Group Behavior

G R O U P B E H A V I O R
A group is defined as two or more individuals,
interacting and interdependent, who have come
together to achieve particular objectives.

Formal groups are established by the
organizations and have a public identity and goal
to achieve.
Informal groups emerge on the basis of
common interests, proximity, and friendship.
Groups are of two types:
Formal
Informal
Classification of the groups into subgroups:
Formal groups can be divided into two subgroups:
Command groups: a manager and
his/her immediate subordinates

Task group: those working together to
complete a job task. Command groups
are members of task group but it cant
be reverse.
Informal groups can be divided into two subgroups:
Interest group: working together to attain
a specific objective with which each is
concerned e.g. vacation schedule.

Friendship groups: they brought together
because they share one or more common
characteristics.
Stages of Group Development
Five stage group
development model:






STAGE I - TESTING (FORMING)

Forming: it is characterized by uncertainty about the
groups purpose, structure and leadership.

CHARACTERISTICS
Polite
Dependence on leader
Guarding
Watchful
Impersonal
No conflicts
Need for group identity is low
Concern for structure, methods, etc.
Hidden agendas stay hidden
STAGE II - CONFUSION (STORMING)

Storming: characterized by inter group conflict.
Resistance to the constraints that the group imposes on
individuality and who will control the group.

CHARACTERISTICS:
Cliques start to have influence
Conflicts occur
People confronted
Hidden Agendas being to be raised
Struggle for leadership by cliques
Opting out
Feeling stuck
Own positions rationalised
Lack of listening
STAGE III - GETTING ORGANISED (NORMING)

Norming: characterized by close relationship and cohesiveness.
Develops group identity, solidarity, and common set of expectations.


CHARACTERISTICS

Procedures developed
Issues confronted
More open exchange of ideas and views
Cliques dissolved
Leadership shared
More listening and co-operation
Giving feedback
Pre-conceived ideas are changed
Creativity high

Performing
STAGE IV - MATURE CLOSENESS (PERFORMING)

Performing: when the group is fully functional
and accepted.

CHARACTERISTICS
Resourcefulness
Creativity
Flexible
Open
Effective
Close and supportive
Settled independence
High group morale
Warmth/closeness of members
Empathy
High level of problem-solving behavior

Adjourning: for temporary groups e.g.
committee, team, taskforce it is characterized by
concern with wrapping up activities. For the
permanent group performing is the last stage.
1
2
4
3
5
Forming Storming Norming
Performing
Adjourning
Sociogram
Sociometry: analyzing group interaction
Sociometry: an analytical technique for studying
group interactions.

Sociogram: a diagram that graphically maps the
preferred social interactions obtained from interviews
or questionnaires.

Social networks: A specific set of linkages among a
defined set of individuals

Clusters: groups that exist within networks.

Prescribed clusters: formal groups such as
departments, work teams, task forces, or committee.

Emergent clusters: informal, unofficial groups.
Coalitions: a cluster of individuals who temporally come together
to achieve a specific purpose.

Cliques: relatively permanent informal groups that involve
friendship.

Stars: individuals with the most linkage in the network.

Liaisons: individuals in the social network who connect two or
more clusters but are not members of any clusters.

Bridges: individuals in the social network who serve as linking
pins by belonging to two or more clusters.

Isolates: individuals who are not connected to a social network.
Sociometry: analyzing group interaction( Cont)
How it will help the managements?
By analyzing group interaction the
management will be able to know the
organizational communicational pattern.
Turnover is linked to emergent clusters.
Strong interpersonal relationships
between members tend to be associated
with lower conflict levels, which emergent
clusters can help the managements to be
detected in the organization.
Difference between informal and formal
organizations
Basis of
comparison
Informal
organization
Formal
organization
General Nature Unofficial Official
Major concepts Power and
politics
Authority &
responsibility
Primary focus Person Position
Sources of leader
power
Given by
group
Delegated by mgt.
Guidelines for
behavior
Norms Rules
Sources of control Sanctions
(Approval)
Rewards & penalties
Group Members Resources
A groups performance depends on
knowledge, skills, abilities and
personality characteristics.
Work groups are organized. They have a
structure that shapes the behavior of
members. The structure makes it possible
to explain and predict a large portion of
individual behavior within the group as
well as the performance of the group itself.

They include:
Group Structure
Performance norm
Arrangement norm
Allocation of
resource norms
Appearance norm
Formal leadership
Roles
Role perception
Role expectations
Role conflict
Norms
Conformity
Status
Size
Group Demography
Cohorts
Cohesiveness
Group Structure: ( Cont)
Formal leadership: s/he is identified by titles
e.g. departmental manager, supervisor, project
leader. Leader plays an important part in the
group success.

Roles: a set of expected behavior patterns
attributed to someone occupying a given
position in a social unit.

Role perception: an individuals view of how
s/he is supposed to act in a given situation.

Group Structure: ( Cont)

Role expectations: how others believe a person
should act in a given situation. It generates from role
stereotypes. Psychological contracts: an unwritten
agreement that sets out what management expects
from employee and vice versa. It is a powerful
determiner of behavior in organizations.

Role conflict: a situation in which an individual is
confronted by divergent role expectations.

Norms: acceptable standards of behavior within a
group that are shared by the groups members.

Performance norm: how hard they should work, how
to get their job done, and their level of output,
appropriate level of tardiness.

Appearance norm: dress, loyalty to the work group
or org.

Arrangement norms: normally comes from informal
work groups and regulates social interaction within
the group. With whom eat lunch, friendship on and off
the job, social games.

Allocation of resource norms: pay, assignment of
difficult jobs, allocations of new tools: and
equipments.
Norms includes:
Group Structure: ( Cont)
Conformity: adjusting ones behavior to align with
the norms of the groups. An important group people
want to confirm is the reference groups. It is
important groups to which individuals belong or
hope to belong and with whose norms individuals
are likely to confirm.

Status: a socially defined position rank given to
groups or group members by others.

Size: the smaller groups are faster in completing
tasks than the larger ones. Social loafing: a
tendency on individuals to expend les efforts when
working collectively than when working individually.

Group Structure: ( Cont)

Group Demography: the degree to which members
of a group share a common demographic attribute
e.g. age sex, race, educational level, or length of
service in the organization, and the impact, and the
impact of this attribute on turnover.

Cohorts: individuals who, as part of a group, hold a
common attribute.

Cohesiveness: degree to which group members are
attracted to each other and are motivated to stay in
the group. It is related to group productivity.
Group Structure: ( Cont)