Group Cohesiveness

Curt Matthews MGMT 301/301W Prof. William S. Gardner

Group:
a collection of people who must interact with one another; be socially attracted to one another; share goals or objectives; and have shared identity which distinguishes them from other groups
2

Cohesiveness:
the extent to which members are loyal and committed to the group.

Two types of Cohesion:

Task Cohesion the degree to which members of a group work together to achieve common goals
Social Cohesion reflects the degree to which members of a team like each other and enjoy each others company
4

Four Stages of Group Development

Forming

Storming

Norming

Conforming (Performing)
5

Forming Group members are uncertain of the groups structure and its goals or a strategy for achieving them; they will as a result be quite dependent on the leader

Storming Conflict and disagreements between the group members and the leader will arise, as well as between various subgroups; there will be a tendency to rebel against the rules which have been established
Norming The group becomes more mature and cohesive; group norms develop beyond any formally established rules Conforming (Performing) Conflicts between individuals are resolved; the group works constructively on problem-solving and energy is directed towards the task
6

Factors which affect Cohesiveness

Increase

Decrease

Intergroup competition Personal attraction Favorable evaluation Agreement on Goals Interaction

Large group size Disagreement on goals Intragroup competition Domination Unpleasant experiences

Behavioral Norms

Norms standards of behavior that a group accepts and expects of its members.

The more cohesive a group is, the greater an influence it will have on individual members to conform to the groups norms, thus lessening the possibility of having loafers. Loafing is the tendency for individuals to lessen their effort when they are part of a group also known as the Ringelmann effect.
9

The Team-Building Strategy

Team Structure Leadership Conformity to Standards Team Environment Team Processes

10

Team Structure involves role clarity and acceptance, such as when group members clearly understand their roles in the group Leadership should coincide with type of individuals or vise versa Conformity of Standards is when conformity to group social and task norms contribute to enhanced cohesion Team Environment consists of togetherness, when group members area repetitively put in close physical proximity, feeling of cohesion increases. Team Processes group goals are more strongly associated with team success than with individual goals, cooperative behavior is superior to individualistic behavior

11

Effective Contributors to a Group:

Get to know members of the group Help group members whenever possible Give group members positive reinforcement Are responsible Communicate honestly and openly with the coach or leader Resolve conflicts immediately Give 100% effort at all times
12

Ricky Griffin, author of the text, Fundamentals of Management, states that in a highly cohesive team, members work well together, support and trust one another, and are generally effective at achieving their chosen goal.
13

Closing Statement
Teamwork is something that one hears about more and more today in the business world, in sports, in school and essentially in our daily lives. For teamwork to be effective, however, the group, whether it consists of two or ten, must be able to possess a type of cohesiveness.
14