FOUNDATIONS OF GROUP BEHAVIOUR

Definition of Group
A group is defined as two or more individuals, interacting and interdependent, who have come
together to achieve particular objectives

Classification of groups

Groups can be either Formal or Informal.

1. Formal Groups: A designated work group defined by the organization's structure. A formal
group is set up by the organization to carry out work in support of the organization's goals. In
formal groups, the behaviours that one should engage in are stipulated by - and directed toward -
organizational goals. Examples include a book-keeping department, an executive committee, and
a product development team. Formal groups may be command groups or task groups.

i) Command Group: A command group consists of a manager and the employees who report to
him or her. Thus, it is defined in terms of the organization's hierarchy. Membership in the group
arises from each employee's position on the organizational chart.

ii) Task Group: A task group is made up of employees who work together to complete a
particular task or project. A task group's boundaries are not limited to its immediate hierarchical
superior. It can cross command relationships. An employee's membership in the group arises
from the responsibilities delegated to the employee -that is, the employee's responsibility to carry
out particular activities. Task group may be temporary with an established life span, or they may
be open ended.

iii) Committee: A group of people officially delegated to perform a function, such as

investigating, considering, reporting, or acting on a matter. Committee, one or more persons
appointed or elected to consider report on, or take action on a particular matter. It investigates
analyses and debates the problem and makes recommendation. Committee usually has their own
committee member comprising of advisory authority, secretary and others. Recommendation is
sent to the authority that is responsible for implementing them.

Characteristics of Formal groups

 Explicitly stated defined structure, procedural rules and membership

 Created to carry out some specific task or to meet a required goal
 Relatively permanent or temporary (e.g. steering group or problem solving group)
 Defined roles and designated work assignments
 Well Defined norms
 Specified goals and deadlines
2. Informal Groups: An organization's informal groups are the groups that evolve to meet social
or affiliation needs by bringing people together based on shared interests or friendship. Thus,
informal groups are alliances that are neither formally structured nor organizationally
determined. These groups are natural formations in the work environment that appear in response
to the need for social contact. Many factors explain why people are attracted to one another. One
explanation is simply proximity; when people work near one another every day, they are likely to
form friendships. That likelihood is even greater when people also share similar attitudes,
personalities, or economic status.

i) Friendship Groups: Groups often develop because the individual members have one or more
common characteristics. We call these formations 'friendship groups'. Social alliances, which
frequently extend outside the work situation, can be based on similar age, same political view,
attended the same college, etc.

ii) Interest Groups: People who may or may not be aligned into common command or task
groups may affiliate to attain a specific objective with which each is concerned. This is an
interest group.

iii) Reference Groups: Sometimes, people use a group as a basis for comparison in making
decisions or forming opinions. When a group is used in this way, it is a reference group.
Employees have reference groups inside or outside the organization where they work. For most
people, the family is the most important reference groups. Other important reference groups
typically include co-workers, friends, and members of the person's religious organization. The
employee need not admire a group for it to serve as a reference group. Some reference groups
serve as a negative reference; the employee tries to be unlike members of these groups.

iv) Membership Groups: When a person does belong to a group (formal and informal groups to
which employees actually belong) the group is called a membership group (or affiliation group)
for that person. Members of a group have some collection of benefits and responsibilities that go
beyond the group serving as a reference point. In a membership group, each member would be
expected to contribute to the group's well being and would enjoy the benefits arising from the
group members' friendship.

v) Cliques: A relatively permanent informal groups that involves friendship. Most of the
relationships came down to two cliques, each with a hanger-on, and some isolates. The groups
included several different professions. They developed ideas about each other. Clique
membership acted as a form of social control, forcing people to conform to group desires. The
groups established norms regarding output, treatment of supervisor, reciprocity and other
interpersonal relations. The cliques served as a system for sense making about organizational
events. They developed their own set of beliefs, explaining things to each other.
Stages of group development

Bruce Tuckman (1965) developed a 4-stage model of group development. He labeled the stages,
Dr Suess-style:

1. Forming: The group comes together and gets to initially know one other and form as a group.

2. Storming: A chaotic vying for leadership and trialing of group processes

3. Norming: Eventually agreement is reached on how the group operates (norming)

4. Performing: The group practices its craft and becomes effective in meeting its objectives.

Tuckman added a 5th stage 10 years later:

5. Adjourning: The process of "unforming" the group, that is, letting go of the group structure
and moving on.

Stage 1 -- Orientation (Forming):

Group members are learning what to do, how the group will operate, what’s expected, and
what’s acceptable. Students watch the facilitator and each other for cues and clues, and seek
guidelines and stated expectations. They want to feel safe and comfortable, and many will do
only limited sharing until that comfort zone is established.

Some students will be comfortable sharing openly even on the first day, either because they
enjoy this type of interaction, or because they already feel comfortable with the facilitator and/or
the other students in the group. As a facilitator, you can call on these students to give examples,
be the first to answer questions, and model positive interactions for the other group members.

As the group leader, you can also help your students move through orientation successfully by
providing clear guidelines, information, and structure, by listening with compassion and keeping
communication open and respectful. You may want to begin your group with some low risk
warm-up activities that help them get to know each other or get more comfortable in the group
setting.
 Fig. Stages of Group Development

Stage 2 -- Power Struggle (Storming):

A things progress, its normal for some power struggles to emerge. As students become more
comfortable, they may challenge each other or the facilitators, attempt to form cliques and
exclude or ignore certain students, and push limits. This can be frustrating for everyone involved,
but it helps to know it’s just a stage, and things tend to get much better once it’s past.

As a facilitator, one of your main challenges is to maintain boundaries, be an active but

compassionate leader, let everyone be heard and express thoughts and feelings, while teaching,
reminding, and requiring them to stay respectful and productive. You can acknowledge
differences, and still model creative problem solving, helping students to focus on what they
have in common, and building a more cohesive group.

Stage 3 – Cooperation and Integration (Norming):

This is where being in group becomes fun and enjoyable most of the time. Group interaction
becomes easier, more cooperative, and productive, with balanced give and take, open
communication, bonding, and mutual respect. If there is a conflict or disruption, it’s relatively
easily resolved and the group gets back on track. Group leadership is still important, but the
facilitator can step back a little and let group members initiate more and move forward together.

As a facilitator, you can stay aware and help the group get back on track as needed, encourage
participation and creativity, and enjoy the flow of the activities. Continue to give support and
encouragement, reinforce the positive feel of the group, and fine tune as needed.
Stage 4 – Synergy (Performing):

Not every group reaches this level, and if you spend most of a school year in Stage 3, it will still
be a productive and enjoyable group. Synergy emerges when the group shifts or evolves into
another level, often without realizing what’s happening. Here, there’s a sense of group unity,
group members looking out for each other even outside of the group setting, deepening
friendships or bonds, and a dynamic energy no matter what the task. This is the epitome of “The
whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

Stage 5 – Closure (Adjourning):

The closure stage of a group can be confusing and disconcerting if you don’t know it’s coming.
After weeks or months of a smoothly running group, as the end of group or the school year
approaches, things may start to fall apart for no apparent reason. Students may bicker with and
criticize each other, and anger may surface in unexpected ways.

This is a normal part of group process. Many students (and adults, for that matter) have no idea
how to deal with endings, goodbyes, or losses, and they don’t know how to find closure. Being
angry with each other, or in conflict, is easier for many students than feeling or addressing the
sadness of saying goodbye. It’s easier for most to be angry than to be vulnerable. Students who
have abandonment issues may become especially argumentative or unruly.

Group Decision Making

Because the performance of a group involves taking into account the needs and opinions of every
group member, being able to come to an equitable decision as efficiently as possible is important
for the functioning of the group. There are a variety of ways to make decisions as a group; the
seven-step decision-making model presented below offers an effective structure for choosing an
appropriate course of action for a particular task or project. It can also be an effective method for
dealing with a problem or interpersonal conflict that arises within the group.

1. Identify the decision to be made. Before beginning to gather information and list
alternatives, it is important for you as a group to understand clearly what you are trying to
decide so you have a goal on which to focus your discussions. Potential questions to ask
are: What are the particulars of the assigned task? What are we being asked to do? What
conflict is affecting our group effectiveness? What barrier to effective group work are we
facing?
2. Analyze the issue under discussion. Once you have defined your goal (i.e., the decision
to be made or the problem to be overcome), examine the data and resources that you
already have, and identify what additional information you may need. Ask yourselves:
What is causing the problem? For whom is this a problem? What is wrong with the
 current situation? Why do we need to deal with this issue/decision? Where else can we
find resources?
3. Establish criteria. Identify the criteria or conditions that would determine whether a
chosen solution is successful. Ideally, a solution will be feasible, move the group
forward, and meet the needs of every group member. You may want to rank the criteria in
order of importance (for example., circumstances may be such that some issues may not
be fully resolved). Consider these questions: What would make a solution/decision
successful? What issues need to be dealt with in the solution? What criteria will help us
determine whether everyone is happy with the solution/decision? Are some criteria more
necessary than others?
4. Brainstorm potential solutions. Using the resources and information collected above,
brainstorm for potential solutions to the problem or decision identified in step 1. This
involves collecting as many ideas as possible. At this stage, ideas should not be criticized
or evaluated. Some questions to ask include: What are some possible solutions that would
meet most of our established criteria? Are there any options that we may have
overlooked? What could we do in the absence of constraints?
5. Evaluate options and select the best one. Once you have a list of potential solutions,
you are now ready to evaluate them for the best alternative according to the criteria
identified in step 3. Remember that you may be able to combine ideas to create a
solution. Ideally, everyone would agree with solution (a consensus), but it's possible that
not everyone will. In this case, you will need to use a different decision making methods .
Additional questions to ask when evaluating alternatives are: What are the pros/cons for
each option? Which option is the most realistic to accomplish for now? Which option is
the most likely to solve the problem for the long-term?
6. Implement the solution. This involves identifying the resources necessary to implement
the decision, as well as the potential obstacles, then taking action. Decide: What should
be done? How? By whom? By when? In what order?
7. Monitor and evaluate the outcome. Based on the criteria identified in step 3, evaluate
whether the decision was successful. If not, revisit step 4 to evaluate the other options or
generate new ones.

Group Norms

All groups have norms—“acceptable standards of behavior that are shared by the group’s
members.” Norms tell members what they ought and ought not to do under certain circumstances

Status: Status is a socially defined position or rank given to groups or group members by others.
We live in a class-structured society despite all attempts to make it more egalitarian

Group Size: The size of a group affects the group’s overall behavior, but the effect depends on
the dependent variables
Social loafing: It is the tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working collectively
than when working individually.

Group Cohesiveness: The degree to which members are attracted to each other and are
motivated to stay in the group

Understanding Work teams

Definitions

A team is a work group that must rely on collaboration if each member is to experience the
optimum success and achievement.

"A team is a small number of people with complementary skills .who are committed to a
common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they are mutually accountable”.

Team leaders place considerable emphasis on team building and then evaluate their own
performance on the basis.

Role of Team Leader

 Give feedback & resolve conflict

 Help to keep team focused on the mission despite personality conflict, work style
difference and blockages by interpersonal conflict
 Build trust and inspire teamwork
 Coach team members and group members toward higher levels of performance
 Facilitate and support the team decisions
 Expand the teams capabilities
 Create a team identity Anticipate & influence change
 Inspire the team toward higher levels of performance
 Enable & empower group members to accomplish their work
 Encourage team members to eliminate low-value work.

Types of Teams

1. Process Team
2. Self Managed Team
3. Cross Departmental Team Or Cross Functional Team
4. Quality Improvement Teams Or Quality Circles
5. Virtual Team

Process team: When organization do not have departmental affiliation but function immediately
to undertake broad organization level process improvement.
Self Managed Team: It is a formal mature group of employees who work without supervisory
personnel and responsible for a complete work package It is process team of employees. These
are capable of producing result. They select their own team and evaluate performance It require a
total change in organizational structure.

Cross Departmental Or Functional Team: Cross functional team are basically to study,
analyze, and offer solution that they are required to implement. Here it cannot divert the
responsibility on others. It manages social collaboration and concept creation. It is a small group
of interdependent employees from various functional areas of organization. It is formed to handle
a specific problem such team becomes essential when the organization.

o Struggle with a problem that impacts many section of the organization

o Need to improve the operation or system of process, demanding close
coordination from more than one section or department.
o Reveals that multi skilled person cannot take up the work
o It require simultaneous application of multifarious skills, expertise, and judgment
of person from different section (crossing the boundaries) to accomplish the goal.

Problem solving team: It is also called quality improvement team or quality circle or simply
works team. It consists of eight to ten members from a common work area. It has a clear and
specific focus on process improvement within a single work unit. Organization can establish
such team without making major organizational change.

Virtual team: A virtual team allows the member to meet without concern for space or time and
enables organization to link the workforce together which could not have been done in past. This
type of team members are advance in technology, achieve business goal, solve day to day
problem, provide feedback, keep all member aware, share success, encourage achievement and
so forth. Geographic dispersion never appears as a roadblock.

Effective team

 An effective team has certain characteristics that allow the team members to function
more efficiently and productively.
 They develop ways to share leadership roles and ways to share accountability for their
work products, shifting the emphasis from the individual to several individuals within the
team.
 Building and maintaining effective teams is a time consuming and sensitive process
particularly in businesses where the pressures of the moment are often intense.
 Most attempts at team building don't work well, simply because managers and staff fail to
appreciate the effort that has to be invested in time and attention to detail.
There is little doubt, however, that when done well teamwork contributes considerably to greatly
improved productivity and reduced cost.

Characteristics of an Effective Team

 Effective teams operate in an environment in which there is two way trust in an

environment of open and honest communication
 Feedback on "performance" should be two-way and constant. •It should provide
information to all members of the team on how their work supports the specific and
overall effort of the team and the practice.
 Listening is a feature of that communication.
 Teams accept responsibility and not "blame" one another for team mistakes, nor should
they spend useless time in personal justifications.
 They celebrate their successes together, just as they identify the special performances and
contributions of each individual.
 Good team work is based on prideful humility: pride in the outcomes of the team and a
humility that assumes that other team members may well have a level of expertise that
can add value to the outcome.
 Good teams look upon first time mistakes as opportunities for learning, rather than
criticism and punishment. They are, however, tough on repetitive errors, just as they
encourage appropriate risk and innovation.
 Good teams honor the contribution that each member makes to the total work of the team