GROUP COHESIVENESS

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHVIOUR II
UNIT 2 GROUP DYANAMICS
TOPIC GROUP COHESIVENESS

WHAT IS GROUP COHESIVENESS?

Group cohesiveness is the ability to think and act

'as one' if the group is physically together or not.

According

to

Stephen

Robbins,

Group

cohesiveness is the degree to which members are

attracted to each other and are motivated to stay
in the group.

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SOURCES OF COHESIVENESS

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A. INTERACTION
Group

cohesiveness

depends

on

possibilities of frequent interaction. They

become more cohesive when individual
members spend more time with each other.

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B.THREAT
Its a powerful unifier particularly when:
it comes from outside the group
cooperation can help to overcome the threat

and
there is little or no chance for escape.

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C.SEVERITY OF INITIATION
Difficulty in getting admission into a group
also affects cohesion. More the difficulty,
greater the cohesiveness.

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D.CO-OPEARATION
The general atmosphere of group enhances
cohesiveness.

The

overall

atmosphere

depends among others on leadership.

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E.SHARED GOALS
Groups that share common goals are likely to
be more cohesive than those that do not share
such goals. If the group agrees on the purpose
and direction of its activities, this serves to
bind the group together.
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F.ATTITUDE AND VALUES

Share same opinion - Social validation for

beliefs
Negative inferences about character

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G.SIZE
Group size increases Cohesiveness tends to
decrease because of following ways.
Less interactions among members
Disagreement and dissatisfaction
Restrictions on intergroup communication
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CONSEQUENCES OF GROUP
COHESIVENESS
Increased morale in cohesive groups (reduced

conflict and better communication)

Effect

on

productivity

(less

anxieties,

lower

absenteeism turnover, decreases productivity

among groups)
Sharing goals and ideologies Reinforcing
Conformity and influences
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HOW TO INCREASE
COHESSION?
Induce agreement on group goals.
Increase membership homogeneity.
Increase interactions among members.
Decrease group size.

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Contd
Introduce competition with other groups.
Allocate rewards to the group rather than

individuals.
Provide physical isolation from other groups

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HOW TO DECREASE
COHESSION?

Induce disagreement in group goals.

Increase membership heterogeneity.

Restrict interaction among members.
Increase group size.

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Contd
Allocate reward to individuals rather than to

a group as a whole.
Remove physical isolation.
Introduce a dominating member

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