A group can be defined as two or more interacting individuals who come together to achieve common objectives. There are formal and informal groups. Formal groups include command groups and interest groups, while informal groups include task groups and friendship groups. People join groups for reasons like security, self-esteem, affiliation, power, and goal achievement. Key properties that define groups are roles, norms, status, diversity, size, and cohesiveness.

1. GROUP
A group can be defined as several individuals who come together to accomplish
a particular task or goal.
A group can be defined as two or more interacting and
interdependent individuals who come together to achieve
particular objectives. A group behavior can be stated as a
course of action a group takes as a family.

2. TYPES OF GROUP
GROUP
FORMAL INFORMAL

4. FORMAL
COMMAND
GROUP
INTEREST
GROUP
INFORMAL
TASK
GROUP
FRIENDSHIP
GROUP

5. WHY DO PEOPLE JOIN GROUPS?
Security mirrors strength in numbers.
Self-esteem transmits people's feelings of self-
worth.
Affiliation with groups can meet one's social
needs.
Groups represent power.
People may join a group for goal achievement.

6. GROUP PROPERTIES
1. Roles
2. Norms
3. Status
4. Diversity
5. Size
6. Cohesiveness

7. FOUNDATIONS OF GROUP BEHAVIOUR
- GROUP PROPERTIES
• 1. Roles : A set of expected behaviour patterns
attributed to someone occupying a given
position in a social unit.
• • We are expected to play diverse roles.

8. • • Role perception : An individual’s view of how he or
she is supposed to act in a given situation. • Friends,
books, movies, t.v. • Role expectations : The way others
believe you should act in a given context. • Eg. A
supreme court judge vs a football team manager. •
Psychological contract : An unwritten agreement that
sets out what management expects from an employee
and vice versa. • What happens when role
expectations implied in the psychological contract are
not met? • Role conflict : When compliance with one
role requirement may make it more difficult to comply
with another, the result is role conflict. Eg.: Work vs
Family

9. • 2. Norms : Acceptable standards of behaviour
within a group that are shared by the group’s
members. • 1. Performance norms : How hard
members should work, what the level of output
should be, how to get the job done, what level of
tardiness is appropriate. • 2. Appearance norms :
Dress codes, when to look busy. • 3. Social
arrangement norms : Whom to have lunch with,
whether to form friendships with co workers. • 4.
Resource allocation norms : Assignment of
difficult jobs, distribution of resources like pay or
equipment.

10. • Conformity : The adjustment of one’s behaviour to align
with the norms of the group. • People conform to the
important groups to which they belong or hope to belong.
These impotant groups are called Reference groups. • The
Solomon Asch studies: • Groups of 7 to 8 people were
asked to compare 2 cards held by the experimenter. •
Under ordinary conditions, fewer than 1% errors were
made. • But in the groups, the USS(UnSuspecting Subject)
gave atleast 1 answer that conformed – that they knew was
wrong but was consistent with the replies of other group
members – and the average conformer gave wrong answers
37% of the time. • As managers, we should be aware of
group norms, which press us or our subordinates or our
superiors towards conformity.

11. • 3. Status : A socially defined position or rank
given to groups or group members by others.
• Status characteristics theory : • 3 sources •
1. The power a person wields over others. •
Eg. control over a group’s resources. • 2. A
person’s ability to contribute to a group’s
goals. • Eg. Star sportspersons, crack lawyers
in law firms, top notch hospital administrators.
• 3. An individual’s personal characteristics. •
Eg. Money, intelligence, friendly personality

12. • Status and Norms : • High status individuals
(HSI) – more freedom to deviate from norms.
• High status individuals (Doctors, lawyers, top
executives) resent social pressure from low
status individuals. Eg. Insurance company
employees. • HSIs resist conformity pressures
more than others. Eg. Outstanding academics,
star athletes.

13. • Status and group interaction : • HSIs – more
assertive – speak out more, criticise more. •
Status differences actually inhibit diversity of
ideas, because lower status members tend to
participate less actively, and if they possess
expertise and insights, then it is a loss to the
group. • Status inequity : • It is important for
group members to believe the status hierarchy is
equitable. • People expect rewards to be
proportionate to costs incurred. • Eg. Reena and
Priya for the position of head nurse

14. • 4. Size • Smaller groups are faster at
completing tasks than larger ones. •
Individuals perform better in smaller groups
than in larger ones. • In problem solving,
larger groups consistently get better marks
than their smaller counterparts. • If the goal is
fact finding – larger groups more effective. •
Smaller groups –doing something productive
with that input

15. • 5. Cohesiveness : The degree to which group
members are attracted to each other and are
motivated to stay in the group. • Affected by:
• 1. Time spent together by the group
members. • 2. Size – the smaller, the more
cohesive. • 3. External threats. • Relationship
between cohesiveness and productivity
depends on the group’s performance related
norms. (Refer Diagram)