Groups
Problem 3 1.7
Groups
1. What is the definition of a “group”?
2. What types of group tasks can we distinguish?
3. What are the stages of group development?
4. What is groupthink, when does it occur and how can it be prevented?
5. Why is it that some group members sometimes cut corners and what can be done
about this?
6. What model or theory are the team roles based on?
7. What is the importance of team roles for the functioning of the team?
Group- two or more people, in face-to-face interaction, each aware of their group
membership and interdependence, as they strive to achieve their goals
Group dynamics- the forces operating within groups that affect their performance
and their member’ satisfaction
Aggregate- a collection of unrelated people who happen to be in close physical
proximity for a short period of time
Huddle- a type of short-term, focused social interaction occurring between two or
more individuals in an organisation which discusses work issues and which enhances
learning
5 characteristics that make up a group
1. Minimum- membership of 2 people: the greater the number of group members,
the higher the number of possible relationships between them, the greater the
level of communication is required, the more complex the structure needed to
operate the group successfully
2. A communication network: each group member must be capable of
communicating with every other member. This is where the aims and purposes
of the group are exchanged. The mere process of interaction satisfies some social
needs and is used to set and enforce standards of group behaviour
3. Shared sense of collective identity: each member must identify with others in
the group and not see themselves as individuals acting independently. They must
all believe themselves to be participants in the group, which itself is distinct from
other groups
4. Complementary goals: there have individual objectives which can only be met
through membership in the group. Goals may differ but are sufficiently
complementary that members feel able to achieve them through participation.
They realise they have to work collectively and not as individuals
5. Group structure: individuals will have different roles (e.g. ideas person,
suggestion provider, compromiser). These roles tend to become fixed and
indicate what members expect of each other. Rules or norms exist which indicate
the behaviours that are acceptable in the group and which are not e.g. smoking,
swearing, late coming)
, Groups
Types of group tasks
Additive task – a task whose accomplishment depends on the sum of all group
members’ efforts.
- All group members do basically the same job, and the final group product or
outcome (group performance) is the sum of all the individual contributions
- Low interdependency between people
- A group working together will usually perform better than the same number of
people working alone, provided all members make their contribution
- Social loafing – reduced performance
- E.g. tug-of-war, crowdsourcing, cricket
Conjunctive task- a task whose accomplishment depends on the performance of the
group’s least talented member
- High interdependency
- Usually perform less well on conjunctive tasks than lone individuals
- E.g. climbing a mountain, playing music. Running a relay race
Disjunctive task- a task whose accomplishment depends on the performance of the
group’s most talented member
- High interdependency
- Usually perfume better than their average member on disjunctive tasks
- E.g. quiz teams
Group development model– Tuckman and Jensen
1. Forming – orientation stage at which the set of individuals has not yet gelled
- Individuals ask, ‘how do I fit in?’ and the group asks ‘why are we here?’
- Everyone is finding out about each other’s attitudes and backgrounds, and
establishing ground rules
- Members want to fix their personal identities and make a personal impression on
the others
- Members are dependent on some leader to provide them with a structure in the
form of ground rules and an agenda for action
- They seek orientation as to what they are being asked to do, what the issues are
and whether everyone understands the task
2. Storming – conflict stage
- The individual asks, ‘what’s my role here?’ and the group asks, ‘why are we
fighting over who’s in charge and who does what?’
- They bargain with each other to sort out what they want out of the group
process, both individually and as a group
- Reveal personal goals and probably some interpersonal hostility is generated
- Some may resist the control of other group members
- Key personal relations issue- management of conflict
- Task function question – organization – how best to organize to achieve the
group objective
3. Norming – cohesion stage
- Develop ways of working to develop closer relationships
Problem 3 1.7
Groups
1. What is the definition of a “group”?
2. What types of group tasks can we distinguish?
3. What are the stages of group development?
4. What is groupthink, when does it occur and how can it be prevented?
5. Why is it that some group members sometimes cut corners and what can be done
about this?
6. What model or theory are the team roles based on?
7. What is the importance of team roles for the functioning of the team?
Group- two or more people, in face-to-face interaction, each aware of their group
membership and interdependence, as they strive to achieve their goals
Group dynamics- the forces operating within groups that affect their performance
and their member’ satisfaction
Aggregate- a collection of unrelated people who happen to be in close physical
proximity for a short period of time
Huddle- a type of short-term, focused social interaction occurring between two or
more individuals in an organisation which discusses work issues and which enhances
learning
5 characteristics that make up a group
1. Minimum- membership of 2 people: the greater the number of group members,
the higher the number of possible relationships between them, the greater the
level of communication is required, the more complex the structure needed to
operate the group successfully
2. A communication network: each group member must be capable of
communicating with every other member. This is where the aims and purposes
of the group are exchanged. The mere process of interaction satisfies some social
needs and is used to set and enforce standards of group behaviour
3. Shared sense of collective identity: each member must identify with others in
the group and not see themselves as individuals acting independently. They must
all believe themselves to be participants in the group, which itself is distinct from
other groups
4. Complementary goals: there have individual objectives which can only be met
through membership in the group. Goals may differ but are sufficiently
complementary that members feel able to achieve them through participation.
They realise they have to work collectively and not as individuals
5. Group structure: individuals will have different roles (e.g. ideas person,
suggestion provider, compromiser). These roles tend to become fixed and
indicate what members expect of each other. Rules or norms exist which indicate
the behaviours that are acceptable in the group and which are not e.g. smoking,
swearing, late coming)
, Groups
Types of group tasks
Additive task – a task whose accomplishment depends on the sum of all group
members’ efforts.
- All group members do basically the same job, and the final group product or
outcome (group performance) is the sum of all the individual contributions
- Low interdependency between people
- A group working together will usually perform better than the same number of
people working alone, provided all members make their contribution
- Social loafing – reduced performance
- E.g. tug-of-war, crowdsourcing, cricket
Conjunctive task- a task whose accomplishment depends on the performance of the
group’s least talented member
- High interdependency
- Usually perform less well on conjunctive tasks than lone individuals
- E.g. climbing a mountain, playing music. Running a relay race
Disjunctive task- a task whose accomplishment depends on the performance of the
group’s most talented member
- High interdependency
- Usually perfume better than their average member on disjunctive tasks
- E.g. quiz teams
Group development model– Tuckman and Jensen
1. Forming – orientation stage at which the set of individuals has not yet gelled
- Individuals ask, ‘how do I fit in?’ and the group asks ‘why are we here?’
- Everyone is finding out about each other’s attitudes and backgrounds, and
establishing ground rules
- Members want to fix their personal identities and make a personal impression on
the others
- Members are dependent on some leader to provide them with a structure in the
form of ground rules and an agenda for action
- They seek orientation as to what they are being asked to do, what the issues are
and whether everyone understands the task
2. Storming – conflict stage
- The individual asks, ‘what’s my role here?’ and the group asks, ‘why are we
fighting over who’s in charge and who does what?’
- They bargain with each other to sort out what they want out of the group
process, both individually and as a group
- Reveal personal goals and probably some interpersonal hostility is generated
- Some may resist the control of other group members
- Key personal relations issue- management of conflict
- Task function question – organization – how best to organize to achieve the
group objective
3. Norming – cohesion stage
- Develop ways of working to develop closer relationships
