GROUP DYNAMICS Dr N R SARAVANAN MBA MAYoga

GROUP DYNAMICS Dr. N. R. SARAVANAN MBA, MA(Yoga), PGDHRM, M. Ph. IL, Ph. D. , ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR & RESEARCH ADVISOR

Groups in Organisation Individuals constitute the group and several groups constitute the organisation. A group is an important unit for sociological and psychological analysis to understand organisational behaviour. It affects the behaviour of its members, other roups, and the whole organisation. Definitions of Group G C Homans: "A group is any number of people who share goals, often communicate with each other over a period of time, and are few enough so that each individual may communicate with all the others, person-to person. A group is collection of two or more people who have common objectives or interests and interact with each other to accomplish their objectives, are aware of each other and perceive themselves to be a part of a group.

Conditions or Factors in Group Dynamics 1. Organisation-related Factors 2. Member-related Factors Key Factors in Group Dynamics 3. Group-related Factors 4. Job/Work-related Factors

Characteristics and Reasons for Group Formation Needs/Reasons/objectives 1. Nearness and Similarity 2. Survival 3. Security 4. Social Needs 5. Recognition 6. Economic Benefits 7. Information and Development 8. Solving Work Problems 9. Group Efficacy (Synergy 10. Interaction 11. Other Reasons Characteristics of Group 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Membership Leadership Formal Hierarchy or Status Composition Specific Task Interaction Group Norms Communication Group Cohesiveness Member Satisfaction Size Types

FORMAL AND INFORMAL GROUPS Formal and Informal Groups Organisation involves two types of groups, formal group and informal group. Formal groups are deliberately created to achieve organisational objectives while informal groups come into existence spontaneously. Existence of informal groups can neither be ignored nor restricted. Formal Group Formal group is deliberately and purposefully created. It is created to meet organisation’s requirements. It has specific objectives, rules, and defined relationship. Each member in the formal group has clear-cut authority and responsibility. His position and status are clarified. Formal group has to functions as per the policies, rules, and procedures of organisation. Such group may be temporary or permanent in nature. Informal Groups Informal group, on the other hand, is created automatically or spontaneously due to interactions among people in organisation. Informal group doesn’t have defined objectives and specified scope. It comes into existence to satisfy members’ social and psychological needs which formal structure cannot satisfy. It is not created for organisation’s needs; people with similar nature, likings, and feeling may form an informal group. Friendship groups, membership groups, reference groups, and interest groups are common informal groups. 6

Functions and Problems of informal groups Functions of Informal Groups Limitations/Problems of Informal Group 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 1. 2. 3. Group Integrity Social Satisfaction Solving Work Problem Prescribing Norms and Values Protection of Members Collaborating Efforts Supporting Management Filling Communication Gap Emotional Support Contribution to Organisation Efficiently 7 Resistance to Change Restriction of Output Source of Role Conflict (conflict between formal and informal roles) 4. Source of Rumour (miscommunication) 5. Inertia (inactivity or lethargy) 6. Aggressive Conformity (i. e. , forceful conformation) 7. Narrow Vision and Rigidity 8. Source of Rebellion 9. Source of Conspiracy 10. Compulsion on organisation to accept unjust demand, etc.

Subclassifications of Groups Formal Groups Command Group A group composed of the individuals who report directly to a given manager Task Group Those working together to complete a job or task in an organization but not limited by hierarchical boundaries Informal Groups Interest Group Members work together to attain a specific objective with which each is concerned Friendship Group Those brought together because they share one or more common characteristics

Stages of group formation

Dynamics of teams Team and group are, to some extent, similar and are used interchangeably. However, teams and teamwork are more popular in today’s organisations. Team differs from group mainly in form of outcomes or performance results. Teams are used for high performance results. They are revised version of traditional formal groups. They have collective and synergic effects on final outcomes. Committee, commission, board, taskforce, Quality Control (QC), etc. , are popular forms of team. Definitions of Team 1. Team is a group of individuals with the ability to do special tasks, who prefer to work collectively for specific purpose, have share leadership, and bear individual and collective accountability. 2. Team is well planned, well organised, and well-defined small formal group of eople, each of them tends to be expert

Characteristics of Team 7. Complementary 1. Characteristics of Team 2. Collective Work-products 3. Synergic Effects 8. Emphasis 4. Improved Version of Formal 9. Shared Leadership Group 10. Accountability Small Size or Limited 11. Specific Purpose Members 12. Interacting Style Rewarding Pattern 13. Members Characteristics (or 5. 6. Membership Role Expertise):

Why Have Teams Become So Popular? Great way to use employee talents Teams are more flexible and responsive to changes in the environment Can quickly assemble, deploy, refocus, and disband Facilitate employee involvement Increase employee participation in decision making Democratize an organization and increase motivation Note: Teams are not ALWAYS effective 10 -13

Differences between Groups and Teams Work Group A group that interacts primarily to share information and to make decisions to help each group member perform within his or her area of responsibility No joint effort required Work Team Generates positive synergy through coordinated effort. The individual efforts result in a performance that is greater than the sum of the individual inputs 10 -14

Comparing Work Groups and Work Teams 10 -15

Popular Forms of Team Crossfunctional Teams Virtual Teams Self Managed Teams Problemsolving Teams

Types of Teams Problem-Solving Teams Groups of 5 to 12 employees from the same department who meet for a few hours each week to discuss ways of improving quality, efficiency, and the work environment Self-Managed Work Teams Groups of 10 to 15 people who take on the responsibilities of their former supervisors 10 -17

Types of Teams (Continued) Cross-Functional Teams Employees from about the same hierarchical level, but from different work areas, who come together to accomplish a task Very common Task forces Committees 10 -18

Types of Teams (Continued) Virtual Teams that use computer technology to tie together physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal Characteristics Limited socializing The ability to overcome time and space constraints To be effective, needs: Trust among members Close monitoring To be publicized 10 -19

Creating Effective Teams: Context Adequate Resources Need the tools to complete the job Effective Leadership and Structure Agreeing to the specifics of work and how the team fits together to integrate individual skills Even “self-managed” teams need leaders Leadership especially important in multi-team systems Climate of Trust Members must trust each other and the leader Performance and Rewards Systems that Reflect Team Contributions Cannot just be based on individual effort 10 -20

Creating Effective Teams: Composition Abilities of Members Need technical expertise, problem-solving, decision-making, and good interpersonal skills Personality of Members Conscientiousness, openness to experience, and agreeableness all relate to team performance Allocating Roles and Diversity Many necessary roles must be filled Diversity can often lead to lower performance Size of Team The smaller the better: 5 to 9 is optimal Members’ Preference for Teamwork Do the members want to be on teams? 10 -21