Group Dynamics

 Concept of group dynamics

 What is group???
 Types of group
 why people join groups??
 Group Structure
 Theory of group formation
 Stages of group formation
 Principles of group dynamics
 Features of group dynamics
 Conclusion
It was founded by Kurt Lewin to study group decision, group
productivity, group interaction, group cohesiveness and group
communication. The underlying assumption was that the laws of the
group behavior can be established independently of the goals or
specific activities of group irrespective of the structure of the group.

Group dynamics contains two terms: group and dynamics.

Group is basically a collectivity of two or more persons. Dynamics
comes from Greek word meaning FORCE.
Thus, “Group dynamics is concerned with the interactions of forces
among group members in a social situation.”
Two or morepeople

Shared goals
Group

People see themselves

As members

There isinteraction
Among members
 Group

Formal Informal

Command Interest

Task Friendship
The people often join groups since the groups give the members a stability and
enhances their achievement capacity. The main reasons to join a group are:

Have a sense of security

Have a status
Develop Self-esteem
Power

Goal achievement
 Four are:

 Norms
 Roles
 Status
 Cohesiveness
 Set of beleifs, feelings, and attitudes
commonly shared by group members. These
are also referred to as rules or standards of
behaviour that apply to group members.
Norms serve three functions namely
Predictive- basis for Relational- some
understanding the norms define
behaviour of others relationships

Control- regulate
the behaviour of
others
Represents characteristics of group
Basis for predicting and controlling behaviour of others
Related to behaviours considered important for their grp
They are applied to all memebrs.
-various parts played by group members.

There are two elements that define this role identity-

Role Perception-An individual is expected to behave

according to his own perception in the group.
Role Expectation-It is defined as how others believe one
should behave in a given situation.
Status is “ a socially defined position or rank given to groups or group
members by others.” Group members get high status or low status in the
Group based on their authority and performance.

High status members of the group have more freedom to deviate

from the norms. This facility enables them to have the discriminatory
powers in decision making. Low status members of the group should not
have freedom to deviate from the norms as it leads to status inequality.
 COHESION

SOCIAL TASK

the way in which skills and

the bonds of interpersonal
abilities of the group
attraction that link
members mesh to allow
group members
optimal performance
 Who won, and why?

Did your group act like this… … Or like this?

Groups with High Cohesiveness Get Better Results!

 High Cohesiveness

Low
Cohesiveness
- Unity
- Negative Feelings
- Interactive
- More Problems
- Positive Feelings
- Less Productive
- Ability to Cope with Problems
- More Productive
 Balance Theory:
Propounded by “ Theodore New-Comb” which states that- “
Persons are attracted with one another on the basis of similar

attitudes towards commonly relevant objectives and goals.”

Propounded by “ Thaibaunt and Kelly”. This
theory is based on reward-cost outcomes of
interaction between employees.
The intraction between people is reward.
 Stage V
Stage IV Adjourning
Performing
Stage III Group
Norming may
Stage II Group disband
Storming member
Stage I Members either
Members Work s work after
Forming towards
come to Together meeting
Members Resist developing Getting their
get to know Control Close their goals or
each other by group Relationship jobs
Leaders
because
& set s & feelings done members
& Show
ground of Leave
hostility
rules Cohesivenes
s
 1 . The members of the group must have a strong sense of
belonging to the group .The barrier between the leaders and to
be led must be broken down.

2. The more attraction a group is to its members, the greater

influence it would exercise on its members.
3. The grater the prestige of the group member in the eyes of
the member in the eyes of the members , the grater influence
he would exercise on the theme.
4.The successful efforts to change individuals sub parts of the
group would result in making them confirm to the norms of
the group.
5. The pressures for change when strong can be established in
the group by creating a shared perception by the members for
the need for the change.
Concerned with group

Changes

Rigidity or flexibility

Continuous process
 The groups operate on a common task and common attitudes. The
group dynamics is concerned with the interaction between the group
members in a social situation. This is concerned with the gaining in the
knowledge of the group, how they develop and their effect on the
individual members and the organization in which they function.
The group dynamics is essential to study since it helps to find
how the relationships are made within a group and how the forces act
within the group members in a social setting. This helps to recognize the
formation of group and how a group should be organized, lead and
promoted.
In 1980 , Richard semler joined SEMCO , founded by his father 27 years
earlier, having 100 employees and manufacturing hydraulic pumps for
ships, producing about $4million in revenue and tottered on the edge of
bankruptcy.
For the next 2 years, top managers constantly sought bank loans and
fought off rumors that the company was about to sink.
They also travelled 4 continents that enabled the company to reduce its
cyclical marine business to 60% of total sales.
Today SEMCO has many factories producing range of products
like marine pumps, digital scanners, commercial dishwashers, truck
filters and mixing equipment for substances ranging from bubble gum to
rocket fuel.
Customers include Alcoa,saab,general motors and SEMCO is regarded as
one of the best company in Brazil to work for by press.
The company’s survival and ultimate success is due largely to a major change in its
management approach.
SEMCO emphasized on 3 fundamental values- democracy , information , profit
sharing. These values helped in gaining confidence on work groups as a primary
mechanism for managing the company.
After some experimentations SEMCO found that they need 150 employees per
factory and all are divided into 10 member group given a major responsibilities for
outcomes associated with their areas.
Costs rose up because of duplication of effort and lost economies of scale. within a
year sales got doubled ,inventory dropped from126 to 46 days,8 new products
appeared that had been tied up in R&D for 2 years and the product rejection rate at
inspection dropped from 33 to 1% and increased productivity enabled the company
to reduce the workforce by 32& through attrition and early retirement.
At SEMCO once the members of a group agree on a monthly production schedule,
they meet it . At end of the month every body has done their work allotted except
for motors that had not yet arrived, despite repeated phone calls to the supplier.
finally 2 employees went to the supplier’s plant and got delivery on the last day of
the month and every one sat for the whole night till mng 4.45 and completed the
assignment ( meat slicers)
work groups have access to important information like Balance Sheet,P&L analysis,
cash flow statements for his or her division every month.

All workers voluntarily attend monthly classes so that they can learn to read and
understand the numbers.

Another factor is that although top level managers are strict about meeting the financial
targets, workers have wide latitude in determining the necessary actions and carrying
them out.

Profit sharing plan, twice a year employees receive about 25% of the after tax profits
for their division.

Employees vote on how to disburse the funds, which are visually distributed equally.

A survey was conducted by college graduates by Brazilian magazine found that 25% of
men and 13% of women cited SEMCO as the company they most wanted to work for.