Group Dynamics Flashcards
Definition of a Group
Two or more freely interacting people with shared norms, goals, and a common identity
Definition of a Team
A group with complementary skills who hold themselves mutually accountable toward a common purpose
4+1 phases in Tuckman’s Model of Small Group Development
- Forming
- Storming
-> A time of interpersonal conflict - Norming
- Performing
- Adjourning
What questions are asked in the Forming stage of Tuckman’s Model of Small Group Development?
1 is Group perspective, 2 is personal perspective
- Why are we here?
- How do I fit in?
What questions are asked in the Storming stage of Tuckman’s Model of Small Group Development?
1 is Group perspective, 2 is personal perspective
- Who is in charge & who does what?
- What is my role here?
What questions are asked in the Norming stage of Tuckman’s Model of Small Group Development?
1 is Group perspective, 2 is personal perspective
- Can we agree on roles and work as a team
- What do the others expect of me?
What questions are asked in the Performing stage of Tuckman’s Model of Small Group Development?
1 is Group perspective, 2 is personal perspective
- Can we do the job properly?
- How can I best perform my role?
What questions are asked in the Adjourning stage of Tuckman’s Model of Small Group Development?
1 is Group perspective, 2 is personal perspective
- Can we help the team to transition out?
- What’s next?
What happens in the GROUP level in the FORMING stage of Tuckman’s Model of Small Group Development?
Groups try to establish an orientation to the task
What happens in the MEMBER level in the FORMING stage of Tuckman’s Model of Small Group Development?
Members establish relationships with the leader and each other
What happens in the GROUP level in the STORMING stage of Tuckman’s Model of Small Group Development?
Groups polarize into subgroups (lack of unity)
What happens in the MEMBER level in the STORMING stage of Tuckman’s Model of Small Group Development?
- Members exhibit low trust and avoid untested relations for safety
- They also can get emotional during conflicts
What does a successful transition from STORMING to NORMING stage require?
A respected non-leader member to challenge the group and resolve the conflict
What happens in the GROUP level in the NORMING stage of Tuckman’s Model of Small Group Development?
Group cohesiveness forms and group norms are established
What happens in the MEMBER level in the NORMING stage of Tuckman’s Model of Small Group Development?
- Members accept each other’s idiosyncracies and express personal opinions
- Conflicts are avoided
What happens in the GROUP level in the PERFORMING stage of Tuckman’s Model of Small Group Development?
- Group is task-focused
- Roles become flexible
- Shared leadership and accountability
What happens in the MEMBER level in the PERFORMING stage of Tuckman’s Model of Small Group Development?
Individuals readily adopt to roles that help the task
Why is the ADJOURNING stage needed in the Tuckman’s Model of Small Group Development?
There is a sense of loss after the group disbands and thus celebrating rituals is needed
Why is it important to study groups?
Group functioning often systematically differs from the simple addition of each individual’s abilities
What are the criteria for ideal groups?
- To be efficient
-> Everyone must put in their maximum productivity - To be effective
-> Members must contribute unique knowledge
What is Social Loafing?
As group size increases individual input drops and coordination is increasingly difficult
4 main reasons for Social Loafing
- Equity of effort
- Loss of personal accountability
- Motivational loss due to the sharing of rewards
- Coordination loss as more people perform the task
Tips regarding finding the optimal group size
- Limit group size to 5 or fewer
- Odd-numbered groups help to break voting stalemates
- Avoid dividing up simple tasks as group tasks
- If representative views are sought, larger groups may be useful
What is Group Polarization?
Groups make more extreme decisions than individuals
4 effects of the Common Knowledge Effect
- Groups spend disproportionately more time discussing shared knowledge rather than unique knowledge
- Shared knowledge is also given more weight in decision-making
- Groups are often not conscious of this process
- This effect amplifies with bigger groups
What is Groupthink?
Groups making premature and poor decisions under an illusion of false consensus, thus failing to appraise available contradictory information
4 situations that promote Groupthink
- Cohesive groups
-> Motivation to preserve unanimity - Isolation
-> Work is done separately and confidentially - Assertive and dominant leaders
- Decisional stress
-> Time pressure and uncertainty
Pros of Group decision making
- Wider knowledge base
- Complex problems can be divided and tackled
- Greater acceptance, satisfaction, and commitment by the team
Cons of Group decision making
- Slow process
- A key source of group conflict
- If individuals have all the information, individuals would make better decisions than groups
What is Devil’s Advocate?
Takes the role of constructively criticizing a group’s decision or plan
How does having a Devil’s Advocate help the group?
Dispels typical group norms to preserve cohesiveness and just reach a consensus
Why should the role of Devil’s Advocate be rotated?
May garner a negative reputation for the individual
