GROUP DYNAMICS

DEFINITION

 GROUP:
 A group may be defined as a number of
individuals who join together to achieve a
goal. People join groups to achieve goals that
cannot be achieved by them alone.
Johnson & Johnson (2006)
 A collection of people who interact with one
another, accept rights and obligations as
members and who share a common identity.
GROUP DYNAMICS

 A branch of social psychology which studies

problems involving the structure of a group.

 The interactions that influence the attitudes

and behavior of people when they are
grouped with others through either choice or
accidental circumstances.
TYPE OF GROUPS

 Formal groups: refers to those which are

established under the legal or formal
authority with the view to achieve a particular
end results. Eg: trade unions.
 Informal groups: refers to aggregate of
personal contact and interaction and network
of relationship among individual. Eg:
friendship group.
TYPE OF GROUPS

 Primary groups: are characterized by small

size, face to face interaction and intimacy
among members of group. Eg: family,
neighbourhood group.
 Secondary groups: characterized by large
size, individual identification with the values
and beliefs prevailing in them rather than
cultural interaction. Eg: occupational
association and ethnic group.
TYPE OF GROUPS

 Task groups: are composed of people who work

together to perform a task but involve cross-
command relationship. Eg: for finding out who
was responsible for causing wrong medication
order would require liaison between ward in
charge, senior sister and head nurse.
 Social groups: refers to integrated system of
interrelated psychological group formed to
accomplish defined objectives. Eg: political party
with its many local political clubs. Friendship
group.
TYPE OF GROUPS

 Reference groups: one in which they would

like to belong.
 Membership groups: those where the
individual actually belongs.
 Command groups: formed by subordinates
reporting directly to the particular manager
are determined by formal organizational
chart.
TYPE OF GROUPS

 Functional groups: the individuals work

together daily on similar tasks.
 Problem solving groups: it focuses on specific
issues in their areas of responsibility,
develops potential solution and often
empowered to take action.
CRITERIA FOR A GROUP

 Formal social structure

 Face-to-face interaction
 2 or more persons
 Common fate
 Common goals
 Interdependence
 Self-definition as group members
 Recognition by others
OBJECTIVES OF GROUP DYNAMICS

 To identify and analyze the social processes

that impact on group development and
performance.
 To acquire the skills necessary to intervene
and improve individual and group
performance in an organizational context.
 To build more successful organizations by
applying techniques that provides positive
impact on goal achievement.
PRINCIPLES OF GROUP DYNAMICS

 The members of the group must have a

strong sense of belonging to the group.
 Changes in one part of the group may
produce stress in other person, which can be
reduced only by eliminating or allowing the
change by bringing about readjustment in the
related parts
 The group arises and functions owing to
common motives.
PRINCIPLES OF GROUP DYNAMICS

 Groups survive by placing the members into

functional hierarchy and facilitating the
action towards the goals
 The intergroup relations, group organization
and member participation is essential for
effectiveness of a group.
 Information relating to needs for change
plans for change and consequences of
changes must be shared by members of a
group.
ELEMENTS OF GROUP DYNAMICS

 COMMUNICATION
 CONTENT VS PROCESS
 DECISION
 INFLUENCE
 TASK VS RELATIONSHIPS
 ROLES
 MEMBERSHIP
 FEELINGS
 NORMS
 GROUP ATMOSPHERE
 GROUP MATURITY
ROLES

TASK ROLES (which helps the group accomplish its

task)
 Initiator: proposing tasks or goals; defining a
group problem; suggesting ways to solve a
problem.
 Information/opinion seeker: requesting facts;
asking for expressions of feeling; requesting a
statement; seeking suggestions and ideas.
 Information or opinion giver: offering facts;
providing relevant information; stating an
opinion; giving suggestions and ideas.
TASK ROLES
 Clarifier and elaborator: interpreting ideas or
suggestions; clearing up confusion; defining
terms; indicating alternatives and issues
before the group.
 Summarizor: pulling together related ideas;
restating suggestions after the group has
discussed them; offering a decision or
conclusion for the group to accept or reject.
TASK ROLES
 Energizer; who stimulates and prods the
group to act and raise the level of their
actions.
 Coordinator: who clarifies and coordinates
ideas, suggestions and activities of the group
members.
RELATIONSHIP ROLES (which helps group
members get along better)
 Harmonizer: who mediates, harmonizes and
resolve conflicts.
 Gate keeper: helping to keep communication
channels open; facilitating the participation of
others; suggesting procedures that permit
sharing remarks.
 Encourager; being friendly, warm, and
responsive to others; indicating by facial
expression or remarks the acceptance of others'
contributions.
RELATIONSHIP ROLES
 Compromiser: when one's own idea or status
is involved in a conflict, offering a
compromise which yields status; admitting
error.
 Follower: who accepts the group’s ideas and
listens to their discussion and decisions
SELF-ORIENTED ROLES (which contributes to
neither group task nor group relationship)
 Dominator: interrupts others; launches on
long monologues; is over-positive; tries to
lead group and assert authority; is generally
autocratic.
 Negativist: rejects ideas suggested by
others; takes a negative attitude on issues;
argues frequently and unnecessarily; is
pessimistic, refuses to cooperate; pouts.
SELF-ORIENTED ROLES
 Aggressor: tries to achieve importance in
group; boasts; criticizes or blames others;
tries to get attention; shows anger or
irritation against group or individuals;
deflates importance or position of others in
group.
 Playboy: is not interested in the group except
as it can help him or her to have a good time.
SELF-ORIENTED ROLES
 Storyteller: likes to tell long "fishing stories"
which are not relevant to the group; gets off
on long tangents.
 Interrupter: talks over others; engages in
side conversations; whispers to neighbour.
STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT

 BRUCE W TUCKMAN is a respected

educational psychologist who first described
the four stages of group development in 1965
 The four-stage model is called as Tuckman's
Stages for a group.
Stage 1: Forming
Stage 2: Storming
Stage 3: Norming
Stage 4: Performing
Stage 5: Adjourning
DIMENSIONS OF GROUP PROCESS

 Patterns of communication and coordination

 Patterns of influence
 Roles / relationship
 Patterns of dominance (e.g. who leads, who
defers)
 Balance of task focus Vs social focus
 Level of group effectiveness
GROUP DYNAMICS PROCESS
A. GROUP FORMATION
 Participation
Factors which affect member’s participation are;
 The content or task of the group- is it of interest,
importance and relevance?
 The physical atmosphere - is it comfortable physically,
socially and psychologically?
 The psychological atmosphere - is it accepting, non-
threatening?
 Member’s personal preoccupations - are there any
distracting thoughts in their mind?
 The level of interaction and discussions - is adequate
information provided for everyone to understand? - is it
at a level everyone understands?
 Familiarity - between group members- do members
know each other from before?
GROUP DYNAMICS PROCESS
 Communication
Helpful hints for effective communication
 Have a circular seating arrangement so that everyone can see and
interact with everyone else
 If there are two facilitators, they should sit apart so that
communication flow is not in one direction
 Respect individuals- let everyone call everyone else by name
respectfully
 Encourage and support the quiet members to voice their opinions
 Try and persuade the people who speak too much to give others a
chance
 Ensure that only one person speaks at a time or no one else will be
heard
 Discourage sub groups from indulging in side talk
GROUP DYNAMICS PROCESS

 Problem solving
 Leadership
B. DEVELOPMENT OF GROUPS
STAGES
 FIRST STAGE
 SECOND STAGE
 THIRD STAGE
 FOURTH STAGE
C. FACILITATING A GROUP
To facilitate effectively the facilitator needs
to:
 Understand what is happening within the
group
 Be aware of his/her own personality
 Know how to facilitate
Thank You