Group Theory and Practice - Assignment Example

Group Theory and Practice Name: Course: Tutor: Date: Group Theory and Practice Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Group Cohesion 4 Norms of the Group 6 Stage of Development of the Group 6 Group Dynamics and Problems Faced 8 Analysis of the Leadership of the Group 8 Analysis of Any Focal Conflicts and Solutions 9 Effectiveness of the Group 10 Conclusion 10 Summary and Recommendations In this study, a radical examination of You Touch World group is conducted. The various theories affecting the group work and its dynamics are explored. This follows a meeting that was conducted and a keen observation and analysis of the group considered. Group cohesion is identified as well as the norms observed. In addition, the stage of group development is identified as well as the leadership exhibited and the rules guiding the group. At the end, the overall effectiveness of the group is considered. As recommendation, the group needs to involve the wider community while carrying out its activities. Introduction You Touch World (YTW) is a community-based organization with an objective of touching the society positively. It is a group comprising of thirty-seven individuals drawn majorly from Melbourne City in Australia. Sixty percent of the membership is of female gender, mostly schooled in a common college. It was formed with the idea of bridging the unavoidable circumstances by setting a new beginning of hope and divine destiny for the disadvantaged across the world. You Touch World is a community based organization pegged on various principles namely neutrality, mutual inclusiveness, accountability and independence (Stewart, 2007). Neutrality- this stands for no political affiliation. Mutual inclusiveness- ready to partner with individual or group to meet its objectives Accountability- always ready to give details of operation to relevant parties Group Cohesion You Touch World exhibits remarkable levels of cohesion amongst the members. From the observations made and information gathered from some of the members, it is evident that the cohesiveness in the group can be attributed to the following strategies: Development of Unity of Purpose and a Shared Vision The members of YTW displayed a comprehensible perception of their rationale and vision. All of the members seemed to be striving towards the achievement of a healthier world for the millions of people across the world. Teamwork, commitment, collaboration and individuals, as well as mutual accountability, are some of the virtues that have evidently been instilled in every team member. The shared vision, which is meaningful, served to create synergistic empowerment. Development of Pride in Group Membership and an Identity as a Group The members of the group all seemed to comprehend the advantages of taking pride in the group membership and activities in general. Since the group served more as a humanitarian organization, the members took pride in helping people attain better standards of living in so far as basic needs and education is concerned. The key driving factor seemed to be the legacy that would be left behind by each of the members. Development of an Inspiring and Sensible Mission Statement for the Group Touch is the core word in the mission statement, which transcends the individual ambitions. It involves reaching out to the less fortunate and giving them a reason to smile. Members of the group have a common mission of assisting individuals across the world unable to meet their basic needs. As such, the mission serves as a unifying factor that unites the members of the group. All the members seemed to understand the need for them to stick together and work within the limits of their mission statements to achieve their goals (Ormrod, 2011). Development of Complementary Synergistic Teamwork and Roles Each of the members of the group You Touch the World works together with a common passion and desire in order to succeed. They all understood and appreciated the roles of each other in terms as role importance, role acceptance, and role clarity. The leadership has also come up with a reward system that recognizes the members who serve diligently in the administration of their roles. Encouraging Mutual and Individual Accountability The leadership of YTW encourages members to work on the same page and work together towards achievement of goals that are deemed necessary. Development of Cohesive Group Atmosphere and Positive Team Culture The group members frequently engaged in fun activities that served as a bonding factor. During their charity events, the programs encompassed playing and interactive sessions that promoted unity amongst the members. Strong Internal Leadership from Within the Group The leadership is a carefully selected team with the capacity of leading members of the team towards mutual attainment of the group’s goals. Notably, none of the group’s members has exited from the group ever since its formulation in the year 2009. Ongoing Communication about How Things are Progressing The members were always kept a brief of the various progresses and undertakings the groups were carrying. This ensured that none of the members felt out of touch with the community based projects being rolled out across the area of jurisdiction. As such, the cohesiveness amongst group members was boosted. Honest and transparent communication at all levels of engagement As the leaders understood, communication is a critical aspect that can cause the disintegration of a group. Therefore, transparent and accountable communication was exercised in all circumstances. This sought to ensure that the members did not receive unsubstantiated information that could fuel disagreements. Norms of the Group As much the groups had not attained the norming stage of development, it was evident that they showed some reasonable appreciation general norms that govern any ethical organization. The expansion of the group meant an increase in views, divergent culture, and behavior. This necessitated a need of to inculcate You Touch World (YTW) code of conduct through seminars and workshops. As the members interacted during such meetings, patience, commitment, tolerance, passion and respect were cultivated amongst them. The chain of command was exhibited by the members as they invited one another to air their views during the meetings. A key and distinctive feature is that the members were free to divulge their concerns without fear of reprisal from the leaders. Bonding was encouraged through charity events, sports and camping. Stage of Development of the Group Groups operate in a more or less similar fashion to an individual as far as development is concerned. However, some analysts exploring group development and its dynamics insist in generalizing group development such that it becomes more predictable than human development. Therefore, a number of theories have been put forth to explain the different stages of group development. Notably, no given theory stands alone as the most definitive model in explaining the stages of group development. In analyzing the stage of group development that has been attained by You Touch World (YTW), Tuckman (1965) model is mostly used (Smith & Christopher, 2011). At the instances of attendance to the meetings of this group, it was notable that it is in the storming stage of development. This stage is sometimes referred to as conflict stage. The members of You Touch World were involved in a series of confrontations as each one of them strived to fit at the various roles that the group offered. As it was evident, the members had begun to assert their distinct personalities, a situation that resulted to the fading away forming stage. In this stage of development, members are occasionally faced with intra, personal, and intergroup conflicts. Resentment and aggression is a common feature of this stage and, therefore, if the leadership fails to respond to the strong emerging personalities effectively and efficiently, the group’s development is bound to experience serious hiccups (Tuija, 2012). A scenario of the conflict was in the treasury docket. Here, members could hardly agree on gender and education qualification as well as personal attributes of the individual to occupy this position. The chair, who presumed had the veto power to choose the occupant found himself censured by the executive committee members. The autonomy of the constitution played a critical role in explaining the prerequisite requirements that an individual occupying the position should bear. For example, one had to have done accounting at the university level and not of the same gender as the chair. This policy was entrenched in order to be in line with the gender equality rule that the group and the government embraced. Group Dynamics and Problems Faced The groups have transformed from the ordinary self-help group to a community-based organization, which affects its composition and area of jurisdiction. In its earlier form as a self-help group, You Touch World was more defined by gender, age, and activity. Additionally, as a community based organization, the group increased its membership from eleven to thirty-seven covering an entire district. In addition, the name was changed from Rescue Self Help Group (RSHG) to You Touch World (YTW). Despite its transformation from a straightforward self-help group to a community-based organization, the group has encountered colossal challenges. These challenges have been both intra and extra. The expansion in the area of jurisdiction implied extra dependence on the programs within the group (Dennis & Miles, 2007). Analysis of the Leadership of the Group The leadership was from bottom-top. This implied that all ideas implemented by the executive committee were formulated in the annual general meeting where members came up with organizational diary and activities. The executive committee comprising of seven members namely chair, assistant chair, secretary, assistant vice-secretary, treasurer, organizing secretary and one ex-official carried out the group activities on behalf of the members. The functions of the office bearers were well spelt in the constitution (Corey, 2011). In the meeting attended, it was evidently clear that the leadership emphasized on transparency and answerability at the various stages of their engagement. Since it was a community-based organization, corruption was a vice that was seriously criticized. The leaders were supposed to act with utmost good faith while administering their duties, hence ensuring that the funds received are channeled to the relevant recipients. Analysis of Any Focal Conflicts and Solutions In any grouping, divergent views are a characteristic feature and striking a common ground calls for other measures to reach the intended goal. You Touch World (YTW) is no exception to this scenario. As it was evident, members faced an uphill task in some situations while striking a common solution thanks to the large number of membership. Elections and veto power formed a number of strategies that were used as a tool of solving the difference in ideas. Striking a deal as far as the target group of the organization was concerned formed one of the crucial issues that resulted in a series of disagreements. The chair called upon a snap election over the conflict as others wanted funds to be channeled to rescue drug addicts while others insisted on rescuing the orphans and vulnerable children. The results from the election favored the latter. The chair had to use his veto power to banish three members from attending meetings on behalf of the group. This followed an impersonation incidence where the three members signed documents and carried out transactions disregarding the due procedure in the constitution. Effectiveness of the Group The effectiveness of the group is commendable. You Touch World has managed to attract the goodwill of both the government and donors. The management committee has been keen in concealing the internal conflicts while embracing transparency and accountability. Collaborative efforts amongst the members have also served a pivotal role in ensuring effective utilization of the available resources. The impact to the community is a clear evidence of the achievement of the group. For example, at the instance the last meeting was held, approximately four hundred destitute children have been relocated to children home centers owned by the group. Moreover, the group had managed to secure permanent sponsorship from reliable donors. The audit carried out on the organizations accounts on the first three months of its operation indicated remarkable increase in its financial position. Conclusion In conclusion, group theory and practice is an area of study that cannot be taken for granted in so as developing an effective group is concerned. It is necessary to understand the different stages of development to ensure that members do not give up following conflicts in the storming stage. References Smith, F., Stillwell, B. & Christopher, W. (2011). Reading Discussion Groups for Teachers: Connecting Theory to Practice. ELT Journal, v65 n3 p251-259.  Tuija, S et. Al (2012). “Leader fairness and employees' trust in coworkers: The moderating role of leader group prototypicality": Correction to Seppälä, Lipponen, and Pirttilä-Backman (2012). Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, Vol 16(1), Mar 2012. pp. 49. Ormrod, J.S. (2011). Practicing Social Movement Theory in Case Study Groups. Teaching Sociology, v39 n2 p190-199 Apr 2011. (EJ924996) Dennis M. & Miles, J.R. (2007). Content themes in Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 1997-2002. Kivlighan,.; Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, Vol 11(3), Sep, 2007. pp. 129-139. [Journal Article] Yalom, I.D., & Leszcz, M. (2005). The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy. New York, NY: Basic Books. Corey, G. (2011). Theory and Practice of Group Counseling. London: Cengage Learning. Weil, M., et al. (2001). Theory and Practice in Social Group Work: Creative Connections: Selected Proceedings, Eighth Annual Symposium on the Advancement of Social Work with Groups. New York, NY: Routledge Stewart, D.W., et al. (2007). Focus Groups: Theory and Practice. Texas, TX: SAGE. Read More