Tutorial Letter 201/1/2018 Work Group Dynamics and Diversity IOP2607 Semester 1 Department of Industrial and Organisational Psychology

Tutorial Letter 201/1/2018 Work Group Dynamics and Diversity IOP2607 Semester 1 Department of Industrial and Organisational Psychology This tutorial letter contains feedback on the assignments for the first semester and guidelines regarding the examination. Define tomorrow. IOP2607/201/1/2018 2 Page 1. FEEDBACK ON ASSIGNMENTS – FIRST SEMESTER ......................................... 3 1.1 Feedback on Assignment 01 for Semester 1........................................................ 3 1.2 Feedback on Assignment 02 for Semester 1........................................................ 9 1.3 Feedback on Assignment 03 for Semester 1...................................................... 14 2. PREPARATION FOR THE EXAMINATION........................................................... 19 2.1 Meaning of action words in questions................................................................ 19 2.2 Format of the May/June 2018 examination paper.............................................. 20 2.3 May/June 2018 examination paper...................................................................... 21 3. STUDENT SUPPORT ............................................................................................ 22 3.1 myUnisa................................................................................................................. 22 3.2 Contact with lecturers .......................................................................................... 22 CONTENTS IOP2607/201/1/2018 3 Dear Student This tutorial letter contains feedback on Assignments 01, 02 and 03 for Semester 1. You will recall that the module in Work Group Dynamics and Diversity consists of two parts, namely, work group dynamics and diversity. The assignments cover each of the parts or themes. Assignments 01 and 02 for Semester 1 were compulsory. We also provide guidelines to help you with your preparation for the examination. Lastly, we would like to take the opportunity to remind you of student support systems that are available to you. 1. FEEDBACK ON ASSIGNMENTS – FIRST SEMESTER 1.1 Feedback on Assignment 01 for Semester 1 QUESTION 1 Discuss the concepts of systems psychodynamics, individual psychodynamics and work group dynamics. (10) In your discussion, you need to provide a comprehensive discussion of systems psychodynamics, individual psychodynamics and group psychodynamics. Here are some guidelines: Systems psychodynamics allows for the study and the interpretation of collective, interdependent unconscious and conscious individual, group and intergroup processes resulting from the interconnection between different individuals, groups and subgroups within a social system. Systems psychodynamics uses observed human behaviour to explore underlying individual and group psychodynamics in order to understand conscious behaviour. In addition, systems psychodynamics provides the opportunity to explore certain structures, such as boundaries, authority, roles and tasks in an organisational context. Therefore, systems psychodynamics affords us the opportunity to attend to unconscious phenomena within people, the organisational context and the complex interaction between the two. Individual psychodynamics refers to the study of unconscious processes that operate within the individual. The individual, through his/her past experiences with others, has developed an intrapsychic reality, which operates on an unconscious level. Through this intrapsychic reality, the individual tries to make sense of his/her external reality on an unconscious level. The main assumption is that the individual is motivated by anxiety and when the anxiety becomes too great for the individual, defence mechanisms are used so that he/she can feel more at ease. Group psychodynamics is the study of unconscious group processes. The main assumption is that the individual group members are motivated by anxiety. When the anxiety becomes too much for the individual group members, defence mechanisms (i.e. splitting, introjection, projection and introjective identification) are used to get rid of the anxiety so that they can feel more at ease.