The document discusses various topics related to groups and group dynamics. It defines formal and informal groups, and describes stages of group development according to the five-stage model. It also discusses social identity theory and important characteristics that determine social identity. Additionally, it covers key group properties such as roles, norms, status, size, cohesiveness and diversity. Strengths and weaknesses of group decision making are highlighted. Different techniques for group decision making like interacting groups, brainstorming and nominal group technique are also summarized.

1. By:
Ms. Sharine Jacob

2.  GROUP: Two or more individuals interacting
and inter-dependent who have come
together to achieve particular objectives.
 FORMAL GROUP: A designated work group
defined by an organization’s structure.
 INFORMAL GROUP: A group that is neither
formally structured nor organizationally
determined; such a group appears in
response to the need for social contact.

3.  SOCIAL IDENTITY THEORY: Perspective that
considers when and why individuals consider
themselves members of groups.

4.  Several characteristics make a social identity
important to a person –
 Similarity
 Distinctiveness
 Status
 Reduction in uncertainty

5. FIVE – STAGE MODEL
 Stage 1: Forming stage
The first stage in group development,
characterized by a great deal of uncertainty
about the group’s purpose, structure and
leadership.

6.  Stage 2: Storming Stage
 Second stage
 Characterized by intragroup conflict
 Members accept being part of a group, but
resist constraints it imposes on individuality
 Stage 3: Norming Stage
 Third stage
 Group structure is solidified
 Characterized by close relationships and
cohesiveness

7.  Stage 4: Performing Stage
 Fourth stage
 Group is fully functional
 Group energy is focused on performing the
task at hand
 Stage 5: Adjourning
 Fifth and final stage
 Concerned with wrapping up activities and
preparing to disband

8. GROUP PROPERTY I – ROLES
 ROLE: Refers to a set of expected behaviour
patterns attributed to someone occupying a
given position in a social unit.
 ROLE PERCEPTION: Refers to an individual’s
view of how he or she is supposed to act in a
given situation.

9.  ROLE EXPECTATION: Refers to how others
believe a person should act in a given
situation
 ROLE CONFLICT: Refers to a situation in
which an individual is confronted by
divergent role expevtations

10. GROUP PROPERTY II – NORMS
 NORMS: It is an acceptable standard of
behaviour within a group that are shared by
the group’s members.
 CONFORMITY: Refers to the adjustment of
one’s behaviour to align with the norms of
the group.

11.  REFERENCE GROUPS: Important groups to
which individuals belong or hope to belong
and with whose norms individuals are likely
to conform.
 DEVIANT WORKPLACE BEHAVIOUR
 Anti-social inactivity or workplace incivility
 Refers to voluntary behaviour that violates
significant organizational norms
 Threatens the well being of the organization

12. GROUP PROPERTY III – STATUS
 STATUS: A socially defined position or rank
given to groups or group members by others.
 STATUS CHARACTERISTICS THEORY: A theory
stating that differences in status
characteristics and uniqueness create status
hierarchies within groups

13.  STATUS AND GROUP INTERACTION
 High status people tend to be more assertive
in the group. They speak out more often,
critically evaluate, are more commanding
and interrupts other members more often.
 Low status people: participate less
 Status differences can inhibit diversity of
ideas and creativity within groups

14. GROUP PROPERTY IV – SIZE
 Smaller groups are faster at completing tasks
 Individuals perform better in small groups
 Problem solving is better in large groups
 Larger groups are good for gaining diverse input
 Social loafing: Refers to the tendency of
individuals to expend less effort when working
collectively, than when working individually.
 Often seen in large groups

15. GROUP PROPERTY V – COHESIVENESS
 COHESIVENESS: The degree to which group members
are attracted to each other and are motivated to stay
in the group.
 For group cohesiveness to be encouraged –
 Make the group smaller
 Encourage agreement with the group goals
 Increase the time members spend with each other
 Increase the group’s status
 Stimulate competition with other groups
 Give rewards to the group rather than individual
members
 Physically isolate the group

16. GROUP PROPERTY VI – DIVERSITY
 DIVERISTY: The extent to which members of
a group are similar to, or different from one
another.
 Diversity can increase group conflict
 Effective team-oriented human resources
practices and good leadership can offset
problems created by diversity

17. Strengths of group decision making
 Help in generating more complete
information and knowledge
 Aggregate the resources of several
individuals
 Bring more input into the group
 Increased diversity of views
 Opens up opportunity to consider more
alternatives

18. Weaknesses of group decision making
 Conformity pressures
 More time to reach a solution
 Desires by members to be accepted in the
group
 Dominated by one or more members
 Suffers ambiguous responsibility
 With low or medium-ability members, overall
effectiveness of group can suffer

19. INTERACTING GROUPS
 Most common form of group decision making
 Members interact with each other meeting
face to face
 Rely on verbal and non-verbal modes of
communication

20. BRAINSTORMING
 An idea-generating process that specifically
encourages any and all alternatives while
withholding any criticism of those
alternatives.
 Brainstorming can overcome pressure for
conformity that inhibits creativity
 Encourages creativity and to ‘think out of the
box’

21. NOMINAL GROUP TECHNIQUE
 In this group decision making method, individual
members meet face to face to pool their
judgments in a systematic but independent
manner.
 Takes place in following steps –
 Before any discussion takes place, members
write down ideas on the problem
 After this, each member present an idea to the
group

22.  The group discusses all the presented ideas for
clarity and evaluates them
 Finally, each member silently and independently
rank-orders the ideas. The idea with the highest
aggregate ranking determines the final decision.
This idea is likely to be chosen.
 Chief advantage – it permits a group to meet
formally but does not restrict independent
thinking.
 Research studies generally show nominal group
perform better than brainstorming groups.

23. ELECTRONIC MEETING
 A meeting in which members interact on computers,
allowing for anonymity of comments and aggregation
of votes.
 Faster in communication, than other techniques since
only matters of importance are discussed
 Decreased group effectiveness seen, more time to
complete tasks.
 Reduced member satisfaction as compared to face-
to-face groups
 However, with current enthusiasm for technology,
this technique may become more popular in the
future

24. It is a phenomenon in which the norm for
consensus overrides the realistic appraisal of
alternative courses of action.

25.  Refers to a change between a group’s
decision and an individual decision that a
member within the group would make.
 The shift can either be towards
conservatism, or a greater risk
 It is generally towards a more extreme
version of the group’s original position.

26. Criteria for group effectiveness
 The number of ideas generated and the quality of
those ideas :- more number of ideas and better
quality of ideas can improve group effectiveness
 Social pressure :- more social pressure may reduce
group effectiveness
 Money costs :- greater task performance with lesser
money costs make a group more effective
 Speed :- speed of doing tasks determine group
effectiveness

27.  Task oriented :- more task oriented the group
is, more effective it becomes
 Potential for interpersonal conflict :- lesser
the interpersonal conflicts within the group,
more the group effectiveness is
 Commitment to problem solving :- more
committed to problem solving a group is,
more effective it becomes
 Development of group cohesiveness :- higher
the group cohesiveness, better is the group
effectiveness