FOUNDATIONS OF INTERPERSONAL AND GROUP BEHAVIOR
THE INTERPERSONAL NATURE OF ORGANIZATION
Interpersonal Dynamics
o Personal and Positive
- this occurs when the two parties know each other, have mutual respect and affection,
and enjoy interacting with one another.
o Personal but Negative
- this is most likely when the parties dislike one another, do not have mutual respect,
and do not enjoy interacting with one another.
Outcomes of Interpersonal Behaviors
o Interpersonal relations in organizations can be a primary source of need
satisfaction for many people. For people with a strong need for affiliation, high
quality interpersonal relations can be an important positive element in the workplace.
o Interpersonal relations also serve as a solid basis for social support.
o Good interpersonal relations throughout an organization can also be a source
of synergy. People who support one another and who work well together can
accomplish much more than people who do not support one another and who do not
work well together.
o Conflict — people may leave an interpersonal exchange feeling angry or hostile.
Understanding how and why people interact with one another is a complex process —
whether the interaction occurs in a sports team, a work group, or a school committee.
This is especially true when those individuals are members of the same group.
THE NATURE OF GROUPS
GROUP - two or more persons who interact with one another such that each person
influences and is influenced by each other person.
Types of Groups
o Formal Groups – established by the organization to do its work
Command Group - A relatively permanent and is characterized by functional
reporting relationships such as having both a group manager and those who
report to the manager.
Task Group - A relatively temporary group created to perform a specific task,
such as solving a particular quality problem
Affinity Group - A relatively permanent collections of employees from the
same level in the organization who meet on a regular basis to share
information, capture emerging opportunities, and solve problems.
o Informal Groups – formed by their members
Friendship Groups - Arise out of the cordial relationships among
members and enjoyment they get from being together.
Interest Groups - Organized around a common activity or interest,
although friendships may develop among members.
STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT
1. Mutual Acceptance
- the group forms and members get to know one another by sharing information
about themselves. They often test one another’s opinions by discussing
subjects that have little to do with the group, such as the weather, sports, or
recent events within the organization. Some aspects of the group’s task, such
as its formal objectives, may also be discussed at this stage.
2. Communication and Decision Making
- members discuss their feelings and opinions more openly; they may show more
tolerance for opposing viewpoints and explore different ideas to bring about a
reasonable solution or decision. The membership usually begins to develop
norms of behavior during this stage. Members discuss and eventually agree on
the group’s goals. Then they are assigned roles and tasks to accomplish the
goals.
3. Motivation and Productivity
- members perform their assigned tasks, cooperate with each other, and help
others accomplish their goals. The members are highly motivated and may
carry out their tasks creatively. In this stage, the group is accomplishing its work
and moving toward the final stage of development.
4. Control and Organization
- the group works effectively toward accomplishing its goals. Tasks are assigned
by mutual agreement and according to ability. In a mature group, the members’
activities are relatively spontaneous and flexible rather than subject to rigid
structural restraints. Mature groups evaluate their activities and potential
outcomes and take corrective actions if necessary. The characteristics of
flexibility, spontaneity, and self-correction are very important if the group is to
remain productive over an extended period.
GROUP PERFORMANCE FACTORS
Group Composition
- most often described in terms of the homogeneity or heterogeneity of the members.
o A group is homogeneous if the members are similar in one or several ways that
are critical to the work of the group, such as in age, work experience, education,
technical specialty, or cultural background.
o In heterogeneous groups, the members differ in one or more ways that are
critical to the work of the group.
Group Size
- A group with many members has more resources available and may be able to
complete a large number of relatively independent tasks. In groups established to
generate ideas, those with more members tend to produce more ideas, although the
rate of increase in the number of ideas diminishes rapidly as the group grows. Beyond
a certain point, the greater complexity of interactions and communication may make it
more difficult for a large group to achieve agreement.
Social Loafing - the tendency of some members of groups not to put forth as
much effort in a group situation as they would work alone.
- often results from the assumption by some members that if they do not work
hard, other members will pick up the slack. How much of a problem this becomes
depends on the nature of the task, the characteristics of the people involved, and
the ability of the group leadership to be aware of the potential problem and do
something about it.
Group Norms
Norm - standard against which the appropriateness of a behavior is judged. Thus,
norms determine the behavior expected in a certain situation.
- Group norms usually are established during the second stage of group development
(communication and decision making) and are carried forward into the maturity stage.
By providing a basis for predicting others’ behaviors, norms enable people to behave
in a manner consistent with and acceptable to the group. Without norms, the activities
in a group would be chaotic.
Group Cohesiveness
- the extent to which a group is committed to remaining together; it results from forces
acting on the members to remain in the group. The forces that create cohesiveness are
attraction to the group, resistance to leaving the group, and motivation to remain a
member of the group.
COMMUNICATION IN ORGANIZATIONS
Communication - the social process in which two or more parties exchange information
and share meaning.
Purpose
o achieve coordinated action
o information sharing
o essential to the decision-making process
Communication Across Cultures
o Language - differences in languages are compounded by the fact that the same
word can mean different things in different cultures
o Coordination - organizations are employing increasingly innovative methods for
coordinating their activities in scattered parts of the globe.
Methods of Communication
- the three methods of communication in organizations are related to each other. Each
one supplements the other, although each can also stand alone.
o Written Communication
Letters – a formal means of communicating with an individual
E-mail – most common form of written communication
Office Memorandum – usually addressed to a person or group inside the
organization
Reports – a summary of the progress or results of a project and often provides
information useful in decision making
Manuals – tells instructions, policies and procedures, and etc.
Forms – are standardized documents on which to report information
o Oral Communication
- most prevalent form of organizational communication
- particularly powerful because they include not only speakers’ words but also their
changes in tone, pitch, speed, and volume and may be accompanied by facial
expressions and gestures
o Nonverbal Communication
- includes all the elements associated with human communication that are not
expressed orally or in writing
Human Elements - facial expressions and physical movements, both conscious
and unconscious
Environmental Elements – convey messages; office arrangements convey
status, power, and prestige and create an atmosphere for doing business. The
physical setting can also be instrumental in the development of communication
networks because a centrally located person can more easily control the flow of
task-related information
THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS
- a loop that connects the sender and the receiver and operates in both directions.
Communication is not complete until the original sender knows that the receiver
understands the message
o Source - the individual, group, or organization interested in communicating
something to another party. In group or organizational communication, an individual
may send the message on behalf of the organization. The source is responsible for
preparing the message, encoding it, and entering it into the transmission medium.
o Encoding - the process by which the message is translated from an idea or thought
into symbols that can be transmitted. The symbols may be words, numbers, pictures,
sounds, or physical gestures and movements.
o Transmission - process through which the symbols that carry the message are sent
to the receiver
Medium - the channel, or path, of transmission
o Decoding - the process by which the receiver of the message interprets its meaning.
The receiver uses knowledge and experience to interpret the symbols of the
message; in some situations, he or she may consult an authority such as a dictionary
or a code book
o Receiver - the receiver of the message may be an individual, a group, an
organization, or an individual acting as the representative of a group. The receiver
decides whether to decode the message, whether to make an effort to understand it,
and whether to respond
o Feedback - the receiver’s response to the message. Feedback verifies the message
by telling the source whether the receiver received and understood the message. The
feedback may be as simple as a phone call from the prospective client expressing
interest in the business proposal, or as complex as a written brief on a complicated
point of law sent from an attorney to a judge
o Noise – any disturbance in the communication process with or distorts
communication
