Tuckman and Jensens Five Stages of Group Development in the Film Glory Road - Assignment Example

In reference to Levi (2007), there are numerous theories that seek to delineate the numerous stages that groups undergo before being productive. Tuckman and Jensen’s (1977) theory offers stages that involve the development of the group internally among the members. Their theory consists of five stages which include forming, storming, and norming, performing, and adjourning.

In reference to Kinicki and Williams (2009), the first stage, forming, entails quantifiable accomplishments where the members get to know and understand each other (p. 441). The team members in this stage are polite, tentative and to some degree uncomfortable. It is only after the members feel comfortable that the group can move to the next stage. In Glory Road, the team members are contented with their new coach, Haskins, and are not sure of how to behave when around their coach (Haskins & Wetzel, 2006). In the first stage of the film, the members spend time understanding and knowing each other. The cafeteria scene in the film is an example of how the team members get to know each other. The members sit down around a table and introduce themselves and share their backgrounds.

The second stage of group development is storming. Kinicki and Williams (2009) denote that this stage is typified by conflicts and confusion on group roles and project necessities (p. 441). This is seen in the film Glory Road when tensions rise among the group members as they practice. This is seen in all scenes within this stage in the film because some of the members feel like having fun and not concentrating on basketball (Haskins & Wetzel, 2006). At this stage, some other groups can also form. This is seen when the Blacks come together to defend each other against the whites.

The third stage is the norming stage (Kinicki & Williams, 2009, p. 442), where the members of the group are more organized and unified. In this stage, the group has norms and rules to guide its members. Norming is portrayed in the film when the coach establishes rules for the team. It is after the coach set rules that the team started practicing and working efficiently together. The win over Lowa was a result of cohesion and organization (Haskins & Wetzel, 2006).

The fourth stage is performing and the group members focus on attaining their goals (Kinicki & Williams, 2009, p. 442). The team in the film is at their performing stage when they play unified. In this case, the group plays towards attaining the national championship. The team players worked together at the NCCA championship to attain a goal they all had wanted (Haskins & Wetzel, 2006).

The final stage is adjourning, which is the separation of the group members after the attainment of their goals (Kinicki & Williams, 2009, p. 442). This is best illustrated in the movie when the players are welcomed home by a crowd for their success. The team members emerged from the plane holding their trophies. However, the movie ends and a short summary of each one’s accomplishments after college is shown on the screen, a sign that the team was disbanded (Haskins & Wetzel, 2006).
This film was an outstanding exemplification of the stages of group development. This is because the film does not just portray the team developing with ease, but through the things that streamline and push the group to a step they had passed. Through the numerous scenes, the film portrayed the five stages of group development in detail. Read More