SEMINAR ON

Group dynamics And Lobbying

Submitted To Mrs. Preethadevi Associate Professor Vijaya College of Nursing Kottarakara

Submitted By Chithra.S II Year M.Sc Nsg Vijaya College of Nursing Kottarakara

Submitted On: 15/11/2013

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GROUP DYNAMICS INTRODUCTION Dynamics is the flow of coherent activities which as envisaged will lead the group towards the establishment of its set goals. The word dynamics is Greek word which means the study of force. Thus the term group dynamics refers to the forces operating wide in groups for social interaction and interest. 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 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.
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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. 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
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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.

GROUP DEVELOPMENT: THEORETICAL BASES Group dynamics is concerned with why and how groups develop. There are several theories as to why groups develop. 1. Classic Theory A classic theory developed by George Homans, suggests that groups develop based on activities, interactions, and sentiments. Basically, the theory means that when individuals share common activities, they will have more interaction and will develop attitudes (positive or negative) toward each other. The major element in this theory is the interaction of the individuals involved. 2. Social Exchange Theory Social exchange theory offers an alternative explanation for group development. According to this theory, individuals form relationships based on the implicit expectation of mutually beneficial exchanges based on trust and felt obligation. Thus, a perception that exchange relationships will be positive is essential if individuals are to be attracted to and affiliate with a group. 3. Social identity Theory Social identity theory offers another explanation for group formation. Simply put, this theory suggests that individuals get a sense of identity and self-esteem based upon their membership in salient groups. The nature of the group may be demographically based, culturally based, or organizationally based. Individuals are motivated to belong to and contribute to identity groups because of the sense of belongingness and self-worth membership in the group imparts. 4. Schutzs Three Stage Model (1958, 1966) This model suggests that each group irrespective of its nature given enough time goes through the three interpersonal phases of inclusion, and affection in the same sequence. The three stages are described briefly: Inclusion Inclusion is the initial stage of this model, when individuals begin their group life, and are primarily concerned about whether the team will accept them or not. This phase starts with formation of groups. The members try to know each other through discussion. There is
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focus on belongingness issues like attention, acknowledgement, recognition, identify, and participation. Control When the team members begin to focus on issues of leadership and structure. They assume positions of authority, advance ideas within the team, and try to affect others opinions. Each member tries to establish a comfortable interchange and degree of initiation with respect to control, influence and responsibility. Affection In this stage, the members become emotionally close. They develop positive behaviour like intimacy and personal confidence. In general, this is the end of the teams life cycle. 5. Tuckmans stages model 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 groups 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. GROUP FUNCTIONS Three functions that influence the effectiveness and productivity of groups are task functions, maintenance functions, and self-interest functions. Task Functions This is the primary reason for the establishment of a group. To achieve the task, they must have members that fulfill some or all of the following roles: Initiating: by proposing tasks or goals, defining problems and suggesting procedures for a solution Information seeking: by requesting facts, seeking relevant information, and asking for suggestions or ideas

Information giving: by offering facts, providing information, stating beliefs, and giving suggestions or ideas Clarifying ideas: by interpreting and clarifying input, indicating alternatives and giving examples Bringing closure: by summarizing, restating, and offering solutions Consensus testing: by checking for agreements and sending up trial balloons. Maintenance Function Each group needs social-emotional support to be effective. Some members of the group will take the lead in providing this support which consists of the following: Encouraging: by showing regard for other members and providing positive response to their contributions Improving group by expressing group feelings, sensing moods and relationships, atmosphere: and sharing feelings Harmonizing: by reconciling differences and reducing group tension Compromising: by admitting errors and looking for alternatives Gate-keeping: by attempting to keep communications flowing, facilitating the participation of others, and suggesting procedures for sharing discussion. Standard setting: by reminding members of group norms, rules, and roles. Self-interest Function This third function displayed by some individuals, members generally takes away from group performance and affects task achievement at the expense of the group. Activities that identify self-interest behaviour are as follows: Dominating and controlling: by displaying lack of respect for others, cutting them off, not listening, and restating other members suggestions with a different meaning Blocking: by stifling a line of thought, and changing the topic either away from the point of view or back to his or her own interest Manipulating: by providing self-serving information, or a single point of view designed to achieve a decision that is consistent with their position Belittling: through put-downs, sneering at others point of view, or making jokes about another members contribution Splitting hairs: by nit-picking, searching for insignificant details that delay a solution, or undermining another persons point of view.
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ROLE OF GROUP LEADER IN GROUP PROCESS Use open-ended question to start discussions. Encourage all members to ask questions. Respond with a positive comment or summary each time a member makes a contribution. Give your full attention to each persons contribution. Refrain from negative comments about members contribution. Dont take sides, instead summarize opinion differences, State those issues can be viewed from different perspectives. Seek equal input from all members. Actively listen to all members. Focus discussion on the purpose of the group. Check perceptions of the group. Convey the meaning of what a team member has said so that all members can understand. Clarify statements. Sort out the confusious and conflicts. Restate and summarize major ideas and feelings. Summarize points of opinion differences among team members. Encourage open expression of members feelings and thoughts. Avoid frequent questioning. Too many questions at one time are annoying. Confirm members ideas, emphasize the facts and encourage further discussion.

APPLICATIONS OF GROUP DYNAMICS IN NURSING MANAGEMENT Because the work of organization is accomplished by groups, teams, or committees, the nurse managers need to be well grounded and knowledgeable with the group dynamics. The nurse managers should develop an understanding of the factors that increase and reduce group cohesiveness. Following are the applications of group dynamics that can be used by the nurse managers. The nurse manager can promote healthy informal groups to inculcate morale among nurses since the accomplishment of the organizational goals and high productivity depend on how much is the morale of the employees influenced by informal groups. Nurse Managers need to function in group to promote problem solving and acceptance of responsibility. The nurse manager needs to know how groups function to facilitate effectiveness. Since each member of group an important role in achieving the work of the group and each member is different in his/her personality, have different way of doing the work. The nurse manager can maintain congenial environment where the nurse in groups have good interpersonal relationship, because with good personal interpersonal relationship, the group members perform task roles, group building and maintenance

roles and individual roles. In the performance of these roles, the group members share the power of organization and its management. Nurse Managers with the working knowledge of group dynamics can use their knowledge to assemble groups. Such knowledge is important in selection of chair of committees, task forces, and other groups of clinical nurses. It is important for selecting nurses for organizational committees. Group training gives members aware of the roles they play and opportunity to manage them so that they become productive. Group training can contribute to theory of nursing practice and management. Self analysis and self evaluation and development of sensitivity to others to make one productive within the group settings are the part of these theories. The concepts of group dynamics can be used in continuing education and in-service education program for the professional nurses. This can be done by role plays and case studies. The knowledge of group dynamics is needed by nurse managers to improve leadership competencies and to facilitate group discussions and communication. Groups are common feature of majority of experiences of all nurses in such roles as outcome management, team co-ordination and teaching of students, patients and family.

LOBBYING INTRODUCTION Nurses can take an active role in the legislative and political process to affect change. They may become involved in influencing one specific piece of legislation or regulation, or they can become involved more universally and systematically to influence health care legislation on the whole.

DEFINITION Lobbying is the deliberate attempt to influence political decisions through various forms of advocacy directed at policymakers on behalf of another person, organization or group. Lobbying is the practice of private advocacy with the goal of influencing a governing body by promoting a point of view that is conducive to an individual's or organization's goals. A lobbyist is an individual who attempts to influence legislation on behalf of others, such as professional organizations or industries. A person who receives compensation or reimbursement from another person, group, or entity to lobby.

TYPES OF LOBBYING Direct Grassroots Direct Lobbying Is communicating your views to a legislator or a staff member or any other government employee who may help develop the legislation To be lobbying, one must communicate a view on a "specific legislative proposal." Even if there is no bill, one would be engaged in lobbying if one asked a legislator to take an action that would require legislation, such as funding an agency. Asked ones members to lobby for this bill is also considered as direct lobbying. Grassroots Lobbying Is simply citizen participation in government. The key to successful grassroots lobbying efforts is assembling people who share common goals and concerns. Grassroots communications are vital in educating legislators to the concerns of the voting population in their state. If you do not share your views with your representative, then your views will not be considered by your state representative when he votes on an issue which affects you. You can make a difference by simply writing, calling, meeting, or faxing your representative.

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TYPES OF LOBBYISTS The Lobbyists Registration Act identifies three types of lobbyists: The consultant lobbyist The consultant lobbyist is a person who is gainfully employed or not and whose occupation is to lobby on behalf of a client in exchange for money, benefits or other forms of compensation. Consultant lobbyists may work for public relations firms or be self-employed. For example, he or she might be a public relations expert, a lawyer, an engineer, an architect. The enterprise lobbyist This is a person who holds a job or has duties in a profit-making organization, whose duties include, for a significant part, lobbying on behalf of the firm. The organization lobbyist This is a person who holds a job or has duties in a non-profit organization. Like the enterprise lobbyist, this lobbyist is affected by the Act if a significant part of his or her duties is to lobby on behalf of this organization. PREPARING FOR LOBBYING CAMPAIGN: An effective lobbying initiative takes background work. Develop plan of action. Consider, rework, revamp, and define the plan in advance of the trip to the legislators office. Be sure one is fully aware of all similar initiatives on the same topic and the position of those opposing ones idea. Check with other nursing organizations to determine their positions and if they have information to help support ones position. Fine-tune ones presentation to several key points because time will be limited. Follow up after the meeting with a call or correspondence outlining the points. PREPARING FOR AN EFFECTIVE LETTER-WRITING CAMPAIGN: Define the goals of this grass-roots campaign. Develop a plan Assess the knowledge level of the participants concerning the legislative process and the issues that impact the organization. Use this information to plan educational sessions with the goal of improving the political sophistication of the group. Give interested participants information about the bill in question and how this bill would directly affect their practice. Clearly state what action the legislative body needs to take to meet the goal, and include the specific bill number and name. Set up effective telephone or e-mail networks that can contact key members quickly. Often legislative issues are scheduled and moved up quickly on that schedule, requiring an immediate change of plan. Identify and set up contacts with the key legislators involved in your issue. Set numerical goals for how many letters or mailings will be generated.

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On large issues, focus groups or polls may be used to acquire information that can be analysed and send to the legislators. Get the timing right. The time to begin your campaign is just before the committee hearings begin or just prior to the vote o the floor. Too early is ineffective; too late is wasted effort. You must follow the progress of your issue closely so as to mobilize your members at the right time. USEFUL TIPS Dos Do write legibly or type. Handwritten are perfectly acceptable so long as they can be read. Do use persona stationary. Indicate that you are a registered nurse. Sign your full name and address. If you are writing for an organization, use that organizations stationary and include information about the number of members in the organization, the services you perform, and the employment setting you are found in. Do state if you are a constituent. If you campaigned for or voted for the official, say so. Do identify the issue by number and name if possible or refer to it by the common name. Do state your position clearly and state what you would like your legislator to do. Do draft the letter in your own words and convey your own thoughts. Do refer to your own experience of how a bill will directly affect you, your family, your patients, and members of your organization or your profession. Thoughtful, sincere letters on issues that directly affect the writer receive the most attention and are those that are often quoted in hearings or debates. Do contact the legislator in time for your legislator to act on an issue. After the vote is too late. If your representative is a member of the committee that is hearing the issue, contact him/her before the committee hearings begin. If he/she is not on the committee, write just before the bill is due to come to the floor for debate and vote. Do write the governor promptly for a state issue, after the bill passes both houses, if you want to influence his/her decision to sign the bill into law or veto it. Do use e-mails to state your points. Do be appreciative, especially of past favourable votes. Many letters legislators receive feedback from constituents who are unhappy or displeased about actions taken on an issue. Letters of thanks are greatly appreciated. Do make your point quickly and discuss only one issue per letter. Most letters should be one page long. Do remember that you are the expert in your professional area. Most legislators know little about the practice of nursing and respect your knowledge. Offer your expertise to your elected representative as an advisor or resource person to his or her staff when issues arise. Do ask for what you want your legislator to do on an issue. Ask him/her to state his/her position in the reply to you. Donts Do not begin a letter with as a citizen and a taxpayer. Legislators assume that you are a citizen, and all of us pay taxes. Do not threaten or use hostility. Most legislators ignore hate mail.
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Do not send carbon copies of your letter to other legislators. Write each legislator individually. Do not send letters to other legislators from other states-they will refer your letter to your congressional representative. Do not write House members while a bill is in the Senate and vice versa. A bill may be amended many times before it gets from one house to the other. Do not write postcards; they are tossed. Do not use form letters. In large numbers these letters get attention only in the form that they are tallied. These letters tend to elicit a form letter response from the legislator. Do not apologize for writing and taking their time. If your letter is short and presents your opinion on an issue, they are glad to have it. KEEP ABREAST OF LEGISLATION AND REGULATION: When issues are important to your professional, contact the legislator and provide the important facts that support your position and be sure to follow up routinely so your opinions stay fresh in his/her mind. Legislation: To keep in contact with the legislature, it is important to identify key committees and subcommittees in the legislative bodies, and to identify and develop communication with the members of those committees. Ways to keep abreast of new information include the following: Volunteer for campaign work and develop contacts with legislators. Obtain pertinent government documents using online resources. Get the general telephone number for the state government and the mailing addresses for correspondence. Develop liaisons with other health professionals and utilize them as information sources and allies in lobbying for health care issues. Register a member of your group as a lobbyist- the fee is generally small. If possible, hire a lobbyist Once you have notified your legislator about your interest in a particular issue, the legislators office may routinely send literature outlining his or her activities throughout the sometimes arduous process. Regulation Because lobbying activities can significantly affect individuals and industry, regulation is essential to avoid abuse. Lobbyists have created ethics codes, guidelines for professional conduct and standards. The following will help you keep abreast o the newest regulations and standards: Subscribe to the state register (which contains all state regulations under consideration). Identify and develop contacts with state agencies that exert control on or impact your practice and ask to be added to their mailing lists. A limited list includes the following: Nurse practice act: rules and regulations Medical practice act: rules and regulations Pharmacy act: rules and regulations
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Dental practice act: rules and regulations Hospital licensing act: rules and regulations Ambulatory surgical center licensing act: rules and regulations Insurance statute: rules and regulations Trauma center statute: rules and regulations Department of Health Podiatric Act: rules and regulations

RESEARCH ABSTRACT The Dynamics of Firm Lobbying William R. Kerr, William F. Lincoln, Prachi Mishra NBER Working Paper No. 17577 Issued in November 2011 We study the determinants of the dynamics of firm lobbying behavior using a panel data set covering 1998-2006. Our data exhibit three striking facts: (i) few firms lobby, (ii) lobbying status is strongly associated with firm size, and (iii) lobbying status is highly persistent over time. Estimating a model of a firm's decision to engage in lobbying, we find significant evidence that up-front costs associated with entering the political process help explain all three facts. We then exploit a natural experiment in the expiration in legislation surrounding the H-1B visa cap for high-skilled immigrant workers to study how these costs affect firms' responses to policy changes. We find that companies primarily adjusted on the intensive margin: the firms that began to lobby for immigration were those who were sensitive to H-1B policy changes and who were already advocating for other issues, rather than firms that became involved in lobbying anew. For a firm already lobbying, the response is determined by the importance of the issue to the firm's business rather than the scale of the firm's prior lobbying efforts. These results support the existence of significant barriers to entry in the lobbying process. CONCLUSION Group dynamics is a group of behaviors and and way of thinking that occurs within a social group between social groups. The study of group dynamics can be useful in understanding decision-making behavior of groups and is useful in studies of psychology, sociology, political science, and other fields. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Basvanthappa. B.T. Nursing Administration. 1st edition. 2002. Jaypee publishers 2. Chabbra N T. Principles and practice of management. 9th edition.2005. New Delhi: Dhanpat Rai & Co 3. Prasad M L. Principles and practice of management. 7th edition.2007. New Delhi: Sultan Chand & Sons 4. Vati Jogindra. Principles and practice of nursing management and administration. 1st edition.2013. Jaypee publishers

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