Part II. Interpersonal Processes and Behavior
 
 
 
Group Dynamics

 1. Group: two or more freely interacting and interdependent individuals who have come together to achieve certain objectives.
 

 
Question 1: Is Dickinson College a group? Why?

Question 2: Is a crowd on the street corner listening to a concert a group?

 
2. Formal vs. Informal Groups
 

 
Discussion 1: Who has real power, the head of a formal group or the head an overlapping informal group?
 

Informal social networks exert immense influence, which sometimes overrides the formal hierarchy. Leadership goes beyond a person's formal position into realms of informal, hidden, or unauthorized influence
 

Discussion 2: the function and dysfunction of informal group in the organization.
 

The dysfunction of informal group:

The positive function of information group

 
3. Stages of Group Development
  (1). Forming: how do I fit in: uncertainty about the group's purpose, norms, structure, and leadership. Low mutual trust

(2). Storming: intragroup conflict and testing - what is my role here: resistance to constraints, norms, competing for agenda and leadership

(3). Norming: agreement on goals, roles, norms, constraints, structure, and leaderships => increased group identity, mutual trust, and group cohesiveness
 
(4). Performing: how can I best perform my role, focusing on task fulfillment.

(5). Adjourning: prepare for disbandment.
 

 Two positive developments: Discussion 3: how many stages have your group experienced? What is the current stage? Why?
 

4. Group Structure
 

(1). Formal leadership

(2). Roles: a set of expected behavior patterns attributed to someone occupying a given position in a social unit.

(3). Norms: Acceptable standards of behavior that are shared by group members  
Discussion 4: The Dickinson college faculty handbook requires that all faculty members should take turn to teach most core courses. Is this a real norm? Why?
 

Major points: norms bear real consequences -reinforcement theory. What is stated is not always true.
 

Group conformity: adjusting one's behavior to allign with the norms of the group.
 

Discussion 5: why conformity?
 

(4). Status: A socially defined position or rank given to groups or group members by others.
 

Discussion 6: Who has a high status in the college? Who has low? Why?
 

Discussion 7: who are much easier to conform to group norms, those with high status or those with low status?
 

(5). Group size
 

Discussion 8: How group size affect group behavior?
 

Discusion 9: group size and the problem of social loafing, how to solve it.
 

(6). Group composition
 

Discussion 10: which group is better, heterogeneous groups or homogenous groups, with regard to gender, personality, abilities, skills, and perspectives?
 

Key: synergy of knowledge, skills, abilities, and personalities.

 
Discusion 11: the advantage and disadvantage of cultural diversity

 
(7). Group Cohesiveness: Degree to which group members are attracted to each other and are motivated to stay in the group
 

Discusion 12: What factors contribute to group cohesiveness?
 

Discusison 13: Is group cohesiveness good or bad?

 

Key: group performance norms

 
Discussion 14: Examine the effectiveness of your group by using Table 9.1.

 

Discussion 15: Arguments and counter-arguments: Designing jobs around groups vs. around individuals

Argument:

 Counter-argument: