Материал: Management-and-Organization-Behavior

CHAPTER - IV

Lesson - 20 : Group Dynamics

Objectives

After reading this lesson, you should be able to:

ӹUnderstand How Groups Are Formed In The Organizations;

ӹThe Influence Of Groups In The Work Place; And

ӹManage The Groups Effectively To Achieve The Organization Goals.

Lesson Outline

ӹTypes Of Groups

ӹTheories Of Group Formations

ӹReasons For Formation Of Groups

ӹReview Questions

The behavior of people as an individual and as a member of a group widely differs. It may be noted that modern organizations are made up of people and obviously any organization is as good as its people. It is also true that individuals in an organization do not work in isolation. Much of the work in organization is done by groups of people. Therefore, it is important for a manager to understand how groups are formed in the organization and the performance and expectations of the members of various groups.

Research has well established that people in organizations form into groups in order to fulfill their social needs. Hawthorne experiments conducted by Elton Mayo and his team established that people at the work place behave as members of a group and the membership shapes their work behavior and

attitudes towards organizations. The social process by which people interact

with one another in groups is called group dynamics. Group dynamic focuses on team work where small groups contact with each other and share common ideas to accomplish the goals. Thus, a group consists of two or more persons to interact with each other consciously for the achievement of certain common objectives. The members influence the group and in turn are influenced by

others in the group. To quote David Smith “a group is a set of two or more individuals who are jointly characterized by a network of communication, a shared sense of collective identity and one or more shared dispositions with associated strength”.

251

In order to be called a group, an aggregation of persons must satisfy the following conditions:

I. People must interact with one another,

II. People must be psychologically aware of one another, and III. People should perceive themselves to be a group.

Groups are useful for organizations as they provide norms of behavior for its members. They provide a mechanism for people at work place to talk to one another about job or personal problems. They provide a feeling of camaraderie, companionship and understanding. Groups enable the members gain a feeling of belongingness through which the members derive esteem, recognition and status. A sound understanding of the group dynamics at the work place keeps the manager in a good stead so that appropriate initiatives for behavior modifications and to introduce change can be implemented.

Types of Groups

The following types of groups coexist in every organization.

i.Formal Groups: Formal Groups are a part of the organization structure. They are created deliberately by the management to perform the assigned duties. Work groups, committees and quality circles fall in this category. These groups are characterized by clear-cut authority-responsibility relationships. The pattern of communication is also well defined. Rules are laid down to regulate the behavior of group members.

ii.Informal Groups: Informal groups arise spontaneously at the work place because of social interaction between the people. They are created by individuals rather than by management. They are based on common interest, language, taste, religion, background, etc. Thus, informal groups are alliances that are not officially planned. These groups are natural entities in the work environment. Informal groups are more flexible than the formal groups. Since they concentrate on personal contacts between the members, they represent the human side of enterprise as compared to technical side represented by the formal groups.

iii.Command and Task Groups: Formal groups may be subclassified into command and task groups. The command group is composed of subordinates who report directly to a common boss. Thus, a supervisor and the operative employees reporting to him form a command group. The task group, on the other hand, represents those working together to complete a given task. A task group or teams, say for the introduction of a new product or service, is usually formed to complete an assignment that involves a number of departments. Further, a command group is more permanent than a task group in the organization.

252

iv. Interest and Friendship Groups: Informal alliances may take the shape of interest and friendship groups. An interest group consists of people having a specific objective and not aligned to common command or task groups. For instance, employees who group together to pressurize the management for free transport and other benefits constitute an interest group. But a friendship group includes close friends or relatives. These relations even extend outside the organization. The group members know each other very well and have good relations.

Clique

A clique consists of those people who have frequent interactions and observe certain norms and standards. Its purpose is to gain and control power. The number of members of a clique is restricted to five or six organizational members. Some members of a clique may also form another group which may even consist of some persons who are not members of the organization. Thus, the group known as sub-clique is partially external to the organization.

Datton has identified three types of cliques as follows:

i.Vertical clique: It consists of people working in the same department drawing membership regardless of ranks. For example, superior may be a member in a group consisting mainly of subordinates. Such groups cutting across hierarchical lines develop because of the earlier acquaintance of people or because the superior is dependent upon the subordinate for some formal purposes.

ii.Horizontal clique: It consists of people of more or less same rank and working in the same unit. This is the most common kind of informal group. The members have certain common interest for whose achievements they follow certain norms and standards.

iii.Mixed or random clique: Such a group draws members from different ranks, departments and physical locations that come together for a common purpose. The members may be residing in the same locality and travelling by the common bus, or they may be members of the common club.

Theories of Group Formation

The following four theories explain why and how groups are formed:

Propinquity Theory

Individuals affiliate with one another because of spatial or geographical proximity. In an organization, employees who work in the same area of the plant or office would more probably form into groups than those who are not physically located together. The propinquity theory explains a basic factor, i.e., proximity of people at the work place which leads to formation of groups. This phenomenon is observed in daily practice by all of us. However, it is not

253

essential that groups must come up because of proximity of people at the work place. There may be several other reasons for the formation of groups. Thus, the propinquity theory is not analytical; it does not consider the complexities of group behavior.

Homans’ Theory

According to George C. Homans, “The more activities persons share, the more numerous will be their interactions and the stronger will be their shared activities and sentiments: and the more sentiments persons have for one another, the more will be their shared activities and interactions. The Homans theory has contributed a great deal to the understanding of group formation. It is based on three concepts, namely activities, interactions and sentiments which are directly related to each other. The members of a group share activities and interact with one another not just because of physical proximity, but also to accomplish group goals. The key element is interaction because of which they develop common sentiments for one another.

Balance Theory

The theory as proposed by Theodore Newcomb states that “persons are attracted to one another on the basis of similar attitudes towards commonly relevant objects and goals. Once a relationship is formed, it strives to maintain a symmetrical balance between the attraction and the common attitudes. If an imbalance occurs, attempts are made to restore the balance. If

the balance cannot be restored, the relationship dissolves.” Both propinquity and interaction play a role in the balance theory. Thus, the balance theory is additive in nature in the sense that it introduces the factor of ‘balance’ to the propinquity and interaction factors. There must be a balance in the relationship between the group members for the group to be formed and for its survival. According to this theory groups are formed due to some common attitudes and values such as authority, work, life style, religion, politics, etc. They will strive to maintain a symmetrical balance between the attraction and the common attitudes.

Exchange Theory

This theory is based on reward-cost outcomes of interactions. To be attracted towards a group, a person thinks in terms of what he will get in exchange of interaction with the group members. Thus, there is an exchange relationship in terms of rewards and costs of associating with the group. A minimum positive level (rewards greater than costs) of an outcome must exist in order for attraction of affiliation to take place. Rewards from interactions gratify needs while costs incur anxiety, frustrations, embarrassment, or fatigue. Propinquity, interaction and common attitudes all have roles in the exchange theory.

254