Tuckman Stages of

Group Development
By: Aliska
Muna
Sagun and Sapan

KEY POINTS:
Introduction
Five Stages of Group Development
Criticism

Literature Review
Nepalese Context Examples

Introduction
Challenge Transforming a team of diverse
individuals
into a productive, highfunctioning team.
Agreeable points:
Predictable stages
Leaders and group members who are aware

of these stages can improve the quality of

their teams interactions during each stage

Bruce Wayne Tuckman

Born : 1938 New York
Field: Educational Psychology
Group Dynamics
Published the model in 1965 with 4
stages and added 5th one in 1977.

Development of Model
He researched small groups and

organizational behavior.
Analysis of Interpersonal and Task functions of

groups were conducted.

Forming

Adjournin
g

Performin
g

Group
Developme
nt

Stormin
g

Norming

Stages:

Stage I : FORMING

Key Issue: Inclusion

Who are these people?
Do I want to be the part of this team?
Will I be accepted as a member?
Who is the leader?
What is expected out of me?

Behaviors

Tasks

Unclear purpose &

Build common

goals
Low level of
communication
Cautious members,
do not initiate
Low level of
commitment

purpose
Understand personal
interest &
expectations
Assess resources
Leader provides
direction

Outcome: Commitment
Acceptance

Stage II : STORMING

Key issue : Control

How will I validate my opinion?
How much control will I have?
Who do I support and who supports me?
How much influence do I have?
Whats wrong with our roles and goals?

Behaviors

Tasks

Differences and

Involve everyone on

confusion arises

discussion

Conflict over direction Seek further clarity

and control

and make

High level of energy

adjustments with

Competition

resources

Two way
communication

Define norms
Problem solving jointly

Outcome: Clarification
Belonging

Stage III : NORMING

Key issue: Cohesion

What kind of relationships can we develop?
Will we be successful as a team?
What is my relationship to the team leader?
Are there established channels for giving and

receiving feedback?

Behaviors

Tasks

Gains confidence and

Develop process for

trust
What, how, who and
when become clarified
Agreements on goals,
approach & leadership
roles
Builds relationships with
externals and relate
interdependently

information sharing,
feedback, etc.
Leader create
opportunity for others
to lead
Work toward
consensus on
overarching issues

Outcome: Involvement
Support

Stage IV : PERFORMING

Team members are able to:

Define tasks
Manage conflicts
Accomplish missions
Make decisions
Solve problems
Exhibit high productivity

Behaviors

Tasks

Full responsibility of tasks

Continuously seek to

and relationships.
Team achieves effective
and satisfying results.
Team facilitates itself

improve tasks and

relationships.
Celebrate successes
reward and recognize

easily through the various

both team and

stages.

individuals wins.

Differences appreciated

Continuously test for

and used to enhance the

better methods and

team's performance

approaches.
High commitment to

Outcome: Achievement
Pride

Stage V : ADJOURNING

Characterized by:
Task completion
Good feeling about achievements
Recognition
Sadness or sense of loss (mourning stage)

Behaviors

Tasks

Ments
Discuss achievements

Self evaluation

Acknowledge change
and shortcomings

Recognize individual and

team effort

Celebrate the groups

accomplishments
Conduct closure
ceremony

Outcome: Recognition
Satisfaction

Criticism
Literature review did not represent a

representative sample of settings.

Even Tuckman (1965) himself scrutinized his
original work, saying it was limited due to a lack
of quantitative research rigour to his
observations, and a concern with the description
and control of independent variables.
Lacks a complete explanation of how groups
change over time - Rickards and Moger (2000)
High degree ofconsistency and similarity in the
description of the stages - Miller (2003)

Literature Review

Napier & Gershenfeld,

1999: LAIG Model
Latent Phase: Group is keen to agree the

purpose,

methods, expectations and

obligations.
Adaptation: Generation of essential facts for

completing their task and allocating roles.

Integration: Traces of compromising and

greater level of flexibility.

Goal Attainment: Group is focused on

completing and achieving the goal.

May not be linear process and may show

cyclical pattern of behavior

Gersick, 1990: Punctuated

Equilibrium Model
No universal sequence of activities in the

groups nor was progress steady and gradual.

Group was quick to establish their norms

without discussion and quickly settled into the

task.
Half way through, the group adopted

significant change.

The midpoint of their task was the start of a

major jump in progress when the students

became concerned about the deadline and their
progress so far.

Following this shift in approach, the groups again

settled into another productive phase of working

together, followed by a sudden increase of
energy to complete their task.

THANK YOU !!