StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Bruce Tuckman's Theory of Group Development - Research Paper Example

Cite this document
Summary
This paper "Bruce Tuckman's Theory of Group Development" focuses on the fact that B. Tuckman introduced group theory in 1965, stating that every group goes through four processes – forming, in which the group is oriented and formed; storming, in which intragroup conflict emerges. …
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER95.3% of users find it useful
Bruce Tuckmans Theory of Group Development
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Bruce Tuckman's Theory of Group Development"

Tuckman's Theory of Group Development Bruce Tuckman introduced group theory in 1965, stating that every group goes through four processes – forming, in which the group is oriented and formed; storming, in which intragroup conflict emerges; norming, in which the group settles in to form a cohesive whole; and performing, in which the group works on and completes the task around which the group was formed (Tuckman & Jensen, 1977, p. 419). There are theories as to how best to accomplish the performing element. One is a concept of group awareness, which states that individual group members must have information about one another, about their goals and about the development of the group in order to achieve peak efficiency (Oemig et al.). Another states that the similarity between group members aids in task efficiency, mainly because, the more similar people are, the more they think alike and the less likely there will be conflict that will slow down the task (Civettini, 2007, p. 264). Since then, the theory has been tested by others. One question that could be asked is why there is intragroup conflict. The other elements seem self-explanatory, but the element of storming is one that needs some sort of explanation. One such explanation is offered by Rothwell (2008). According to Bion's theory of group emotions, there is a predictability to the emotions of groups, and these emotions form the basis for group cohesiveness and functioning (Rothwell et al., 2008, p. 114). The group cultures are divided into two distinct categories – work, which refers to the overt behaviours of the group that is associated with the group's official purpose; and emotional group culture, or basic assumption, which is based upon the individual's anxiety, fears and fantasies (Rothwell et al., 2008, p. 114). The basic assumption group is always a part of the work group, so that groups in general are viewed as emotional groups that subsumed within work groups (Rothwell et al., 2008, p. 114). Related to this theory is the theory put forth by Wright (2010), which states that there are phases that each group goes through, which marks how the members interact with one another through time. In the beginning, the group is marked by the individual's fears and anxiety about the group, which is related to Rothwell's emotional group culture. These fears and anxieties are based upon the fear of rejection from other group members, and it is up to the leaders to facilitate each individual members entrance into the group. Individual members may feel that perhaps the group will not accept them, or accept their views; that perhaps they are not good enough at the given activity, and that others will be better than they are; and that there may be unwanted competition. These fears may be allayed by making sure that each group member works at the same competency, and that competitiveness, skill demand and instruction complexity are minimized (Wright, 2010, p. 211). The middle phase of the group is where the group settles in and becomes more comfortable with one another, and they become emotionally invested in the group. The individuals settle into status and roles within the group. Each member has a better idea of his or her place within the group, and each individual member feels more confident to individualize him or herself – whereas at the beginning of the group, the members felt a need to be similar to one another, in the middle, differences are celebrated. The individual group members bond by sharing personal information that they would not have shared before. Opinions are given more freely (Wright, 2010, p. 214). The last stage of the group is marked by a return of insecurities and fears, only now these insecurities and fears are coalesced around the feeling that the group is ending, and the ambivalence that is felt when this is at hand. It is also marked by openness in communication, presumably because the group is coming to an end, so the members may feel able to speak more freely. This openness may result in tension, regression and fights (Wright, 2010, p. 207). The ending of the group may be made more harmonious by emphasizing the fact that the members are free to express their ambivalence about the group ending, and to talk about how the group changed them (Wright, 2010, p. 221). Group Leadership As far as group leadership goes, there are certain traits that leaders should possess. One type of leader is the servant leader, who puts aside his or her own self-interest in favor of the interests of those being led. These leaders are altruistic; are able to provide emotional healing to those who fail; are wise, in that they have a good grasp on any given situation that faces the group and knows how to handle these situations; have an excellent ability to persuade others; and understand how their organization impacts society, and are able to use their organization for positive societal means (Barbuto & Gifford, 2010, p. 5-7). Another type of leader is the transformational leader, who is able to “enhance their followers performance beyond the personal and leadership's expectations” (Thomas, 2010, p. 9). This leader is able to identify each individuals' personal needs; is able to elicit creative and innovative thinking among the led; is able to assist the followers through task that they might have thought to be impossible; and is able to inspire a “charismatic admiration and emulation of the leader” (Thomas, 2010, p. 9). These leaders use a system of punishment, rewards and pre-emptive actions to solve group problems (Thomas, 2010, p. 10). Applications of the Theories The theories put forth by these group dynamic researchers can be applied in the real world, and some elements are more important than others. For instance, with a sports team, cohesiveness, which would correspond with Tuckman's “norming” or Wright's middle phase elements, is the most important issue as far as how successful the team is (Hall, 2002, p. 2). The cohesiveness may be either social or task, or both. Social cohesion implies that the group gets along well with one another, which might include socializing outside the group. Task cohesion means that the group is cohesive to accomplish the task at hand, but this does not necessarily mean that the individual members get along or even like one another. An example of task cohesion without social cohesion is exemplified by the New York Yankees 1978 team, that exhibited “extraordinary task cohesion,” but the teammates “hated each other” (Hall, 2002, p. 2). Cohesiveness is also one of the most important elements in team-based learning. Cohesiveness is especially important in this situation, as the cohesion of the group limits “social loafing,” which is where one or more members of the group do less work than what they would do on their own. Task cohesiveness appears to minimize this effect (Meeuwsen & Pederson). The 4-H Club emphasizes elements similar to Tuckman's approach in preparing their young people for leadership roles. The elements that are emphasized in the 4-h Club are belonging, in which the participants learn to be a part of the group, and corresponds with the norming element of Tuckman's theory; independence, in which the 4-H participants gain self-confidence, which corresponds with the performing element; mastery, in which basic skills and specific skills important to 4-H are mastered, and this also corresponds with the performing element; and generosity, in which compassion is developed and community service is emphasized (Anderson et al., 2010, pp. 41-43). Thus, the 4-H model encompasses many of Tuckman's positive elements, and none of the negative ones, such as the storming element. Dudka & Barnett (2007) applied Tuckman's theory to their study of adults in on-line education classes. They found that the apprehensiveness that denotes forming were present during the first three weeks of classes. During this period, members worried, felt intimidated and acclimated to the courses. The storming stage lasted the entire length of the course, 16 weeks, and was centered around work-family conflicts, the high cost of buying books, the feeling of being puzzled or confused by the coursework. Norming occurred during weeks 3-7, as members started to trust one another, become more comfortable with each other, and the coursework became more accessible and clear. The performing happened during weeks 4-16, as members started understanding the assignments better, finishing these assignments, and getting into the groove. Hingst et al. (2006) reviewed Tuckman's theory in the context of a call center, stating that one of the features of a group is the integration of new members. When new members join a group, there is a period of transitioning from being an outsider to a group member, and this requires learning about the interpersonal relationships between the existing group members and “acquiring an understanding of group culture, norms and tasks” (Hingst et al., 2006, p. 4). During this period of time the existing group members are similarly sizing up the new member, trying to learn about him and how he operates within the group's confines and figuring out how their interpersonal relationships will be affected by the new member. Hingst et al. theorized that, absent a challenge from a dominant new member who has the potential to exert a strong influence over the group, the interpersonal relationships between existing members will not change with the addition of the new person, and that the new person will not be able to challenge established practices within the group. The more likely scenario is that the new member will assimilate into the group in a gradual process and that, over time, he might be able to influence the group agenda (Hingst, et al., 2006). The researchers found that interpersonal bonds between existing members actually did weaken somewhat in groups that are constantly exposed to transient membership, while that group is facilitating the entrance of the new member. They also found that there is a period of mutual investigation, as the new member is uncertain about the group and the group is uncertain about the new member's competence and the existing members scrutinize the new member's personal and character attributes. They also found that there was not a re-examining of the interpersonal relationships between existing group members (Hingst et al., 2006). Conclusion Tuckman's theory has been widely used since its inception in 1965. Although not all groups adhere to the four stages, many of them do at least resemble the stages. Some theories skip different parts of Tuckman's stages, others put the steps out of sequence, such as Wright, who hypothesized that groups essentially go through forming and norming before storming, and that storming and performing often happen at the same time. Leadership theories are also helpful to understand group dynamics. These theories are applied to real-world situations, which helps us understand them better and apply them as well. Sources Used Anderson, J. (2010). 4-H made me a leader: a college-level alumni perspective of leadership life skill development. Journal of Leadership Education 2(9): 35-46. Barbuto, J. & Gifford, G. (2010). Examining gender differences of servant leadership. Journal of Leadership Education 2(9): 4-16. Civettini, N. (2007). Similarity and group performance. Social Psychology Quarterly 70(3): 262-271. Glowacki-Dudka, M. & Barnett, N. (2007). Connecting critical reflection and group development in online education classes. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education 19(1): 43-52. Hall, A. (2007). Sports psychology: building group cohesion, performance and trust in athletic teams. Retrieved from: http://www.arichall.com/academic/papers/psy8840-sport-psyc.pdf Hingst, R. (2006). Tuckman's theory of group development in a call centre context: does it still work? Fifth Global Conference on Business and Economics. Retrieved from: http://eprints.usq.edu.au/ 1910/ Meeuwsen, H. & Pederson, R.. (2006). Group cohesion in team-based learning. Mountain Rise, 3(1): 1-11. Oemig, C. & Gross, T. Shifts in significance: How group dynamics improves group awareness. Retrieved from; http://cml.medien.uni-weimar.de/~gross/publ/mc07 _oemig_gross_group_dynamics.pdf Rothwell, E.W. (2008). The emotional dynamics of a group during a challenge course exercise. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning 8(2): 113-131. Thomas, J. (2010). Bet you never heard of this leadership trait. Journal of Leadership Education 2(9): 1-3. Tuckman, B. & Jensen, M. (1976). Stages of small-group development revisited. Group and Organization Studies: 419-430. Wright, W. (2010). The use of purpose in on-going activity groups: a framework for maximizing the therapeutic impact. Social Work With Groups 28(3): 205-227. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Not Found (#404) - StudentShare”, n.d.)
Not Found (#404) - StudentShare. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/psychology/1741600-bruce-tuckmans-theory-of-group-development
(Not Found (#404) - StudentShare)
Not Found (#404) - StudentShare. https://studentshare.org/psychology/1741600-bruce-tuckmans-theory-of-group-development.
“Not Found (#404) - StudentShare”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/psychology/1741600-bruce-tuckmans-theory-of-group-development.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Bruce Tuckman's Theory of Group Development

Mumbais Dabawalahs - A World Class Service

He concluded that there were a group of satisfiers and dissatisfiers in every work environment- which could be anything from strict and unyielding work policies or the lack of management attention to the needs of the workers on the negative side, to a fair and equitable wage and hygienic conditions that took into account the health and safety of the workers on the positive side.... In ancient times, management used the carrot and stick approach or what McGregor calls theory X and theory Y (McGregor, 1960) to get the desired results within the organization-some firms still do....
5 Pages (1250 words) Coursework

Group Behavior and Causes of Conflict

The paper "Group Behavior and Causes of Conflict" explains that understand what makes a strong and successful group, one must first understand the dynamics of group development, as well as the sources of conflict, which can decrease the efficiency of the group.... he fourth stage of group development is the performing stage.... They are also able to move past the emotional side of group development and start making judgments and decisions based on their goals rather than their feelings....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay

Software Design, Implementation, and Testing

Another aspect was shortfalls in the project management model and the group dynamics.... This web application project will work as an online catalogue of PC components as well a special feature for advanced users to configure and… Keeping view of not meeting required specifications we propose a systematic framework for its recovery and rehabilitation....
12 Pages (3000 words) Essay

Mumbais Dabawalahs - A World Class Service

hellip; The office environment is not only made up of a diverse group of individuals, each of whom has diverse skills and talents, but what are needed are plans for achieving the goals and aims of the business enterprise.... He concluded that there were a group of satisfiers and dissatisfiers in every work environment- which could be anything from strict and unyielding work policies or the lack of management attention to the needs of the workers on the negative side, to a fair and equitable wage and hygienic conditions that took into account the health and safety of the workers on the positive side....
5 Pages (1250 words) Coursework

The Bruce Tuckman Model

Stages of Small-group development Revisited.... The management has to realize… the fact that they are working through the point in group and team development where normalization of performance of team members has to be done in order to smooth organizational performance.... The management has to realize the fact that they are working through the point in group and team development where normalization of performance of team members has to be done in order to smooth organizational performance....
2 Pages (500 words) Coursework

Team Development

t is because of the emerging issues around the team development process that Bruce Tuckman in 1965 proposed the four stages of group development which he together with Jeanson in 2010, corrected by adding the fifth stage.... Stages of group development revisisted.... ajorly the problems facing group development at Barclays is poor leadership.... Team size and quality of group experience: the more the merrier?... Teams are literally the active functioning groups in an organization and most… ions would prefer to work in teams than individuals since the with former, one can easily learn from the each other, and a mistake will be easily identified and corrected than with the later. It is because of the emerging issues around the team development process that Bruce Stages of Team development at Barclays Bank Stages of Team development at Barclays Bank Teams are like pillars of an organization and just like Aube states it, they may be formed for various reasons and can either be vertical or horizontal or even virtual (Aube & Tremblay, 2011)....
2 Pages (500 words) Coursework

Groups and Conflicts

This essay "Groups and Conflicts" discusses what makes a strong and successful group and tries to understand the dynamics of group development, topics of organizational behavior, as well as the sources of conflict, which can decrease the efficiency of the group.... These different processes of choosing a leader, developing norms, and learning to trust and like each other come in the later stages of group development.... hellip; When a group is developing, according to Bruce Tuckman, the group goes through five stages of development....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay

Best Practices for Working in a Virtual Team Environment

In accordance with the internal perspective theory of assessing organizational behavior, the theory holds that the behavior of an employee is primarily based on the employee's personal feelings, interactions, experiences and thought.... On the other hand, the external perspective theory of assessing the organization's behavior holds that the external environment of the employees has significant control of nature with which the employees behave in an organization....
10 Pages (2500 words) Assignment
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us