Foundation of Group Behavior

Understanding the nature and types of groups, Recognize the assets and liabilities of groups

Group: Concept & types

Group means there are 1. Two or more individuals 2. Interacting & interdependent 3. Come together to achieve particular objectives.

Characteristic Of Group
Two or More Persons: A single individual cant form a group. For group formation, at least two person are must . No specific limit on the number of person forming a group. Collective Identity: Each group member knows one another. Each Member of the group perceives that he/she is a part of group.

Characteristic Of Group (Contd) (Contd)

Interaction: There is an interaction among the member of the group. Each member shares his ideas with others through different communication methods such as face-toface-to-face, in writing, over the telephone, and across a computer network.

Characteristic Of Group (Contd) (Contd)

Common Purpose: the member of the group work to achieve some common objective or purpose. In fact, it is the common purpose that binds the group members together.

Why people join groups

Safety and Security Needs Relatedness or Belongingness Needs Esteem Needs Power Identity

Group Formal Informal Friendship

Command

Task Project

Interest

Reference Committes

Formal Group: A designated work group defined by the organisations structure. Informal Group: A group that is neither formally structured nor organizationally determined; appears in response to the need for social contact. Membership in such groups id voluntary.

Command group: A group composed of the individuals who report directly to a given manager. Task group: represents those who work together to complete a job task. All command groups are task groups but all task groups need not be command groups as task groups can cut across the organization.

Project Group: These are formed to complete a specific project. The life of the project group coincides with length of the project. Eg: Research project to a Eg: university professor by the University Grants commission is an example of project group. Committes: Committes: These are usually creates outside the usual command group structure to solve recurring problems. The Life of committee may be long or short. Eg: Eg: Universitys examination Discipline Committee created to solve disciplinary problems relating to examination .

Friendship group: Group of people who like each other and who like to be together. These groups are formed because of certain culture,Belief and hertitage, etc. hertitage, Interest group : A group of employees who come together to satisfy a common interest ;like improving working conditions, protesting companys environmental policies, or adjusting vacation schedules.

Reference Group: A reference group is a special type of informal group that people use to evaluate themselves. A reference group may not be an actual one that meets together, it can be an imaginary group. Eg: Scholars in the same Eg: discipline working in other university.

Five stage model of group formation

Stage II Storming Stage I Forming Members get to know each other & set ground rules
Members come to Resist Control by group Leaders & Show

Stage III Norming Members Work Together developing Close Relationships & feelings of Cohesiveness

Stage IV Performing Group members work towards Getting their jobs done

Stage V Adjourning Group may disband either after meeting their goals or because members Leave

hostility

Group Behavior
A collection of individuals, the members accept a common task, task, become interdependent in their performance, and interact with one another to promote its accomplishment.

Factors of Group Behaviour :

Group Group Group Group Group Norms Cohesion Role Conflict DecisionDecision-Making

Group Norms
Norms are acceptable standards of behavior within a group that are shared by the groups members. Norms are generallyon informal generally rules that guide the behavior of group members. Norms differ among groups, communities and societies, but they all have them.

Characteristics of Group Norms:

As personality reveals an individuals, so group norms do for group. Norms serve as the basis for behaviour of group members. They predict and control the behaviour of members in groups. Norms are applied to all members of the group, through not uniformly.

Group Cohesion
The degree to which the group members are attracted to each other and remain within the group. It is usually reflected by its resiliency to disruption by outside forces. It develops out of the activities, interactions and sentiments of the members It binds all the group members to work as one man to attain the set goals.

Factors Increasing Group Cohesion

1.Inducing agreement on group goals. 2.Increasing membership homegeniety. homegeniety. 3.Increasing interaction among group members. 4.Down4.Down-sizing of the group. 5.Encouraging competition with other rival groups. 6.Allocating rewards to the groups not to the members 7.Keeping members isolated from other groups.

Relationship Between Group Cohesiveness, Performance Norms, and Productivity

Group Role
It means a set of expected behaviour pattern attached to a position or post in a social context

Types of Group
Work Roles Maintenance Role Blocking Role

Roles
Role Identity: Certain attitude and behavior consistent with a role. Role Ambiguity: The confusion arising from not knowing what one is expected to do as the holder of a role. Role conflict: When an individual finds that compliance with one role requirement may make it more difficult to comply with another. Role expectations: How others believe a person should act in a given situation.

Task oriented roles Initiator: Contributors

Recommend new solutions to group problems.

Relations oriented roles Harmonizers:

Mediate group conflicts Compromisers:
Shift own opinions to create group harmony.

Self oriented roles Blockers:

Act stubborn and resistant to the group. Recognition seekers:
Call attention to their own achievements.

Information Seekers:
Attempt to obtain the necessary facts.

Opinion Givers:
Share own opinions with others

Encourages:
Praise & encourage others

Dominators:
Assert authority by manipulating the group

Energizers:
Stimulate the group into action whenever interested

Expediters:
Suggest ways the group can operate more smoothly.

Avoiders:
Maintain distance, isolate themselves from fellow group members.

InterInter-group Behaviour
Groups do not exist in isolation; they are usually embedded in a network of relationships with other groups. At work, there are a variety of groups representing different functional, professional, departmental and economic interests.

Classification according to nature

Pooled Interdependence Sequential Interdependence Reciprocal Interdependence Team Interdependence

Classification According to Interaction

InterInter-group Openness and CoCoopertion InterInter-group Closure and Competition

InterInter-group Conflicts
Conflicts arise out of inconsistency.

The inter-group conflicts usually interarise when:

There is a felt need among group for a joint decision-making. decisionThere is differentiation in goals of the groups. There is differentiation in perceptions of reality by the groups

Group decision making

(collaborative decision making)
It is a situation faced when individuals are brought together in a group to solve problems.

Group Decision-Making Process Decision-

How do groups make decision?

GROUP SIZE - Group size doesn't matter GROUP COMPOSITION - Individual's quality of experience matters UNANIMITY OF GROUP CONSENSUS -It is worth noticing that consensus does not requires unanimity but require no outright dissent either

RISKY SHIFT-members involved in group decision making like to make risky decision and the responsibility for the consequences of the decision will be shared by all group members.

Advantages Of Group Decision-Making DecisionCompared to an individual, the group usually have greater knowledge, expertise and skill base to make better decision. Large number of members provide more perspectives of the problems. As such, the narrow vision of a single perspective is avoided in making decisions.

Advantages ( Contd) Contd)

With Large number of group members, the participation also increase that helps reach at a quality decision. Following increased group participation, comprehension of final decision arrived at is usually high.

Disadvantages
Group decision-making is a time decisionconsuming process. Influence groups usually manipulate the group decision in a direction of their liking and interest. Sometimes decisions made by the group members are simply a compromise between the various views and options offered by the group members.

How to Improve Group Decision Making?

Brainstorming Nominal Group Technique Delphi Technique Consensus Mapping

TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE DECISION MAKING

1. Brain-Storming Brain adopted by Alex Osborn,1938.  for encouraging creative thinking.

Means using the brain to storm the problem

FOUR BASIC CONDITIONS Generate as many ideas as possible Be creative and imaginative Combine earlier ideas Withhold criticism of other ideas TWO PRINCIPLES Deferred judgement Quantity breeds quality

2.NOMINAL GROUP TECHNIQUE

Reduces problems in decision making PROCESS INVOLVED IN NOMINAL GROUP TECHNIQUE o Members are brought together and presented a problem. o Each member develops idea independently and writes them on cards.

Each member presents his/her ideas to the group in a round- robbin roundprocedure. When presentation is over, time is allowed for clarification. Group members individually rank for the best alternatives by secret ballot.

3.DELPHI TECHNIQUE Members are scattered over large distance and do not have face to face interaction for decision making 4.CONSENSUS MAPPING an attempt is made to arrive at a decision by pooling the ideas generated by several task sub groups.

Concept of Quality Circle

The concept of QC originally emerged in Japan is of a recent origin in the Indian Organisation. Organisation. It is a work group of employees who meet regularly to discuss their quality problems, investigate causes, recommend solution, and take corrective measure.

Quality Circle Problems

Quality control Cost reduction Production planning and techniques Product design

Objectives of Quality Circle

Improvement in quality of product manufactured by the organisation. organisation. Improvement in methods of production and productivity. Development of employees participating in QC. Promoting morale of employees. Respect humanity and create a happy workplace worthwhile to work.

How to introduce Quality Circle in Organisation? Organisation?

1. Publishing the idea of QC 2. Constitution of QC 3. Initial problem solving 4. Presentation and Approval of Suggestion 5. Implementation

Problems in Implementation of Quality Circle and their solutions:

Negative Attitude Lack of Ability Lack of Management Commitment NonNon-implementation of suggestions

Work Teams
Type of collection of Individuals

Meaning Of Work Teams

A team can be defined as an association of individuals who, by generating positive synergy. It is committed to achieve some common goal.

Team - Features
It creates positive synergy. It creates and fosters comraderies among the members through regular and repeated interactions. It encourages members to sublimate their individuals goals for those of the team. It also encourages members involvement in the team work.

Team Versus Group: Whats the Difference?

Work Group A group that interacts primarily to share information and to make decisions to help each group member perform within his or her area of responsibility. Work Team A group whose individual efforts result in a performance that is greater than the sum of the individual inputs.

Bases Performance

Team On both individual members work and collective work

Group On the work of individual workers

Accountability

On both individuals and mutual accountability Usually self-managed or autonomous

On group as a whole

Connection to Management

Responsive to demands placed on it by Management Random and varied. Often neutral synergy, sometimes even negative synergy, called Social Loafing

Skills Synergy

Complementary Positive synergy

Types of Teams
Problem Problem-solving Teams: Groups of 5 to 12 employees from the same department who meet for a few hours each week to discuss ways of improving quality, efficiency, and the work environment Self-Managed Work Teams: SelfGroups of 10 to 15 people who take on the responsibilities of their former supervisors

Types of Teams (Contd) (Contd)

CrossCross-Functional Teams: Employees from about the same hierarchical level, but from different work areas, who come together to accomplish a task
Very common Task forces Committees

Team Building
Process Stage 1 Do Pre-work PreStage 2 Create Performance Condition. Stage 3 Form and build the team Stage 4 Provide ongoing Assistance

Training guidelines: self-managed selfteams