*Group Behavior and Group DynamicsUnit- 5

What is a Group? A group is consisting of a number of persons whose interactions at a given time generate a system of values, norms, and sanctions appropriate to the nature of the task on which they are working, which has created a set of well defined role and status relations which are interdependent.

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

*

*Group DynamicsGroup- A collectivity of two or more personsGroup Dynamics= Group + DynamicsDynamics-( derived from a Greek word meaning force)Group Dynamics refers to the interaction of forces between group members in a social situation. The social process by which people interact face to face in small groups is called group dynamics.

*Concept of GroupShaw has summarized various definitions of groups into four categories. First group is defined as consisting of individuals who perceive the existence of a group and their membership in it. Second group is defined on the basis of a common motivation or goal. Third, this class of definitions looks to the structure of the groupthe relationships and ties among group members which bind them together into a group. Fourth, this definition perceives the central element of a group to be interacting among its members.

Shaw defines group as 'two or more persons who are interacting with one another in such a manner that each person influences and is influenced by each other.

*Key Features of the Group Two or More Persons-To form a group, there should be at least two persons because a single individual cannot interact. There is no specific limit on the maximum number of persons in a group but the size of the group is determined by rules and regulations of the organization and its requirements.

Collective Identity -Each member of the group must believe that he is a member of, is a participant in, some specific group.

Interaction- Members of the group must interact among themselves.

Shared Goal Interest-The shared goal interest binds the group members together.

*Group Classification

*Group ClassificationFormal Group-A designated work group defined by the organization's structure. In formal groups, the behaviors that one should engage in are stipulated by and direct toward organizational goals. Eg. Marketing team for a particular product

Informal group A group that is neither formally structured nor organizationally determined; appears in response to the need for social contact. Three employees from different departments who regularly eat lunch together are an example of an informal group.

*Formal GroupsA command group is determined by the organization chart. It is composed of the individuals who report directly to a given manager. An elementary sell principal and her 18 teachers form a command group.Task groups are also organizationally determined, represent those working together to complete a job task. A task group's boundaries are not limited to its immediate hierarchical superior. It can cross command relations. For instance, if a college student is accused of a campus crime, it may require communication and coordination among the dean of academic affairs, the| dean of students, the registrar, the director of security, and the student's advisor.

*Informal GroupsInterest group Those working together to attain a specific objective with which each is concerned. Employees who band together to have their vacation schedules altered, to support a peer who has been fired, or to seek improved working conditions represent the formation of a united body to further their common interest.

Friendship group Those brought together because they share one or more common characteristics. . Social alliances, which frequently extend outside the work situation, can be based on similar age or ethnic heritage, interest for outdoor games, or the holding of similar political views etc.

*Stages of Group Development Stage 1FormingStage 2StormingStage 3NormingStage 4PerformingStage 5Adjourning

*

Five Stage Group Development Model

Groups go through five distinct stages:Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing,and Adjourning Forming Stage The first stage in group development is characterized by much uncertainty.Storming stage The second stage in group development, characterized by intra-group conflict.Norming stage The third stags in group development, characterized by close relationships and cohesiveness

*Five Stage Group Development Model

Performing stage The fourth stage in group development, when the group starts performing.Adjourning stage The final stage in group development for temporary groups, characterized by concern with wrapping up activities rather than task performance.

*Group ConflictGroup exist in every organization and they affect the behavior of their members. They not only affect the behavior of their members, rather, they have impact on other group and the organization as a whole. In this interaction process, there may be two types of conflict:-Intragroup Conflict (within the group itself) and Intergroup Conflict (between groups).

*Intragroup ConflictIntragroup conflict may arise in three situations: (i) when group faces a novel problem of task; (it) where new values are imported from the social environment into the group; and (iii) where a person's extra group role comes into conflict with his intragroup role.

Intragroup conflict is visualized more when people come from different socio-economic backgrounds and have different political & religious views. The disagreement may be over ethics, the way power exercised, or moral considerations of assumptions, justice, fairness and so on are interpreted. Such differences may affect the choice of either goals or methods of ac goals.

*Intergroup Conflict Intergroup conflict arises out of the interaction of various groups. There are many factors in the organization which determine the inter-group relationships. The can influence relations between two or more groups. If these factors are not positive they tend to create conflict among groups. These factors are-Goal IncompatibilityResource SharingTask RelationsUncertainty Absorption, and Attitudinal set.

*Intergroup ConflictGoal Incompatibility- The goals of two groups can have a powerful impact on their relationship. The ideal state exists when each group perceive its goals as the goals of the organization as a whole and the goals of other groups as compatible with one another and mutually reinforcing.

*Intergroup Conflict

Goal Incompatibility- Goal incompatibility means that goal attainment by one group may prevent or reduce the level of goal attainment by one or more other groups. Eg.-The conflict between marketing and production departments in business organization. Labour-Management conflict also arises because of incompatibility of goals.

*Intergroup ConflictResource Sharing

The relations between two groups can be affected by the degree to which the two groups draw from a common pool of resources, and the degree to which this common pool of resources is adequate to meet the demands of both the group. Thus, conflict of this nature arises because of the discrepancy between aggregated demand and available resources. Each party to the conflict has an interest in making toe total resources as large as possible, but also in securing as large a share of them as possible. The conflicts between management and labour union are quite common in all types of organizations. Such conflicts take place on the quantum of wages, amenities, working conditions, and other related matters.

*Intergroup ConflictTask Relationship Collaboration occurs when two groups share joint responsibility for certain tasks. A dependent task relationship exists between two groups if one group is dependent upon the former for recourses. A dependent task relationship may result in one group having the ability to dictate or unilaterally determine the outcome of their interaction. The conflicts arise in these relations if a group exceeds its authority.

*Intergroup ConflictAbsorption of Uncertainty As organizations are open systems, they and their elements various groups face uncertainty. Uncertainty is the gap between what is known and what needs to be known to make correct decisions. In order to manage uncertainty, organizations assign certain groups or individuals to deal with it. Thus a group may absorb uncertainty of other groups. The group may make decisions: set premises for decision-making for other groups, thereby avoiding the uncertainty. For example, the accounting department may prescribe the rules for travelling expenses: to be incurred by the marketing department. Thus, the marketing department may be relieved of the uncertainty of how the money should be spent on travelling, The conditions for conflicts exist if uncertainty absorption by one group is not in accordant with the expectations of other groups. For example, if marketing department finds the rules framed by the accounting department inadequate or inefficient, the condition conflict exists.

*Intergroup ConflictAttitudinal Sets- The sets of the attitudes that members of various groups hold towards each other can be cause and a consequence of the nature of their relations If the group relations begin with the attitudes of distrust, competitiveness, seen and closed communications, there is a possibility of various factors of group relationship being emphasized in a negative way, consequently leading to conflicts. the alternative case, the group relationship may be co-operative characterized by mutual trust and respect, greater acceptance of responsibility for mutual problems, greater consideration for others' points of view, greater willingness to avoid blaming each other, more open communication, and so on.

*Group Decision MakingSpecific Objectives Identification of ProblemsSearch for AlternativesEvaluation of AlternativesChoice of AlternativeActionFeedback

*

*Group Decision MakingSpecific Objectives- The starting point in any analysis of decision making involves the determination of whether a decision need to be made.Problem Identification Since a particular decision is made in the context of certain given objectives, identification of problem is the real beginning of decision-making process. A problem is a felt need, a question thrown forward for solution. It is the gap between present and desired state of affairs on the subject-matter of decision. It is just like the diagnosis of patient by the doctor

*Problem IdentificationProblem Identification Methods Diagnosis & Analysis

Diagnosis,-The term diagnosis has come from Medical Science where it is used as the process of identifying a disease from its sign and symptoms. A symptom is a condition or set of conditions that indicates the existence of a problem. For example- High Turnover in an Organization

Diagnosing the real problem implies knowing the gap between what is and what ought to be, identifying the reasons for the gap, and understanding the problem in relation to higher objectives of the organization

*Problem Identification(ii) Analysis-While the diagnosis of problem gives the understanding of what should be done In terms of decision making, analysis of problem takes it a step further. The analysis of the problem requires to find out who would make decision, what information would be needed, and from where the information is available. This analysis provide managers with revealing circumstances that help them to gain an insight into the problem.

*Search for Alternatives A thorough diagnosis defines both a specific problem and the situation in which the problem exists. Now the decision , maker seeks possible solutions. A problem can be solved in several ways, however, all the ways, cannot be equally satisfying. Further, if there is only one way of solving a problem, no question of decision arises. Therefore, the decision maker must try to find out the various alternatives available in order to get the most satisfactory result ,of a decision.

A decision maker can use several sources for identifying alternatives: his own past experience, practices followed by others, and using creative techniques

*Evaluation of AlternativesAfter the various alternatives are identified, the next step is to evaluate them and select the one that will meet the choice criteria. However, all alternatives available for decision making will not be taken for detailed evaluation because of the obvious limitations of managers in evaluating all alternatives. The decision maker develops a list of limits that must be met by a satisfactory solution. He may treat these limits as constraints, that is, he may check proposed alternatives against limits, and if an alternative does not meet them, he can discard it. Evaluation of various alternatives dissects an alternative into various tangible and intangible factors. Tangible factors are those which can be quantified because they are quite obvious like the cost per unit, investment required, output to be received, etc. Such factors can be measured easily, though their happening may not be measured with certainty.

*Evaluation of AlternativesDemand projection at a given price in a particular alternative. As against these, intangible factors are mostly qualitative and cannot be measured in terms of quantity.For example, in a plant location, various non-economic factors like psychological problem arising out of displacement of persons from the plant site, ecological balance, etc., have to be taken into account which cannot be quantified. In evaluating an alternative, both these factors have to be taken into account

*Choice of AlternativeThe evaluation of various alternatives presents a clear picture as to how each one of them contributes to the objectives under question, A comparison is made among the likely outcomes of various alternatives and the best one is chosen. Choice aspect of decision making is related to deciding the most acceptable alternative which fits with the organizational objectives. (i) Experience. Managers can choose an alternative based on their past experience if they have solved similar problem earlier.

*Choice of Alternative(ii) Experimentation- Experimentation which is generally used in scientific enquiry involves that a particular alternative is put in practice, result is observed, and the alternative giving the best result is selected. For example, many organizations go for test marketing of their products before the products are really introduced in the market

*Choice of Alternativeiii) Research and Analysis- Research and Analysis is the most certain method of selecting an alternative, specially when major decisions are involved. This approach entails solving a problem first by comprehending it. This involves a search for relationships between the more critical variables, constraints, and planning premises that bear the objectives sought. In the second stage, the alternative is broken into various components. Their individual impact on objective is evaluated and the impact of all factors of an alternative is combined to find out the total impact of the particular alternative. The one having the most positive impact is chosen. Since this requires . making lot of calculations, often the help of computer is taken. In fact, various computer-based models have been developed to make the choice of an alternative easier.

*ActionOnce the creative and analytical aspects of decision making through which an alternative has been chosen are over, the managerial priority is one of converting the decision into something operationally effective. This is the action aspect of decision making. The basic difference between decision making as an analytical process and action is that the former requires the use of conceptual skills since it translates the abstract ideas into reality.

*ResultsWhen the decision is put into action, it brings certain results. These results must correspond with objectives, the starting point of decision process, if good decision has been made and implemented properly. Thus results provide indication whether decision making and its implementation is proper. Therefore, managers should take up a follow-up action in the light of feedback received from the results

*Group Decision Making TechniquesBrainstormingNominal TechniqueDelphi Technique

*Brainstorming It is a technique to stimulate idea generation for decision-making. It is a conference technique by which a group attempts to find a solution for a specific problem by amassing all the ideas spontaneously contributed by its members .For this group should have 10 to 15 persons.

Brainstorming is useful for all types of decisions, it is more useful for simple, well-defined problems. It encourages enthusiasm and a competitive spirit among members in generating ideas; it also prevents group members from feeling hopeless regarding the range of possibilities in a given situation. Though brainstorming can result in many shallow and useless ideas, it can spur members to offer new ideas as well

*Brainstorming- ProcessThe problem on which decision is required is given to the group. Problem is stated clearly and precisely so that members of the group can focus their direct attention on it.

Each member is asked to give ideas through which the problem can be solved. Here the emphasis is on quantity of ideas and quality may follow later. The brainstorming session is meant to be a free, frank, and relaxed one to general maximum number of ideas irrespective of qualities. Factors inhibiting the idea generation are pushed back. The basic theme behind idea generation that though a big chunk of ideas collected during the session may not I worth while, yet a small percentage of it may provide sufficient useful list to work upon.

*Brainstorming- ProcessThe members are expected to put their ideas for problem solution without taking into consideration any limitationsfinancial, procedural, legs organizational or otherwise. Such limitations only act as deterrent to fn flow of ideas because the participants will limit themselves in these limitation.Idea-evaluation is deferred to a later stage because it does not flow in the direction of idea generation.

*Nominal Group Technique

Nominal group technique (NOT) is a structured group meeting which restricts verbal communication among members during the decision-making process. It is meant to resolve differences in group opinion by having individuals generate and then rank a series of ideas in the problem exploration, alternative generation, or choice-making states of group decision-making. The process -1. The group leader outlines the problem requiring decision.2. Each member writes down his ideas silently and independently and presents his best single idea on the problem.3. When all the members write their ideas, these are presented for discussion and evaluation before the group members.4. The members are asked to rank the various ideas for decision-making and the decision is arrived at on the basis of this ranking. If the group does not reach agreement, it repeats the ranking and voting procedure until the group reaches some agreement and makes a decision.

This technique encourages creativity, prevents strong personality types from dominating the group, encourages continued exploration of the issues, provides a forum for the expression of the minority viewpoints, and gives individuals some time to think about the issues before offering solutions^

*Delphi TechniqueThe name Delphi indicates a shrine at which the ancient Greeks used to pray for information about the future. In Delphi technique of decision-making members do not have face- to -face interaction for group decision. The decision is arrived at through written communication in the form of filling up questionnaires often through mails. In the conventional Delphi, a small group designs a questionnaire which is completed by a larger respondent group. The results are then tabulated and used in developing a revised questionnaire which is completed by the larger group. The results of the original polling are fed back to the respondent group to use in subsequent responses. This procedure is repeated until the issues are narrowed, responses are focused, or consensus is reached.

Delphi technique is quite useful where the problem does not lend itself to precise analytical techniques but can benefit from subjective judgments on a collective basis and members who may be experts in the area of the problem may not be able to have face-to-face interaction. For example, what will be the trend of fashion in next year, the decision can be arrived at through Delphi technique.

*Team Effectiveness

*Difference b/w Work Group & TeamA work group is a group that interacts primarily to share information and to make decisions to help each member perform within his or her area of responsibility.

A work team generates positive synergy through coordinated effort. Their individual efforts results in a level of performance that is greater than the sum of those individual inputs

*Difference b/w Work Group & TeamShare InformationNeutralWork GroupTeam

*High Performance Teamand TeamworkA team is a small group of people with complementary skills, who work actively together to achieve a common purpose for which they hold themselves collectively accountable.Teams are one of the major forces behind revolutionary changes in contemporary organizations.

*High Performance Teamand TeamworkThe nature of teamworkTeam members actively work together in such a way that all of their respective skills are utilized to achieve a common purpose.Teamwork is the central foundation of any high performance team.

*High Performance Teamand TeamworkCharacteristics of high performance teamsHigh performance teams:Have strong core valuesTurn a general sense of purpose into specific performance objectivesHave the right mix of skillsPossess creativity

*High Performance Teamand TeamworkDiversity and team performanceTo create and maintain high performance teams, the elements of group effectiveness must be addressed and successfully managed.Diverse teams:Improve problem solving and increase creativityMay struggle in the short termHave strong long-term performance potential

*What is team building?Team members and leaders must work hard to achieve teamwork.Team building helps in achieving teamwork.Team BuildingA sequence of planned activities designed to gather and analyze data on the functioning of a group and to initiate changes designed to improve teamwork and increase group effectiveness.

*What is team building?How team building works?Five step processProblem or opportunity in team effectiveness.Data gathering and analysis.Planning for team improvements.Actions to improve team functioning.Evaluation of results.

*Types of Teams

Problem SolvingSelf-managedCross-functionalVirtual

*Problem Solving TeamsGroups of 5-12 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 TeamsGroups of 10 to 15 people take on responsibilities of their former supervisors.The condition in which team has been formed, the type of tasks team undertakes and the reward structure all this affects the team performance.

*Cross-Functional Teams

Employees from about the same hierarchical level, but from different work areas, who come together to accomplish a task.

*Virtual TeamsVirtual teams use computer technology to tie together physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal. Eg.- Video-Conferencing

*Problem Solving TeamsEmployee involvements teams include a wide variety of teams whose members meet regularly to collectively examine important workplace issues.Quality circleA special type of employee involvement team.Team meets periodically to address problems relating to quality, productivity, or cost.

*Cross Functional Teams

Consist of members representing different functional departments or work units.Used to solve problems with a positive combination of functional expertise and integrative systems thinking.

*Virtual Teams

Members meet at least part of the time electronically and with computer support.Groupware facilitates virtual meetings and group decision making.

*Virtual TeamsKey advantages of virtual teamsBrings cost effectiveness and speed to teamwork.Brings computer power to information processing and decision making.Key disadvantage of virtual teamsDirect personal contact among members suffers.

*Self Managing TeamsSmall groups are empowered to make the decisions needed to manage themselves on a daily basis.Teams make decisions on:Scheduling workAllocating tasksTraining in job skillsEvaluating performanceSelecting new team membersControlling quality of work

*Self Managing TeamsHow self-managing teams work?Are permanent and formal elements of the organizational structure.Team members assume duties otherwise performed by the manager or first-line supervisor.The team should include between 5 and 15 members.Members rely on multi-skilling.

*Self Managing TeamsBenefits of self-managing teamsProductivity and quality improvementsProduction flexibilityFaster response to technological changeReduced absenteeism and turnoverImproved work attitudesImproved quality of work life

*Self Managing TeamsOperational difficulties for self-managing teamsImpact on supervisors and others accustomed to a more traditional way of working.Self-managing teams are not appropriate for all organizations.

*Team Effectiveness

*Context Adequate resources Leadership and structureClimate of trust Performance evaluation and reward systems CompositionAbilities of membersPersonality Allocating roles Diversity Size of teamsMember flexibilityMember preference Work DesignAutonomySkill VarietyTask IdentityTask SignificanceProcessCommon PurposeSpecific GoalsTeam efficacyConflict LevelsSocial loafing

Team Effectiveness

*Key Roles of Team

*

*The End

*************