GROUP FUNCTIONS

WHAT ARE GROUPS ?

Two or more individuals, interacting and interdependent, who have come together to achieve particular objectives .

WHY DO PEOPLE WORK IN GROUPS ?

Security By joining a group, individuals can

reduce the insecurity of “standing alone.” People feel stronger, have fewer self-doubts, and are more resistant to threats when they are part of a group.

Status Inclusion in a group that is viewed as

important by others provides recognition and status for its members.

Self-Esteem Groups can provide people with feelings of self-

worth. That is, in addition to conveying status to those outside the group, membership can also give increased feelings of worth to the group members themselves.

Power What cannot be achieved individually

often becomes possible through group action. There is power in numbers.

Goal Achievement

There are times when it takes more than one person to accomplish a particular task; there is a need to pool talents, knowledge or power in order to complete a job .

STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT

Model of group development was first proposed by Bruce Tuckman in 1965 .

FORMING STORMING NORMING PERFORMING

FORMING: In the first stages of team building, the forming of the team takes place. The

individual's behaviour is driven by a desire to be accepted by the others, and avoid controversy or conflict. Serious issues and feelings are avoided, and people focus on being busy with routines,

The team meets and learns about the opportunities and challenges, and then agrees on goals and begins to tackle the tasks. Team members tend to behave quite independently. They may be motivated but are usually relatively uninformed of the issues and objectives of the team. Team members are usually on their best behaviour but very focused on themselves. Mature team members begin to model appropriate behaviour even at this early phase. Sharing the knowledge of the concept of "Teams - Forming, Storming, Norming , Performing" is extremely helpful to the team.

Supervisors of the team tend to need to be directive during this phase.

The forming stage of any team is important because, in this stage, the members of the team get to know one another, exchange some personal information, and make new friends. This is also a good opportunity to see how each member of the team works as an individual and how they respond to pressure.

STORMING: Every group will next enter the storming stage in which different ideas

compete for consideration. The team addresses issues such as what problems they are really supposed to solve, how they will function independently and together and what leadership model they will accept. Team members open up to each other and confront each other's ideas and perspectives. In some cases storming can be resolved quickly. In others, the team never leaves this stage. The maturity of some team members usually determines whether the team will ever move out of this stage. Some team members will focus on minutiae to evade real issues.

The storming stage is necessary to the growth of the team. It can be contentious, unpleasant and even painful to members of the team who are averse to conflict. Tolerance of each team member and their differences should be emphasized. Without tolerance and patience the team will fail. This phase can become destructive to the team and will lower motivation if allowed to get out of control. Some teams will never develop past this stage.

Supervisors of the team during this phase may be more accessible, but tend to remain directive in their guidance of decision-making and professional behaviour. The team members will therefore resolve their differences and members will be able to participate with one another more comfortably. The ideal is that they will not feel that they are being judged, and will therefore share their opinions and views.

NORMING:

The team manages to have one goal and come to a mutual plan for the team at this stage. Some may have to give up their own ideas and agree with others in order to make the team function. In this stage, all team members take the responsibility and have the ambition to work for the success of the team's goals.

PERFORMING: It is possible for some teams to reach the performing stage.

These high-performing teams are able to function as a unit as they find ways to get the job done smoothly and effectively without inappropriate conflict or the need for external supervision. Team members have become interdependent. By this time, they are motivated and knowledgeable.

Supervisors of the team during this phase are almost always participative. The team will make most of the necessary decisions. Even the most high-performing teams will revert to earlier stages in certain circumstances. For example, a change in leadership may cause the team to revert to storming as the new people challenge the existing norms and dynamics of the team.

TYPES OF GROUPS

TYPES OF GROUPS:

FORMAL GROUP :Last several days to several weeks,

require more planning as to the size and composition of the group,have greater structure,have a specific purpose (e.g., a particular task to accomplish), and have the same group members throughout its existence.

Cont.. INFORMAL GROUPS : Have a short lifetime ranging from a few

minutes to the class periodare generally created quickly or ad hoc, (e.g., the instructor may say "discuss this concept" or "discuss this question with your neighbours"),have little structure or format,have new group members with each new class day,are especially useful during lectures because it can break the lecture in mini-lectures, and may provide a quick check on student comprehension.

 

GROUP DECISION MAKING:

Group decision making is a situation faced when people are brought together to solve problems in the anticipation that they are more effective than individuals under the idea of synergy But cohesive groups display risky behaviour in decision making situations that led to the devotion of much effort, especially in the area of applied social sciences and other relevant fields of specialization.

Group-think is one of the most dangerous traps in our decision making. It's particularly because it taps into our deep social identification mechanisms - everyone likes to feel part of a group - and our avoidance of social challenges.

Issues facing any work group concerning decision making are: how should decisions be made? Consensus? Voting? One-person rule? Secret ballot?[ Consideration of the various opinions of the different individuals and deciding what action a group should take might be of help.

METHODS OF GROUP DECISION MAKING:

No two groups will ever function in the same way while involved in the process of decision making. There are several methods of group decision-making. Here are some of the common methods employed in the process of decision-making: 

Authoritarian Style 

The authoritarian style is like a dictatorship, in which the decision ultimately rests in the hands of one person. This style of decision-making is applicable in the presence of a powerful person who dictates the entire process of decision-making and has the final authority on the outcome. This style, although in use at various places, tends to have more disadvantages than advantages because the people whose opinions are disregarded might have negative feelings about the entire process

Cont… BRAINSTORMING

This group decision-making method is best when the decision-making has to be started from scratch, which means creating the various options and then weighing them. This is an excellent method for group decisions, which is very popular owing to the complete creative freedom it offers to all the participants.

Voting Based Method

This is a group decision-making process, which is convenient to use when the group has certain set of defined options before it and needs to pick out the optimum solution. A voting system allows every participant to cast his/her vote for the option that he/she thinks is the best

ADVANTAGES OF GROUP DECISIONS:

Group decisions help to combine individual strengths of the group members and hence has a set of varied skill sets applied in the decision making process.

Individual opinions can be biased or affected with pre-conceives notions are restricted perspectives, group decision help to get a broader perspective owing to differences of perception between individual in the group.

Group decisions imbibe a strong sense of team spirit amongst the group members and helps the group to think together in terms of success as well as failure.

DISADVANTAGES OF GROUP DECISION:

One of the major disadvantages of group decision making is that it is more time consuming than the process of individual decision making.

The responsibility and accountability of the decisions are not equally shared in some cases which leads to a split in the group and hence hamper the overall efficiency of the group.

GUIDELINES EFFECTIVE DECISION MAKING:

Stage 1: Problem Recognition It is difficult to address a problem unless you are aware that there is one!  At some

point, you must become aware of a deficiency or opportunity that exists in order to kick start the rest of the problem solving process.       

  Stage 2: Information Search Once a problem has been identified, information is gathered about the nature of the

problem and the options that are available.  This stage might involve the examination of sources for information, or it might be more like “brainstorming” to generate various possibilities that might be considered as methods of addressing the problem.              

  Stage 3: Evaluation of Alternatives After you have information about the problem and possible approaches to addressing

the problem have been laid out, the alternatives must be evaluated.  This might involve outlining the “pros and cons” of a scenario, or calculating the probability of success if a particular approach is used.

  Stage 4: Action Once a choice has been made as to the course of action to take, the action then must be

taken.  Stage 5: Outcomes The relationship between actions and outcomes is often a complicated one.  Many

situational and environmental factors can impact whether an action has a desired or even a predictable outcome.  It is also notable that the outcomes feedback to the problem recognition stage.  Thus, whether or not outcomes are successful impacts whether future problems arise.

CONFLICTS IN GROUPS: Group conflicts, also called group intrigues, is where social

behaviour causes groups of individuals to conflict with each other. It can also refer to a conflict within these groups. This conflict is often caused by differences in social norms, values, and religion.

Both constructive and destructive conflict occurs in most small groups. It is very important to accentuate the constructive conflict and minimize the destructive conflict. Conflict is bound to happen, but if we use it constructively then it need not be a bad thing.

When destructive conflict is used in small groups, it is counterproductive to the long term goal. It is much like poisoning the goose that lays the golden eggs. In the case of small group communication, destructive conflict creates hostility between the members. This poisons group synergy and the results, the golden eggs if you will, either cease being produced or are at least inferior in quality.

Using constructive conflict within small groups has the opposite effect. It is much like nourishing the goose so that it continues to produce the golden eggs, golden eggs which may be even better than what the unnourished goose could have produced. In this sense, bringing up problems and alternative solutions while still valuing others in small groups allows the group to work forward.

GUIDELINES OF RESOLVING CONFLICTS:

To help resolve conflict within your group, consider and adopt the following principles. Several strategies are suggested that confirm your commitment to the process of finding a reasonable solution.

Underneath incompatible positions lie compatible interests.Dig for and reach the compatible interests.

Every side usually has something valuable to say . Listen to both sides equally, and hear the valuable contributions.

Issues become polarized when there is little or no dialogue.Initiate discussion and dialogue, encouraging participation. 

High emotions charge the issue.Create an environment where people can express their feelings and concerns.

Parties will focus on differencesAsk them to identify areas they have in common, remind them and express progress.

CONTD… Parties may become defensive and protect, justify or explain their position.

Search for solutions: seek to understand but remind them of the need to move on.

Parties will immediately want to discuss their individual needs.Only when contact, and good will have been established, should needs be discussed.

Parties often feel their story has not been heard.Listen to each parties' needs, and ensure each party listens to the other.

Identifying and understanding the desired outcomes will result in progress.Step back - ask the parties what they want the outcome to be, and list the desired outcomes.

Conflict creates emotions and feelings that are barriers to progress.Take stock here and now, identify and understand the emotions, and move the discussion to approaches, strategies and desired outcomes.

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By :Priyamvada Panicker – 53Mrigna Gupta - 26A. Vani Madhavi - 16