GROUP BEHAVIOR
Definition
A group is a set of two or more interacting individuals who come together to achieve particular objectives. Their interaction makes them interdependent.
Figure 1 gives a clear illustration of the groups that exist in Alpha Building and Construction company.
- Formal groups – are designated by the company or the purpose of assigning, establishing, and completing tasks. The command group consists of managers, supervisors. The task force consists of employees working on a joint project for the firm. Committees are set up for special projects for example: the budgetary or planning committee.
- Informal groups – consists of natural relations that exist for social interactions, and other activities outside the professional duties. It consists of friendship circles, cliques/ groups which tend to be smaller, and groups which are also sub-divided based on the character traits portrayed by members.
Figure 1
Why people join groups
People join groups to fulfill the need for affiliation. There is joy that comes with social interactions and group membership.
Some individuals join groups to get recognition-so they are considered important in the workplace.
People tend to feel more secure in groups than being a loner.
Being an affiliate of a group increases the self-worth of person.
Individuals join groups to achieve goals that may not be possible to attain individually. Pooling of resources, and talents draws people closer to their goals.
Stages of group development
Figure 2
As illustrated in Figure 2, these steps are crucial to the manager, because it gives an overview of how groups develop overtime.
- Forming stage: the group comes together for the first time. it is characterized by uncertainty. Character and formalities are preserved as people form first impressions.
- Storming stage: members communicate their views with feelings. Confidence is built and important issues can be discussed by the group.
- Norming stage: the group becomes cohesive. Group members can recognize and actively appreciate talents and abilities. individuals realize that they can achieve more if they accept other people’s viewpoints.
- Performing stage: it is marked by high productivity. The objective of the group at this stage is to complete their task.
- Adjourning stage: it involves teams that have limited assignments to perform within speculated
timelines. Besides, the group assesses its performance and implements a transition plan.
Role requirements
Role expectations indicate how other people believe one should act in situations. In the workplace a psychological contract sets out mutual expectations between employers and employees.
Role conflict point out to situations where an individual faces differing role expectations.
Group norms and status
The standard rules set for each team, forms part of the group norms. They affect individual behavior because each member is required to conform to the norms. Social norms cause individuals to reflect the social values of the group. Performance norms lead an individual to carry out duties as expected by members of the group. Status determines ranks of individuals whereby; a manager is expected to perform duties that confirm the authority held by the leader.
Ways to increase group cohesiveness
Increasing the time that group members spend together is a means to encourage cohesiveness. This is viable in groups where there are no major conflicts, and productivity is high.
Give rewards for group performance as this method encourages team members, and increases their unity because they recognize their success through pool of talents and resources.
Encouraging target goals for groups enables the team members to more time with each other, which increased their bond.
Making groups smaller increases cohesiveness because it is human nature to seek associations. The smaller the group, the stronger the bond.
Encouraging competition among groups keeps the whole organization on toes, and people get motivated to stay in their groups where everyone hopes to win.
Group decision-making
Involving different people in decision making in the Alpha Company bears the following strengths:
- Decisions become more accurate
- The diversity of views increases creativity within the organization.
- The dissemination of information and knowledge is more complete.
The weaknesses in the process include:
- The time taken in group decision making is much compared to a small committee.
- Sometimes contributions to the discussion are made by few individuals.
- There is pressure for the management/ employees to confirm to decisions simply without considering the risks involved.
Decision-making techniques
Brainstorming: the technique allows for contribution of ideas by each member of the concerned department.
Nominal: individuals can only list their ideas on paper. Discussions are allowed to clarify the ideas, and critical analysis is not carried out.
Electronic: ideas are projected onto a projector screen with the help of a computer.
The brainstorming technique is effective for Alpha company because it allows for a pool of resources, which increases productivity, and provides space for criticism. At the end of the process, the team comes up with quality ideas.