Module II -- Group Functions
AIBAS, Amity University
Gwalior, MP
1
Module II -- Group Functions
Factor affecting the Group Functions
Internal team factors to consider-
Norms
In daily life, each individual develops a unique and personal way of judging situations and
people. A person's judgment may be shaped by participation in group life and the
internalization of rules that exist in the group.
The influence that a group may have on a member's perceptions or representations of
reality is not, from the outset, good or bad. It is, however, important to understand that
becoming a member of a group and adopting its rules and practices changes an individual's
view of the world in different ways. A group's ability to assert its influence over a member
may, however, vary depending on the individual and group in question.
Roles and Norms
Every member in a group or team plays a role. These roles are defined by the quantity and
quality of communication that participants engage in with the other members. It is not
unusual for some clear roles to develop for each participant within the first few minutes
of group or team interaction.
Internal factors….contd…
Roles and Norms
• To help the group reach its objectives. As members share the same code of
conduct the group's norms dictate the responsibilities and obligations of each
member. This combination of choices, decisions and behaviours generally
fosters a harmonious functioning among group members;
• To foster relationships among members and internal group cohesion. Norms
indicate what attitude members should adopt in various circumstances. They
may, for instance, help members settle a conflict by providing them with
possible resolutions to problems or misunderstandings. As a result,
misunderstandings can be avoided and harmonious relationships among
members preserved.
• · To help members gain a better understanding of their experience. By
suggesting or prescribing acceptable and unacceptable attitudes or behaviours
as well as the roles and functions of each group member, norms enable
members to better understand the behaviours of their co-members. Norms also
allow members to identify those who do not respect the rules enforced in the
group.
Internal factors…
Size A group/team can have as few as two member or as many members as
can interact and influence one another. Group size can have an important
effect on performance .A group with many members has more resources
available and may be able to complete a large number of relatively
independent tasks.
Cohesiveness Group/team cohesiveness results from “all forces acting on
the members to remain in the group. The forces that create cohesiveness are
attraction to the group, non-resistance to leaving the grouping the motivation to
remain a member of the group. Group cohesive is related to many aspects of
group dynamics maturity, homogeneity (uniformity) and size.
Status is a socially defined position or rank given to groups or group by
others.It would not be extravagant to rephrase the preceding quotation to
read,”In the status hierarchy of life, nothing doesn’t matter.”We live in a class-
structured society.
External factors to consider-
Authority Structures
Organizations have authority structures that define who
reports to whom, who makes decisions, and what decisions
individuals or groups are empowered to make.This structure
typically determines where a given work group is placed in
the organizations hierarchy, the formal leader of the group,
and formal relationships between groups. So, while a work
group might be led by someone who emerges informally
from within the group, the formally designated leader—
appointed by management —has authority that others in the
group.
External factors to consider-
Organization Policies
Organizations create rules, procedures, policies, and other
forms of regulations to standardize employee behavior. If
McDonald has standard operating procedures for taking
orders, cooking burgers, and filling soda containers, then
the discretion of work group members to set independent
standards of behaviors is severely limited. The more formal
regulations that the organization imposes on all its
employees, the more the behavior of the work group
members will be consistent and predictable.
External factors to consider-
Organizational Resources
Some organizations are large, profitable, with an
abundance of resources.When organizations have
limited resources, so do their work groups. What a
group actually accomplishes is, to a large degree,
determined by what it is capable of accomplishing .The
presence or absence of resources such as money, time
raw material, equipment— which are allocated to the
group by the organization—have a large bearing on the
behavior.
Group Cohesiveness
• Cohesiveness refers to the degree and strength of
interpersonal attraction among members of the group.
• Cohesiveness is the degree to which members are attracted
to each other and are motivated to stay in the group.
• Cohesion can be more specifically defined as the tendency
for a group to be in unity while working towards a goal or
to satisfy the emotional needs of its members.
• Cohesive groups have a general perception of "we-ness."
Group cohesiveness is the
ability to think and act 'as
one' if the group is physically
together or not.
Attributes of a Cohesive Group
• The members share the group goals and have common
interests.
• The number of members is relatively small.
• The members are in constant touch with each other
and have very effective interpersonal communication.
• High group loyalty.
• Members interact among themselves quite frequently.
• Members keep themselves attached to the group as
they feel that their needs would satisfied by the group.
Types of Cohesion
• Task Cohesion – the degree to which members
of a group work together to achieve common
goals
• Social Cohesion – reflects the degree to which
members of a team like each other and enjoy
each other’s company
Factors that Increase Group Cohesiveness
• Inter-group competition
• Personal attraction
• Favorable evaluation
• Agreement on Goals
• Interaction
Factors that decrease Cohesiveness
• Large group size
• Disagreement on goals
• Intra-group competition
• Domination
• Unpleasant experiences
Importance of Group Cohesiveness
It has been found by studies that the output of a
cohesive group tends to be more uniform than
that of the members of the less cohesive group.
More cohesive a group is more would be the
productivity.
Outcome of Cohesiveness
More More More
Participation Influence Conformity
More
Cohesiveness Personal
More success
Satisfaction
More High
Communication Productivity
To Increase Group Cohesion
Reach joint agreement on group goals
Make the group more homogeneous
Increase interaction among group members
Make the group smaller
Physically or socially isolate the group
Allocate rewards to the group, not individuals
Give the group and members more responsibility
Inter-group Conflict
Conflict between different groups in the organization are know as
intergroup conflicts. A conflict between production team and
marketing team is an example of inter-group conflict. Such conflicts
arise when –
1. Joint Decision making
2. Differences in Goals
3. Difference in Perceptions
4. Task Ambiguity
5. Difference in work Orientation
6. Organizational Reward System
