Analysis of Group Dynamics - Research Paper Example

Analysis of Group Dynamics Introduction A group is often regarded as a collection of individuals but in an organizational setting, a group is more than a collection of people as it refers to people with a shared goal or purpose and is characterized by interdependence, interpersonal relations, and structured relations (Forsyth, 2010). Traditional organizations made use of individual work but contemporary organizations use group work or what they refer as team work to accomplish organizational goals. These groups may be formal or informal whereby formal groups are selected by management to accomplish a certain task or solve a problem whereas informal groups are loosely organized and short-lived. Problem solving groups on the other hand, are required to conduct research and come up with a report and recommendations to the management (Lewis et al. 2007). Group dynamics refer to the why and how a group is formed, the various types of groups, laws of their development, and interrelations with individuals and other groups as well as group structure (Jex & Britt, 2008). Luthans (2005) agrees with this view and adds that group dynamics show how a group operates and how to improve its operations. The paper will thus discuss why a group is formed, the stages of its development, structure of the group, and its effects on individuals in regards to polarization, conformity, and group think. A group is very essential for organizational success. The group in question was formed by the organization to develop a new product within one year. The company is involved in garment manufacturing and its mission is to produce high quality products for customers based on their tastes and preferences. The group comprised of 10 employees and its task thus was to develop a new style of garments in line with changing fashion trends. According to Jex and Britt (2008), the first task for the administration is to develop clear group goals in line with the company mission so that the members of the group know what is expected of them. The group therefore had many goals to accomplish so as to have developed a new style garment by the end of the year. First, the group was to come up with a style or design by the end of the month. It was also to determine the fabric to be used by the end of first quarter. Another goal was to determine the resources needed in terms of machinery and finally, to come up with a new style garment by the end of the year. To accomplish these goals, the management needs to select the right combination of individuals to ensure group success (Forsyth, 2010). The members of the group were thus selected from various functional departments to ensure diversity of skills and expertise. Two members were selected from the sampling department, three from production department, and two from merchandising, one from finishing, one from cutting and the last one came from finance department. The merchandising department is involved in sales and marketing while sampling department ensures quality of products. Cutting department is responsible for drawing patterns and cutting garments according to requirements while finishing is involved in ironing and packaging. Combined with production department which is involved in sewing clothes, the variety of skills would ensure production of high quality product and also enhanced learning as individuals learn from each other hence motivation for the group (Forsyth, 2010). Besides different skills, members also comprised of different gender, age, and ethnicity to encourage diversity and learning. However, all individuals came from one geographical region. With the group already defined and goals clearly set the development of the team had began. Jex and Britt (2008) argue that a group undergoes five stages in its development; forming, storming, norming, performing and transforming. Having the knowledge about how a group develops is essential in understanding the reasons for behavior during particular stages and helping in guiding members in behavior required to evolve into next stage. The forming stage entails members getting to know each other through introductions. It is also the stage at which goals are defined, strategies set and members are given roles and responsibilities. For example, some members were given the task of searching for the right fabric while others were to determine the stitches needed hence the required machines. Since members were meeting for the first time, there was a lot of uncertainty hence bonding takes time to develop (Forsyth, 2010). The role of the leader in this stage is to give clear direction and comfort required for the group to evolve to next stage. The storming stage as put by Luthans (2005) is a period in which individual differences are recognized and shared among those with similar beliefs. The stage is characterized by conflict due to individual and group interests which are dissimilar. Effective communication is required to deal with conflicts and to help members voice their views and achieve consensus on priorities. However, conflict should be encouraged not discouraged to encourage new ideas. In norming stage, members realize the need for shared purposes hence agree on various issues such as structure and process for the group. Standard procedures or norms are formed hence members have a sense of belonging to the group and are all committed to achieving group purpose. The performing stage involves collaboration between members since differences were ironed out in previous stages (Forsyth, 2010). Members increase their participation in the group process thus leadership at this stage is indirect. Constant feedback is required on achievement to motivate the group. The last stage involves transformation whereby after accomplishing its task, the group is disbanded and a new group formed with same or different members hence the start of forming process. This stage should be acknowledged by celebration or rewards so that members do not lose morale to engage in future group work (Jex & Britt, 2008). The structure of the group is crucial to its success and entails the underlying role patterns, norms, and relationship networks. The various objectives or tasks to accomplish objectives are divided into roles and distributed among members (Luthans, 2005). Members are thus required to perform certain actions as role requires failure to which they are replaced. Roles may be task-oriented, maintenance or blocking in nature. Task-oriented roles ensure goal accomplishment and include such tasks as initiator, coordinator, energizer, and recorder. However, Forsyth (2010, p. 150) notes that goals cannot be accomplished without fulfilling the member’s needs hence the importance of relationship roles to maintain the group such as encourager, compromiser, and gatekeeper roles. This is due to the fact members have different personalities and motivational levels hence need support. Blockers on the other hand, are opposers to the group and may lead to its downfall if not checked. In the process, role conflict and role ambiguity may occur thus inhibiting the success of the group. In the process of performing tasks, rules and procedures to guide the group are established which become the norms of the group. For example, the group needs to decide on its working schedule and rules of behavior such as not entering the premises with personal items. These develop gradually and are consensual but in some cases as noted by Forsyth (2010), they are deliberate. These enhance discipline and cohesion leading to success. The relationship networks ensure a balanced structure thus reduce tension among group members. Group dynamics and behavior refer to the nature of group and its characteristics. Just like an individual, a group also has its personality which entails the operations of the group. The group has a leader who directs the group towards accomplishment of its purpose and facilitates other members to improve performance. Since the group has diverse skills, individuals learn from each other and have the resources needed to achieve its goals. However, to improve performance, the group has to given frequent feedback and rewards to motivate and gain commitment from members hence job satisfaction, reduced turnover and absenteeism, as well as overall effectiveness of the group (Forsyth, 2010). The group should also be small in size to allow participation by all members and avoid a situation where some members take advantage of others due to poor control. The group especially by internalizing norms behaves in certain ways which affect individual behavior and performance. Internalizing norms ensures group cohesiveness which is vital in achieving higher performance. However, as Luthans (2005) notes, high cohesiveness may lead to group think. This is a situation where pressure from members leads to unrealistic decision making. The group member agrees to other’s views or group may take his view as the groups view due to high cohesiveness regardless of whether it is rational. Before the group begins its task, an individual has his/her own opinion regarding the task at hand and after consultation, the group may strengthen that view leading to polarization (Forsyth, 2010). For example, if as a member I have a view that a certain style is the best and after group discussion, the view taken is that the style is excellent, polarization occurs. On the other hand, if I don’t like the idea but the majority is for it, I may be forced to conform and accept the idea publicly but reject it privately or accept it completely without reservation so as to fit in with the group. Conclusion Contemporary organizations have realized the need to use group work in accomplishing tasks hence organizational success. Studying group dynamics is therefore very crucial in order to know how the group operates, its nature, structure, purpose, and stages of development among other dynamics. Groups may be formal or formal depending on the task to be accomplished. Whatever the type of group, it should be small in size, have diversity in terms of skills, gender, and age so as to enhance learning. Every group undergoes five stages which include: forming, storming, norming, performing, and transforming after which a new group emerges. Understanding behavior at every stage is crucial to progression to the next level. The roles, norms and relationships in the group are also vital in enhancing success of the group but sometimes the group may have an effect on an individual’s beliefs and way of thinking through groupthink, conformity, and polarization. It is therefore essential to manage a group effectively to avoid such eventualities and achieve success. References Forsyth, D.R (2010) Group Dynamics. 5 ed. Belmont, CA: Wardsworth, Cengage Jex, S.M., Britt, T.W (2008) Organizational Psychology: A Scientist-Practitioner Approach. 2 ed. John Wiley & Sons Luthans, F (2005) Organizational Behavior. 10 ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill Read More