Factors Affecting Group Behaviour:

The success or failure of a group depends upon so many factors. Group member

resources, structure (group size, group roles, group norms, and group cohesiveness),

group processes (the communication, group decision making processes, power

dynamics, conflicting interactions, etc.) and group tasks (complexity and

interdependence).

1. Group Member Resources:

The members’ knowledge, abilities, skills; and personality characteristics (sociability,

self- reliance, and independence) are the resources the group members bring in with

them. The success depends upon these resources as useful to the task.

2. Group Structure:
Group Size:
Group size can vary from 2 people to a very large number of people. Small groups of

two to ten are thought to be more effective because each member has ample opportunity

to take part and engage actively in the group. Large groups may waste time by deciding

on processes and trying to decide who should participate next.

Evidence supports the notion that as the size of the group increases, satisfaction

increases up to a certain point. Increasing the size of a group beyond 10-12 members’

results in decreased satisfaction. It is increasingly difficult for members of large groups

to identify with one another and experience cohesion.

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
humour.

Often times the blocking behaviour 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 behaviour.

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 behaviour (conflict between work roles and family roles); and conflicting

demands from different sources while performing the task.

Group Norms:
Norms define the acceptable standard or boundaries of acceptable and unacceptable

behaviour, shared by group members. They are typically created in order to facilitate

group survival, make behaviour more predictable, avoid embarrassing situations, and

express the values of the group.

Each group will create its own norms that might determine from the work performance

to dress to making comments in a meeting. Groups exert pressure on members to force

them to conform to the group’s standards and at times not to perform at higher levels.

The norms often reflect the level of commitment, motivation, and performance of the

group.

The majority of the group must agree that the norms are appropriate in order for the

behaviour to be accepted. There must also be a shared understanding that the group

supports the norms. It should be noted, however, that members might violate group

norms from time to time.

If the majority of members do not adhere to the norms, then they will eventually change

and will no longer serve as a standard for evaluating behaviour. Group members who

do not conform to the norms will be punished by being excluded, ignored, or asked to

leave the group.

Group Cohesiveness:
Cohesiveness refers to the bonding of group members or unity, feelings of attraction for

each other and desire to remain part of the group. Many factors influence the amount

of group cohesiveness – agreement on group goals, frequency of interaction, personal

attractiveness, inter-group competition, favourable evaluation, etc.

The more difficult it is to obtain group membership the more cohesive the group will be.

Groups also tend to become cohesive when they are in intense competition with other

groups or face a serious external threat to survival. Smaller groups and those who

spend considerable time together also tend to be more cohesive.

Cohesiveness in work groups has many positive effects, including worker satisfaction,

low turnover and absenteeism, and higher productivity. However, highly cohesive

groups may be detrimental to organizational performance if their goals are misaligned

with organizational goals.

Highly cohesive groups may also be more vulnerable to groupthink. Groupthink occurs

when members of a group exert pressure on each other to come to a consensus in

decision making. Groupthink results in careless judgments, unrealistic appraisals of

alternative courses of action, and a lack of reality testing.

Evidence suggests that groups typically outperform individuals when the tasks involved

require a variety of skills, experience, and decision making. Groups are often more

flexible and can quickly assemble, achieve goals, and disband or move on to another set

of objectives.

Many organizations have found that groups have many motivational aspects as well.

Group members are more likely to participate in decision-making and problem-solving

activities leading to empowerment and increased productivity. Groups complete most of

the work in an organization; thus, the effectiveness of the organization is limited by the

effectiveness of its groups.

3. Group Processes:
Decision-making by a group is superior, because group generates more information and

knowledge, generates diverse alternatives, increases acceptance of a solution, and

increases legitimacy. But it is also true, that decision making is like ‘munde munde

matirbhinna’.

Decisions take longer time, minority is dominated, pressure is applied to conform to

group decisions, and none is responsible for the decisions. Group processes also include

communication, conflict management, and leadership that we shall discuss in details in

the chapters to follow hereafter.

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 specialities), 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).