GROUP

GROUP

INTRODUCTION

People may underestimate the importance of society and group memberships on their lives. Within an organization we do find number of groups. Individuals joining group (s) is a reality – may be formal or informal groups. People work in groups quite frequently and in many different areas of their life e.g. at work, school/college, sport, hobbies. The managers need to understand Group Dynamics that can enable managers to adopt the right approach of interacting with them.

A GROUP

Every organization is a group unto itself. A group refers to two or more people who share a common meaning and evaluation of themselves and come together to achieve common goals. In other words, a group is a collection of people who interact with one another; accept rights and obligations as members and who share a common identity. A group may be defined as a collection of people who have a common purpose or objective, interact with each other to accomplish the group objectives, are aware of one another and perceive themselves to be part of group.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A GROUP:

Regardless of the size or the purpose, every group has similar characteristics:

a)        2 or more persons (if it is one person, it is not a group)

b)        Formal social structure (the rules of the game are defined)

c)        Common fate (they will swim together)

d)        Common goals (the destiny is the same and emotionally connected)

e)        Face-to-face interaction (they will talk with each other)

f)        Interdependence (each one is complimentary to the other)

g)        Self-definition as group members (what one is who belongs to the group)

h)        Recognition by others (yes, you belong to the group).

PROCESS OR STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT:

Group Development is a dynamic process. There is a process of five stages through which groups pass through. The process includes the five stages: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning.

Forming:

The first stage in the life of a group is concerned with forming a group.  At this stage, members try to know each other and establish a common understanding among them. They struggle to clarify group goals and determine appropriate behaviour within the group. The forming stage is completed once individuals within the group feel that they are truly the members of the group.

Storming:

          It is second stage of group formation. As its name implies, this stage is characterised by considerable amount of conflict. At this stage, group members try to resist for being controlled by the group very often, the members disagree about who should lead the group. They also have difference of opinion over how much power should the leader of their group have, etc. This stage is completed when group members no longer resist the group’s control and there is mutual understanding and agreement about who will lead the group. Normally this stage is completed when group members consider that is it is better to work together for the achievement of the group goals.

Norming:

The third stage of group development is marked by a more serious concern about task performance. At this stage, group members really start feeling that they belong to the group. They develop a very close intimacy and relationship with one another. A feeling of friendship develops among them. A well-developed sense of common purpose of the group emerges among the members. In this stage, group members agree on standards to guide the behaviour in the group. Members begin to take greater responsibility for their own group and relationship while the authority figure becomes relaxed. Once this stage is complete, a clear picture will emerge about hierarchy of leadership. The norming stage is over with the solidification of the group structure and a sense of group identity and camaraderie.

Performing:

This is a stage of a fully functional group where members see themselves as a group and get involved in the task. Each person makes a contribution and the authority figure is also seen as a part of the group. When this stage reaches, the group is ready to tackle all types of group tasks. The members of the group work toward achievement of the group goals. The real work of the group gets accomplished at this stage. Group norms are followed and collective pressure is exerted to ensure the Process of Group effectiveness of the group. The group may redefine its goals Development in the light of information from the outside environment and show an autonomous will to pursue those goals. The long-term viability of the group is established and nurtured.

Adjourning:

At this stage, a group disbands after having accomplished its goals. However, ongoing work groups in organisations do not go through this stage rather they remain at the performing stage. In the case of temporary groups, like project team, task force, or any other such group, which have a limited task at hand, also have a fifth stage, This is known as adjourning. The group decides to disband. Some members may feel happy over the performance, and some may be unhappy over the stoppage of meeting with group members. Adjourning may also be referred to as mourning, i.e. mourning the adjournment of the group.