self improvement in groups

1. R I J O R O Y
1 S T M S W
D E P T . O F S O C I A L W O R K
C E N T R A L U N I V E R S I T Y O F K E R A L A
Group dynamics

2. Content ……….
 Communication and interaction patterns
 Group culture
 Group control
 Group morale

3. Communication processes and interaction patterns are
fundamental group dynamics.
They are the components of social interactions that influence the
behavior and attitudes of group member.
Interactions in a group is a natural phenomenon.
Communication, both verbal and non verbal, facilitates
interaction

4. Factors influencing interaction are
 The nature of relationship among group members
 The degree of homogeneity among group members
 The nature of group goals
 The nature of leadership
 The size of the group

5. Group Size
15-5
 Advantage of small groups
 Interact more with each other and easier to coordinate their
efforts
 More motivated, satisfied, and committed
 Easier to share information
 Better able to see the importance of their personal
contributions

6. Group Size
15-6
 Disadvantages of large groups
 Problem of communication and coordination
 Lower level of motivation
 Members might not think their efforts are really needed
 Greater diversity among member put a strain on interaction

7. Relationship among member
 Relationship get distorted in absence of proper
communication. similarly, a negative relationship
between member can distort the communication
 Positive Relationship lead to an increase in
interaction among members, whereas negative
Relationship tend to restrict communication and
interaction.
 Social status influence
Eg. panchayath meeting,discussion in a group in the
community

8.  Nature of group and its purpose
 Interaction in formal group
 Isolate or low key participation
 Sub group
a
c
d
d
e
f

9. Improving interaction in group
 Controlling the size
 Reducing social distance
 Developing effective leadership
 Clarifying group goals
 Creating and maintaining trust

10. Communication
 Communication is one of the vital aspects of
interaction among the group members.
 The quality of communication makes an immediate
impact on the group.
 A negative communication style can hurt feeling and
may induce disinterest among members
 A skillful communicator is an asset for the group

11.  The communication process needs monitoring to
ensure smooth flow of information among members
to create a healthy environment in the group.
 Misunderstanding can occur and unintended
consequences of communication are quite common.
 Formal groups pay a lot of attention to work out the
details of their communication system.

12.  Language barriers can sometimes interfere with
effective communication groups. language often
reflects social attitudes.
 It shapes thoughts and attitudes and guides thinking
patterns and the expression of ideas.
 Members proclivity to communicate.(eg ,some
members are more outgoing than others and take
more opportunities to communicate.)

13. Group culture
 The culture of a group is defined by the
values,beliefs,customs,traditions, and preferred ways
of doing business that are implicitly understood and
shared by all group members.
 Some groups would tend to be formal and some are
informal in its culture.
(eg..a group formed to achieve a specific task in a
commercial or government organization-formal
a group formed to work with children or women
by an NGO would be more informal)

14.  The culture of a group is also determined, in part , by
sponsoring organization, the community, and the
larger society. groups take on some of the dominant
values and traits of these larger social systems.
 The influence of these systems depends on the
nature and extent of their interaction with the group

15.  Group evolve their own symbols and philosophy as they
settle down and relationship among members assume a
more permanent status.
 In india , as compared to the west ,the emphasis in
working with groups is to encourage to long term
relationships in groups.

16. Group control
 Order is a necessary for the functioning of a social
unit such as a group. As noted earlier ,group develop
norms to regulate member.
 A system of control is inevitably develpoed to enforce
compliance.
 Formal group such as commercial organizations or
formal associations develop written rule, while other
groups follow a informal approach.

17. Group morale
Morale means:
Psychological state of a person as expressed in self-
confidence, enthusiasm, and/or loyalty to a cause
or organization.
Or
Morale is the spirit a group has that makes them want
to succeed. It's a sense of well-being that comes from
confidence, usefulness, and purpose.

18.  Morale is the state of mind or attitude of an individual
or group towards the work and environment
 A favorable attitude is an indication of high morale, wh
ile an unfavorable attitude indicates low morale.
 With high morale, people work willingly and enthusias
tically for the achievement of group goals.
Further, high morale leads people to attach greater im
portance to
group goals as compared with their personal goals.

19.  Eg
We often talk about the morale of groups in tough
situations, and we can describe them as having "good
morale" or "low morale." If too many members of a
combat unit are killed and the surviving soldiers start
to doubt they’ll make it home alive, then their morale
is very very low.