GROUP DYNAMICS

INTRODUCTION
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
Margaret Mead
In today’s explosion of information technology, communication continues to be a
complex process. Group dynamics can be very positive and helpful where team
members support each other and do what is best. It can alternately become destructive if
individuals are allowed to continue with more selfish behaviors such as never helping
someone else, making their personal life and personal problems permeate their work,
being negative about everything that happens or complaining all the time. The nurse
manager has an important role in this situation, because it may be necessary to counsel
individuals exhibiting negative behavior to achieve positive group dynamics.

OBJECTIVES
♪ General objective:
At the end of the seminar the student will be able to understand about the
Group dynamics and Stress management and its detail.

♪ Specific objective:
By the end of the seminar, the students will be able to:

I) GROUP DYNAMICS
► Define the group and group dynamics

► List out the type of groups

► Mention the criteria for a group

► Enlist the objective of group dynamics

► Explain the principles of group dynamics

► Identify the elements of group dynamics

► Enumerate the stages of group dynamics

 ► Describe the dimensions of group process

► Explain about the group dynamics process

TERMINOLOGIES
► Group - Is an association of two or more people in an interdependent relationship

with shared purposes.

► Group dynamics –Work done by a group of people working together.

► Group maturity - The ability and willingness of group members to set

goals and work toward their accomplishment.

► Relationships means how well people in the group work together

► Task roles - which helps the group accomplish its task

► Relationship roles - which helps group members get along better.

► Forming - pretending to get on or get along with others

► Storming - letting down the politeness barrier and trying to get down to the issues

even if tempers flare up.

► Performing - working in a group to a common goal on a highly efficient and

cooperative basis.

► Norming - getting used to each other and developing trust and productivity.
DEFINITION
GROUP:
♦ A group may be defined as a number of individuals who join together to
achieve a goal. People join groups to achieve goals that cannot be achieved by
them alone. Johnson & Johnson (2006)
♦ A collection of people who interact with one another, accept rights and obligations
as members and who share a common identity.
♦ A group is an association of two or more people in an interdependent relationship
with shared purposes.
GROUP DYNAMICS:
♦ A branch of social psychology which studies problems involving the structure of a
group.
♦ The interactions that influence the attitudes and behavior of people when they are
grouped with others through either choice or accidental circumstances.
♦ A field of social psychology concerned with the nature of human groups, their
development, and their interactions with individuals, other groups, and larger
organizations.
TYPE OF GROUPS
• Formal groups: refers to those which are established under the legal or formal
authority with the view to achieve a particular end results. Eg: trade unions.
• Informal groups: refers to aggregate of personal contact and interaction and
network of relationship among individual. Eg: friendship group.
• Primary groups: are characterized by small size, face to face interaction and
intimacy among members of group. Eg: family, neighbourhood group.
• Secondary groups: characterized by large size, individual identification with the
values and beliefs prevailing in them rather than cultural interaction.
 Eg: occupational association and ethnic group.
• Task groups: are composed of people who work together to perform a task but
involve cross-command relationship. Eg: for finding out who was responsible for
causing wrong medication order would require liaison between ward in charge,
senior sister and head nurse.
• Social groups: refers to integrated system of interrelated psychological group
formed to accomplish defined objectives. Eg: political party with its many local
political clubs. friendship group.
• Reference groups: one in which they would like to belong.
• Membership groups: those where the individual actually belongs.
• Command groups: formed by subordinates reporting directly to the particular
manager are determined by formal organizational chart.
• Functional groups: the individuals work together daily on similar tasks.
• Problem solving groups: it focuses on specific issues in their areas of
responsibility, develops potential solution and often empowered to take action.
CRITERIA FOR A GROUP
♥ Formal social structure
♥ Face-to-face interaction
♥ 2 or more persons
♥ Common fate
♥ Common goals
♥ Interdependence
♥ Self-definition as group members
♥ Recognition by others
OBJECTIVES OF GROUP DYNAMICS
 To identify and analyze the social processes that impact on group development
and performance.
 To acquire the skills necessary to intervene and improve individual and group
performance in an organizational context.
 To build more successful organizations by applying techniques that provide
positive impact on goal achievement.

PRINCIPLES OF GROUP DYNAMICS

 ♪ The members of the group must have a strong sense of belonging to the group.

♪ Changes in one part of the group may produce stress in other person, which can be
reduced only by eliminating or allowing the change by bringing about
readjustment in the related parts

♪ The group arises and functions owing to common motives.

♪ Groups survive by placing the members into functional hierarchy and facilitating
the action towards the goals

♪ The intergroup relations, group organization and member participation is essential

for effectiveness of a group.

♪ Information relating to needs for change, plans for change and consequences of
changes must be shared by members of a group.

ELEMENTS OF GROUP DYNAMICS

• COMMUNICATION

One of the easiest aspects of group process to observe is the pattern of

communication. The kinds of observations we make give us clues to other
important things which may be going on in the group such as who leads whom or
who influences whom.

♥ Who talks? For how long? How often?

♥ Who do people look at when they talk?

♥ Who talks after whom, or who interrupts whom?

♥ Style of communication used?

♥ How are silent people treated? Is silence due to disagreement, disinterest,

fear, fatigue?

• CONTENT VS PROCESS

When we observe what the group is talking about, we are focusing on the
content. When we try to observe how the group is handling its communication,
i.e., who talks how much or who talks to whom, we are talking about group
 process. In fact, the content of group discussion often tells us what process issue
may be on people's minds.

At a simpler level, looking at process really means to focus on what is

going on in the group and trying to understand it in terms of other things that have
gone on in the group.

• DECISION

Many kinds of decisions are made in groups without considering the effects
these decisions have on other members. Some try to impose their own decisions on
the group, while others want all members to participate or share in the decisions
that are made. Some decisions are made consciously after much debate and voting.
Others are made silently when no one objects to suggestion.

• INFLUENCE

Some people may speak very little, yet they may capture the attention of the
whole group. Others may talk a lot—but other members may pay little attention to
them

• TASK VS RELATIONSHIPS

The group's task is the job to be done. People who are concerned with the
task tend to:

♥ Make suggestions as to the best way to proceed or deal with a problem

♥ Attempt to summarize what has been covered or what has been going on in
the group
♥ Give or ask for facts, ideas, opinions, feelings, feedback, or search for
alternatives.
Relationships means how well people in the group work together. People who are
concerned with relationships tend to:
♥ Be more concerned with how people feel than how much they know
♥ Help others get into the discussion
♥ Encourage people with friendly remarks and gestures.
• ROLES
Behavior in the group can be of 3 types:
♥ TASK ROLES (which helps the group accomplish its task)
  Initiator: proposing tasks or goals; defining a group problem; suggesting
ways to solve a problem.

 Information/opinion seeker: requesting facts; asking for expressions of

feeling; requesting a statement; seeking suggestions and ideas.

 Information or opinion giver: offering facts; providing relevant

information; stating an opinion; giving suggestions and ideas.

 Clarifier and elaborator: interpreting ideas or suggestions; clearing up

confusion; defining terms; indicating alternatives and issues before the
group.

 Summarizor: pulling together related ideas; restating suggestions after the

group has discussed them; offering a decision or conclusion for the group to
accept or reject.

 Energizer; who stimulates and prods the group to act and raise the level of
their actions.

 Coordinator: who clarifies and coordinates ideas, suggestions and

activities of the group members.

♥ RELATIONSHIP ROLES (which helps group members get along better)

 Harmonizer: who mediates, harmonizes and resolve conflicts.

 Gate keeper: helping to keep communication channels open; facilitating

the participation of others; suggesting procedures that permit sharing
remarks.

 Encourager; being friendly, warm, and responsive to others; indicating by

facial expression or remarks the acceptance of others' contributions.

 Compromiser: when one's own idea or status is involved in a conflict,

offering a compromise which yields status; admitting error.

 Follower: who accepts the group’s ideas and listens to their discussion and
decisions.

♥ SELF-ORIENTED ROLES (which contributes to neither group task nor group

relationship)
  Dominator: interrupts others; launches on long monologues; is over-
positive; tries to lead group and assert authority; is generally autocratic.

 Negativist: rejects ideas suggested by others; takes a negative attitude on

issues; argues frequently and unnecessarily; is pessimistic, refuses to
cooperate; pouts.

 Aggressor: tries to achieve importance in group; boasts; criticizes or

blames others; tries to get attention; shows anger or irritation against group
or individuals; deflates importance or position of others in group.

 Playboy: is not interested in the group except as it can help him or her to
have a good time.

 Storyteller: likes to tell long "fishing stories" which are not relevant to the
group; gets off on long tangents.

 Interrupter: talks over others; engages in side conversations; whispers to

neighbour.

• MEMBERSHIP

One major concern for group members is the degree of acceptance or

inclusion they feel in the group.

♥ Are there any sub-groupings? Sometimes two or three members may

consistently agree and support each other or consistently disagree and
oppose one another.

♥ Do some people seem to be outside the group? Do some members seem to

be "in"? How those “outside” are treated?

♥ Do some members move in and out of the group? Under what conditions do
they move in and out?

• FEELINGS

During any group discussion, feelings are frequently generated by the

interactions between members. These feelings, however, are seldom talked about.
Observers may have to make guesses based on tone of voice, facial expressions,
gestures and many other forms of nonverbal cues.

• NORMS
 Standard or group rules always develop in a group in order to control the
behavior of members. Norms usually express the beliefs or desires of the majority
of the group members as to what behaviors should or should not take place in the
group. These norms may be clear to all members (explicit), known or sensed by
only a few (implicit), or operating completely below the level of awareness of any
group members. Some norms help group progress and some hinder it.

• GROUP ATMOSPHERE

Something about the way a group works creates an atmosphere which in

turn is revealed in a general impression. Insight can be gained into the atmosphere
characteristic of a group by finding words which describe the general impression
held by group members.

• GROUP MATURITY

Group maturity is defined as the ability and willingness of group members

to set goals and work toward their accomplishment. Characteristic of mature
group:

♥ An increasing ability to be self-directed (not dependent on the

leader).

♥ An increased tolerance in accepting that progress takes time.

♥ An increasing sensitivity to their own feelings and those of others.

♥ Improvement in the ability to withstand tension, frustration and

disagreement.

♥ An increased ability to change plans and methods as new situations

develop.

Assessing group maturity is especially important for a group leader. An

immature group needs direction. Directive leadership is usually best. If a group is
very mature, nondirective leadership is usually best. In between the extremes of
very mature and very immature, democratic leadership will be the best bet
depending on the situation.

STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT

I.BRUCE W TUCKMAN is a respected educational psychologist who first described
the four stages of group development in 1965. The four-stage model is called as
Tuckman's Stages for a group. Tuckman's model states that the ideal group decision-
making process should occur in four stages:

Stage 1: Forming (pretending to get on or get along with others)

Individual behaviour is driven by a desire to be accepted by the others,
and avoid controversy or conflict. Serious issues and feelings are
avoided, and people focus on being busy with routines, such as team
organization, who does what, when to meet, etc. But individuals are also
gathering information and impressions - about each other, and about the
scope of the task and how to approach it. This is a comfortable stage to be
in, but the avoidance of conflict and threat means that not much actually
gets done.

Stage 2: Storming (letting down the politeness barrier and trying to get down to the
issues even if tempers flare up)
Individuals in the group can only remain nice to each other for so long, as
important issues start to be addressed. Some people's patience will break
early, and minor confrontations will arise that are quickly dealt with or
glossed over. These may relate to the work of the group itself, or to roles
and responsibilities within the group. Some will observe that it's good to
be getting into the real issues, whilst others will wish to remain in the
comfort and security of stage 1. Depending on the culture of the
organization and individuals, the conflict will be more or less suppressed,
but it'll be there, under the surface. To deal with the conflict, individuals
may feel they are winning or losing battles, and will look for structural
clarity and rules to prevent the conflict persisting.

Stage 3: Norming (getting used to each other and developing trust and productivity)
 As Stage 2 evolves, the "rules of engagement" for the group become
established, and the scopes of the group’s tasks or responsibilities are
clear and agreed. Having had their arguments, they now understand each
other better, and can appreciate each other's skills and experience.
Individuals listen to each other, appreciate and support each other, and
are prepared to change pre-conceived views: they feel they're part of a
cohesive, effective group. However, individuals have had to work hard
to attain this stage, and may resist any pressure to change - especially
from the outside - for fear that the group will break up, or revert to a
storm.
Stage 4: Performing (working in a group to a common goal on a highly efficient and
cooperative basis)
Not all groups reach this stage, characterised by a state of
interdependence and flexibility. Everyone knows each other well enough
to be able to work together, and trusts each other enough to allow
independent activity. Roles and responsibilities change according to
need in an almost seamless way. Group identity, loyalty and morale are
all high, and everyone is equally task-orientated and people-orientated.
This high degree of comfort means that all the energy of the group can be
directed towards the task(s) in hand.
Ten years after first describing the four stages, Bruce Tuckman revisited his
original work and described another, final, stage in 1977:
Stage 5: Adjourning (mourning the adjournment of the group)
This is about completion and disengagement, both from the tasks and the
group members. Individuals will be proud of having achieved much and
glad to have been part of such an enjoyable group. They need to
recognize what they've done, and consciously move on. Some authors
describe stage 5 as "Deforming and Mourning", recognizing the sense of
loss felt by group members.
In the real world, groups are often forming and changing, and each time that happens,
they can move to a different Tuckman Stage. A group might be happily Norming or
Performing, but a new member might force them back into Storming. Seasoned leaders
will be ready for this, and will help the group get back to Performing as quickly as
possible. Many work groups live in the comfort of Norming, and are fearful of moving
back into Storming, or forward into Performing. This will govern their behaviour towards
each other, and especially their reaction to change.
II. M. SCOTT PECK developed stages for larger-scale groups (i.e., communities) which
are similar to Tuckman's stages of group development. Peck describes the stages of a
community as:
► Pseudo-community
► Chaos
► Emptiness
► True Community

DIMENSIONS OF GROUP PROCESS

Some of the aspects of group process that a process consultant would look at include:
♠ Patterns of communication and coordination
♠ Patterns of influence
♠ Roles / relationship
♠ Patterns of dominance (e.g. who leads, who defers)
♠ Balance of task focus Vs social focus
♠ Level of group effectiveness
GROUP DYNAMICS PROCESS
A. GROUP FORMATION
A group is able to share experiences, to provide feedback, to pool ideas, to
generate insights, and provide an arena for analysis of experiences. The group
provides a measure of support and reassurance. Moreover, as a group, learners may
also plan collectively for change action. Group discussion is a very effective learning
method.
► Participation
Participation is a fundamental process within a group, because many of the
other processes depend upon participation of the various members. Levels and
degrees of participation vary. Some members are active participants while others are
more withdrawn and passive. In essence, participation means involvement, concern
for the task, and direct or indirect contribution to the group goal. If members do not
participate, the group ceases to exist.

Factors which affect member’s participation are;

◘ The content or task of the group- is it of interest, importance and relevance?
◘ The physical atmosphere - is it comfortable physically, socially and
psychologically?
◘ The psychological atmosphere - is it accepting, non-threatening?
◘ Member’s personal preoccupations - are there any distracting thoughts in their
mind?
◘ The level of interaction and discussions - is adequate information provided for
everyone to understand? - is it at a level everyone understands?
◘ Familiarity - between group members- do members know each other from before?

► Communication
Communication within a group deals with the spoken and the unspoken, the
verbal and the non-verbal, the explicit and the implied messages that are conveyed
and exchanged relating to information and ideas, and feelings.
Two-way communication implies a situation where not only the two parties talk to
each other, but that they are listening to each other as well. It helps in clarification of
doubts, confusions and misconceptions, both parties understanding each other,
receiving and giving of feedback.

Helpful hints for effective communication

◘ Have a circular seating arrangement so that everyone can see and interact with
everyone else
◘ If there are two facilitators, they should sit apart so that communication flow is not
in one direction
◘ Respect individuals- let everyone call everyone else by name respectfully
◘ Encourage and support the quiet members to voice their opinions
◘ Try and persuade the people who speak too much to give others a chance
◘ Ensure that only one person speaks at a time or no one else will be heard
◘ Discourage sub groups from indulging in side talk

► Problem solving
 Most groups find themselves unable to solve problems because they address
the problem at a superficial level. After that they find themselves blocked because
they cannot figure out why the problem occurred and how they can tackle it.

An effective problem solving procedure would be to:

◘ Clearly define the problem: Is it what appears on the surface or are there deep
hidden aspects?
◘ Try to thoroughly explore and understand the causes behind the problem
◘ Collect additional information, from elsewhere if necessary, and analyze it to
understand the problem further
◘ The group should suspend criticism and judgment for a while and try to combine
each other's ideas or add on improvements. The objectives should be to generate as
many ideas and suggestions as possible. This is called "brainstorming" in a group,
when individuals try lateral thinking.

► Leadership
Leadership involves focusing the efforts of the people towards a common goal
and to enable them to work together as one. In general we designate one individual as
a leader. This individual may be chosen from within or appointed from outside. Thus,
one member may provide leadership with respect to achieving the goal while a
different individual may be providing leadership in maintaining the group as a group.
These roles can switch and change.
B. DEVELOPMENT OF GROUPS
The developmental process of small groups can be viewed in several ways. Firstly,
it is useful to know the persons who compose a particular small group.
◘ People bring their past experiences
◘ People come with their personalities (their perceptions, attitudes and values)
◘ People also come with a particular set of expectations.
The priorities and expectations of persons comprising a group can influence the
manner in which the group develops over a period of time

Stages
Viewing the group as a whole we observe definite patterns of behavior occurring
within a group. These can be grouped into stages.

► FIRST STAGE
 The initial stage in the life of a group is concerned with forming a group. This
stage is characterized by members seeking safety and protection, tentativeness of
response, seeking superficial contact with others, demonstrating dependency on
existing authority figures. Members at this stage either engage in busy type of activity
or show apathy.

► SECOND STAGE
The second stage in this group is marked by the formation of dyads and triads.
Members seek out familiar or similar individuals and begin a deeper sharing of self.
Continued attention to the subgroup creates a differentiation in the group and tensions
across the dyads /triads may appear. Pairing is a common phenomenon.

► THIRD STAGE
The third developmental stage is marked by a more serious concern about task
performance. The dyads/triads begin to open up and seek out other members in the
group. Efforts are made to establish various norms for task performance. Members
begin to take greater responsibility for their own group and relationship while the
authority figure becomes relaxed.

► FOURTH STAGE
This is a stage of a fully functional group where members see themselves as a
group and get involved in the task. Each person makes a contribution and the
authority figure is also seen as a part of the group. Group norms are followed and
collective pressure is exerted to ensure the effectiveness of the group. The group
redefines its goals in the light of information from the outside environment and shows
an autonomous will to pursue those goals. The long-term viability of the group is
established and nurtured.

C. FACILITATING A GROUP
A group cannot automatically function effectively, it needs to be facilitated.
Facilitation can be described as a conscious process of assisting a group to successfully
achieve its task while functioning as a group. Facilitation can be performed by members
themselves, or with the help of an outsider.
To facilitate effectively the facilitator needs to:
◘ Understand what is happening within the group
◘ Be aware of his/her own personality and
◘ Know how to facilitate

CONCLUSION:
Group dynamics refers to the understanding of the behavior of people in groups,
such as task groups, that are trying to solve a problem or make a decision. Group norms
are followed and collective pressure is exerted to ensure the effectiveness of the group.
The group provides a measure of support and reassurance. Moreover, as a group, learners
may also plan collectively for change action.