MODULE-2 GROUP AND TEAM DYNAMICS

Meaning of Group:
A group can be defined as several individuals who come together to accomplish a particular task or goal.
A group is an aggregation of people interacting and interdependent and are aware of one another.
Definition of Group:
According to Marvin Shaw, "A group is two or more persons who are interacting with one another in such a
manner that each person influences and is influenced by each other person".
Meaning of Group Dynamics:
Group dynamics refers to the individual setting, behaviour, skills and attitudes of members within a group,
that is driven by common identity and objectives.
Group dynamics is the study of how people interact and behave in groups and how this affects the group's
functioning.

Types of Groups:
I. Formal groups: They are created deliberately by the management to perform the assigned duties, The
examples are work groups, committees and quality teams. These groups are characterized by clear-cut
authority- responsibility relationships. The pattern of communication is also well defined. The formal groups
are also known as official organization.
1. Command Groups: Command groups are specified by the organizational chart and often consist of a
supervisor and the subordinates that report to that supervisor. An example of a command group is a market
research firm CEO and the research associates under him.
2. Task Groups: Task groups consist of people who work together to achieve a common task. Members are
brought together to accomplish a narrow range of goals within a specified time period. Task groups are also
commonly referred to as task forces. Examples of assigned tasks are the development of a new product, the
improvement of a production process, or designing the syllabus under semester system.
3. Functional Groups: A functional group is created by the organization to accomplish specific goals within
an unspecified time frame. Functional groups remain in existence after achievement of current goals and
objectives. Examples of functional groups would be a marketing department, a customer service department,
or an accounting department.
4. Committee: Committees are official decision-making groups that are set up to provide suggestions or deal
with particular organizational problems. Committees handle recurrent issues and are usually continuing, in
contrast to task groups. Committees are often made up of members from several departments or
organizational levels. For instance, a safety committee was established to examine and enhance worker
safety.
II. Informal Groups: Informal groups arise spontaneously in the organization because of social interaction
between the people. They are created by individuals rather than by management. They are natural groupings
of people at work in response to the needs for social interaction. They are based on common interests,
language, taste, caste, religion, background etc. thus informal groups are alliances that are not officially
planned.
1. Interest Group: Interest groups usually continue over time and may last longer than general informal
groups. Members of interest groups may not be part of the same organizational department but they are

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BRUNDAVATHI K, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR,
JNANA JYOTHI DEGREE COLLEGE
 MODULE-2 GROUP AND TEAM DYNAMICS
bound together by some other common interest. An example of an interest group would be students who
come together to form a study group for a specific class.
2. Friendship Groups: Friendship groups are formed by members who enjoy similar social activities,
political beliefs, religious values, or other common bonds. Members enjoy each other's company and often
meet after work to participate in these activities. For example, a group of employees who form a friendship
group may have a yoga group, a Rajasthani association in Delhi, or a kitty party lunch once a month.
3. Reference Groups: A reference group is a type of group that people use to evaluate themselves. The main
objectives of reference groups are to seek social validation and social comparison. Social validation allows
individuals to justify their attitudes and values while social comparison helps individuals evaluate their own
actions by comparing themselves to others. Reference groups have a strong influence on members' behavior.
Such groups are formed voluntarily. Family, friends, and religious affiliations are strong reference groups for
most individuals.
III. Other Types of Groups:
1. Apathetic groups: These groups are composed of relatively low paid and how skilled assembly line
workers who lack unity and power and hardly use any pressure tactics. Such a group has no acceptable
leader and is indifferent to the formal organization.
2. Erratic groups: These groups are composed of semi-skilled workers who work together in performing
jobs that require interaction. They display considerable unity. In their relations with management, they are
erratic or lack consistency in behavior. Sometimes, they show antagonism towards management while on
other occasions they may be cooperative.
3. Strategic groups: The members of such groups are able to prepare a strategy for putting pressures on the
other groups and management. The members are engaged in jobs (better than the earlier two categories)
requiring use of special skills and judgment. Their jobs are considered as key jobs in the plant. Such groups
are found to be highly united and taking active part in union activity.
4. Conservative groups: These groups are composed of professionals and highly skilled employees in the
plant. They are found at higher levels of the organization and display considerable self-confidence. They
work on their own and the nature of their jobs in such that they can shut down the plant if they so desire.
5. Clique: A clique consists of those people who have frequent interactions and observe certain norms and
standards. Its purpose is to gain and control power. The number of members of a clique is restricted to five or
six organizational members.

Features of Group:
1. A group consists of two or more people: A single individual cannot form a group. For the purpose of
group formation there must be at least two persons. There is no specific limit on the maximum number of
persons to form a group. It starts from two and ends to infinity.
2. A group has a combined Identity: All the members of the group know each other. Each member of the
group perceives that he is a part of group. They all have one common identity and work towards
achievement of a common objective rather than having individual objective.
3. Interaction and good relationship: There is an interaction among the members of the group. Each
member shares his ideas, views and thoughts with others through different communication methods such as
face-to-face, in writing, over the telephone and across a computer network. The two most important types of
communication are oral and written communication.

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BRUNDAVATHI K, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR,
JNANA JYOTHI DEGREE COLLEGE
 MODULE-2 GROUP AND TEAM DYNAMICS
4. Same Purpose or objective: The members of the group work to achieve some common goal, objective or
purpose. In fact, it is the common purpose that binds the group members together. They all work by co-
ordinating and cooperating with each other to achieve this goal or objective.
5. Influence: A group has the influence feature. A member can influence the behaviors, thoughts, or actions
of others. Influence in a group is not necessarily determined by authority or position. It can come from
expertise, charisma, or the ability to build trust and rapport.
6. Norms: The unwritten rules and expectations regarding how members of a group should behave are
known as norms. The norms include the way the people relate to each other, in communicating, in making
decisions, and in the way the members treat one another. Norms can emerge with time or at the very outset
of formation.
7. Interdependence: Members depend on each other to achieve the group's goals and for the group's
existence.

Stages of Group Development:

1. Forming: The first stage of team development is forming, which is where the team has just been
introduced and everyone is overly polite and pleasant. At the start, most are excited to start something new
and to get to know the other team members. During this stage, points of discussion will be
a) Member's skills, background and interests b) Project goals c) Timeline
d) Ground rules e) Individual roles
As the group starts to familiarize themselves, roles and responsibilities will begin to form. It is important for
team members to develop relationships and understand what part each person plays.
2. Storming: The second stage is the storming stage, where conflict arises in group development. As team
members begin to define their roles and work styles, disagreements are inevitable. The storming stage of
group development is often marked by clashes of opinions or power struggles. Though this can create
tension, these conflicts help the group develop conflict resolution skills that strengthen team effectiveness.
3. Norming: Gradually, the team moves into the norming stage. This is when people start to resolve their
differences, appreciate colleagues strengths and respect your authority as a leader. Now that team members
know one another better, they may socialize together and they are able to ask one another for help and
provide constructive feedback. People develop a stronger commitment to the team goal and you start to see
good progress towards it.
4. Performing: In the performing stage of group development, your team has reached cohesion and are
working together at their highest potential. Group members follow established workflows to achieve the
team’s goals and develop a shared sense of purpose. This is the ideal group development stage. As a team
lead, it’s your goal to get your team to this stage as quickly as possible.
5. Adjourning: The fifth stage of group development is the adjourning stage, sometimes called the
mourning stage. Many teams will reach this stage eventually. For example, project teams exist for only a
fixed period and even permanent teams may be disbanded through organizational restructuring. Team
members who like routine, or who have developed close working relationships with colleagues, may find
this stage difficult, particularly if their future now looks uncertain.

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BRUNDAVATHI K, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR,
JNANA JYOTHI DEGREE COLLEGE
 MODULE-2 GROUP AND TEAM DYNAMICS
Determinants of Group Behaviour:
[Link]: The first primary behavioural determinant in organizations is people. Company employees are
inherently different. Their ages and genders vary. They also come from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
Moreover, people bring different skill sets to their companies. Employees are also different with respect to
their goals and ambitions. Some strive to get promoted more quickly. Others enjoy more tactical functions
and are satisfied becoming more efficient at their present jobs. Managers must understand what motivates
employees so they can adopt the right management styles with them. For example, some workers prefer
closer supervision, while others are more self-directed and thrive on independence.
2. Technology: Technology also greatly influences working relationships between employees. Companies
that have more updated equipment or computer software usually can expect greater production from
workers. There also tends to be more cohesiveness among employees. Managers spend less time harping
over details when they know employees have the proper tools. For example, a marketing manager may
assign an analyst the task of creating a 10-page presentation for the department meeting. The manager knows
the presentation software provides tutorials and spends less time explaining how to set up the presentation.
Contrarily, employees who do not have the proper technology and equipment may become agitated. They
may start viewing their job as drudgery and start taking their frustrations out on other workers.
3. Organizational Structure: Companies also must ensure they have the proper organizational structure for
employees to work effectively. A tall, bureaucratic structure, for example, would not work efficiently for a
small company with 50 employees. There would be too many management levels. Workers would spend
more time waiting for approval on projects or budgets, as more managers would be involved in the decision-
making process. Creativity and communication also may be hampered in a taller organizational structure.
This may lower the morale of employees who are creative and have high ambitions.
4. Considerations: Company's environment also affects employees' performance and morale. Employees
exposed to hazardous working conditions, for example, may feel that management doesn't care about them.
Their attitudes may become more negative, hindering their productivity levels. Additionally, workers may
develop health problems working under such conditions. This can lead to lawsuits and other legal issues for
the company. Some workers may know employees working under better conditions in competitive
companies. This may lead to resentment and even job attrition.
5. Group Size: A group can have as few as two members or as many members as can interact meaningfully
and influence one another. Group size can have an important effect on group performance. While a larger
group has advantage over a smaller group in terms of idea generation and availability of resources, it may
produce inhibition for interaction and communication among group members. A small group may be
effective in terms of interaction and communication among group members but lacks ability to handle
complex tasks. Therefore, group size should be determined by taking into consideration such factors as
nature of tasks to be performed, maturity of group members, and the ability of maturity of group members,
and the ability of group leader to manage communication, conflict and group activities.

Meaning of Team:
A team is a cooperative group whose members interact with each other towards accomplishment of special
objectives.
A team may be defined as a group of two or more people who interact and influence the members for the
achievement of commons goals.

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BRUNDAVATHI K, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR,
JNANA JYOTHI DEGREE COLLEGE
 MODULE-2 GROUP AND TEAM DYNAMICS
Definition of Team:
According to Stephen P. Robbins, "A team is a collection of people whose individual efforts result in a level
of performance which is greater than the sum of their contributions".

Meaning of Team Dynamics:

Team dynamics are the interpersonal interactions, unconscious psychological forces that influence the
direction of a team's behaviour and performance.

Types of Teams:
1. Functional team: Functional teams include members of the same department. When working within these
teams, you share different responsibilities requiring communication and trust. Functional teams have leaders
or supervisors to whom members report and who designate responsibilities. This type of team may be
beneficial for contributing to and prioritizing workplace culture.
Example: An organization establishes a team within the marketing department to determine which
campaigns are most effective. The members of this functional team have a strong understanding of their
campaigns and already have the information to make decisions. Team members then use analytics to
determine the most effective campaigns and discuss how to write their reports.
2. Inter-working team: In this case, the work team is made up of members from different areas of activity,
and its members usually have the same hierarchical level. This type of work team is usually formed to
develop work with a multidisciplinary view, in which each area represented by team members complements
the knowledge of others, bringing more creative and comprehensive results.
Example: A company wants to reallocate funding to develop a new sales department. It creates a cross-
functional team with members from every department. The team members analyze their departments to
determine how to reallocate funding.
3. Troubleshooting team: When issues arise within an organization, troubleshooting teams find solutions.
Their goal is to improve processes for organizations. These teams require strong communication skills to
resolve complex obstacles. They make recommendations to affected departments, who then implement them.
Example: A company wants to know how to increase the efficiency of its computer systems. It establishes a
troubleshooting team from people in the IT department so experienced staff members can apply their
specialized skills to the situation. The employer can then decide which changes to make based on what the
team finds during troubleshooting.
4. Self-managed teams: Self-managed teams are autonomous and don't require the same supervision as
other teams because they share leadership and responsibilities. When engaging in a self-managed team, you
may find providing constructive feedback to team members helpful. Startup companies and small businesses
often use self-managed teams.
Example: A sales team wants to redesign their sales pitch. A self-managed team helps members succeed
because all members can collaborate to determine a solution.
5. Project team: Project teams work on specific projects for their employers. Members typically come from
several departments and perform tasks depending on their abilities. These teams have project leaders who
assign responsibilities and monitor work.

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BRUNDAVATHI K, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR,
JNANA JYOTHI DEGREE COLLEGE
 MODULE-2 GROUP AND TEAM DYNAMICS
Example: A team is established to create a new company website. Members from the marketing and web
development departments collaborate to create it. Everyone on the team continues to work together on this
project until its completion.
6. Task-force teams: Organizations use task-force teams when emergencies arise. These teams comprise the
most efficient members within an organization. Members work exclusively on their tasks within the team
rather than combining a member's regular workload with the task force. The goal of the task force is to
complete projects quickly and efficiently.
Example: A recent update to an organization's network corrupts its sensitive computer files. The employer
establishes a task force team to determine whether they can save these files.

Meaning of Conflict:
Conflict may be defined as an expressed struggle between at least two parties who perceive incompatible
goals, scarce resources and interference from the other party in achieving their goals.
Conflict may be defined as struggle or contest between people with opposing needs, ideas, beliefs, values or
goals.

Types of Conflict:
1. Interpersonal Conflict: It refers to a conflict between two individuals. This occurs typically due to how
people are different from one another. We have varied personalities which usually results to incompatible
choices and opinions. Apparently, it is a natural occurrence which can eventually help in personal growth or
developing your relationships with others. In addition, coming up with adjustments is necessary for
managing this type of conflict.
2. Intrapersonal Conflict: It occurs within an individual. The experience takes place in the person's mind.
Hence, it is a type of conflict that is psychological involving the individual's thoughts, values, principles and
emotions. Interpersonal conflict may come in different scales, from the simpler mundane ones like deciding
whether or not to go organic for lunch to ones that can affect major decisions such as choosing a career path.
3. Intragroup Conflict: It is a type of conflict that happens among individuals within a team. The
incompatibilities and misunderstandings among these individuals lead to an intragroup conflict. It is arises
from interpersonal disagreements (e.g. team members have different personalities which may lead to
tension) or differences in views and ideas (e.g. in a presentation, members of the team might find the notions
presented by the one presiding to be erroneous due to their differences in opinion).
4. Intergroup Conflict: It takes place when a misunderstanding arises among different teams within an
organization. For instance, the sales department of an organization can come in conflict with the customer
support department. This is due to the varied sets of goals and interests of these different groups. In addition,
competition also contributes for intergroup conflict to arise.

Sources of Conflict:
1. Change: Implementation of new technology can lead to stressful change. Workers who don't adapt well to
change can become overly stressed, which increases the likelihood of conflict in the workplace.
2. Conflicting goals: Sometimes, an employee is asked by two managers (to who he/she) is accountable) to
achieve goals that contradict one another. Similarly, goals that don't apply equally to all clients can create
confusion to employees (certain extra special treatment is given to some clients). This confusion of goals can
create conflict.

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BRUNDAVATHI K, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR,
JNANA JYOTHI DEGREE COLLEGE
 MODULE-2 GROUP AND TEAM DYNAMICS
3. Conflicting roles: In the process of power struggle and retaliatory moves, employees will be asked to
move to new or unknown positions which are much against their conscience. This also causes role conflict
which reduces productivity of such employees. Sometimes, employees are asked to perform dual roles of in
charge manager and a subordinate. This also results in conflict.
4. Interpersonal Relationships: When different personalities come together in a workplace, there is always
the possibility they won't mesh. Office gossip and rumors can also serve as a catalyst for deterioration of co-
worker relationships.
5. Poor Communication: Companies or supervisors that don't communicate effectively can create conflict.
For example, a supervisor who gives unclear instructions to employees can cause confusion as to who is
supposed to do what, which can lead to conflict.
6. Low Performance: When a worker in a department is not "pulling his weight, it can lead to conflict
within the department, perhaps even escalating into a confrontational situation. A supervisor who fails to
acknowledge or address the situation can add fuel to the fire.
7. Harassment: Harassment in the workplace can take many forms, such as sexual or racial harassment or
even the hazing of a new employee. Companies that don't have strong harassment policies in place are in
effect encouraging the behavior, which can result in conflict.
8. Limited Resources: Companies that are looking to cut costs may scale back on resources such as office
equipment, access to a company vehicle or the spending limit on expense accounts. Employees may feel
they are competing against each other for resources, which can create friction in the workplace.
9. Data Conflicts: Data conflicts occur when people lack information necessary to make wise decisions, are
misinformed, disagree on which data is relevant, interpret information differently, or have competing
assessment procedures. Some data conflicts may be unnecessary since they are caused by poor
communication between the people in conflict. Other data conflicts may be genuine incompatibilities
associated with data collection, interpretation or communication. Most data conflicts will have data
solutions.

Ways of Resolving Conflict:

1. Accommodating: Accommodating is one of the most effective conflict resolution techniques. With this
technique, you first prioritize others’ needs over personal interests. It’s about maintaining harmony and
avoiding unnecessary friction. This style means giving in to what others want to keep relationships strong.
Examples: Consider a situation where you let a colleague lead a project they’re passionate about or agree to
a family member’s vacation plans to avoid disputes.

2. Avoiding: Avoiding delays or sidesteps conflict, often to prevent further escalation or emotional strain.
This strategy involves stepping away from the conflict or postponing discussions. Examples: Consider
skipping a heated discussion during a tense meeting to allow emotions to cool. Another example is avoiding
unnecessary arguments over trivial issues, such as a colleague’s preference for office decor.

3. Collaborating: Collaborating, as a key conflict resolution techniques, focuses on finding solutions that
benefit everyone. This approach thrives on open communication and mutual respect. It’s about working
together to achieve a win-win outcome. Both parties’ concerns are fully addressed. Examples: Think of a
team brainstorming session to resolve conflicts over project deadlines. Another example is nurturing
partnerships between organisations to achieve mutual goals.

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BRUNDAVATHI K, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR,
JNANA JYOTHI DEGREE COLLEGE
 MODULE-2 GROUP AND TEAM DYNAMICS
4. Competing: The competing style is about achieving personal goals, no matter the cost to others. It is
direct, firm and appropriate for situations requiring quick decisions. The competing style is more of one’s
own needs versus the other person’s concerns. It is about standing one’s ground, even when in opposition.
Examples: Consider a manager negotiating a critical business deal where time is of the essence. Or, think of
addressing safety concerns, such as halting production due to a faulty machine.

5. Compromising: Compromising is about finding a middle ground. Both sides make concessions to reach
an agreement that partially satisfies everyone. It balances assertiveness and cooperativeness. Neither party
gets everything they want, but both get enough to move forward. Examples: Two departments negotiating
shared office space or setting mutual project deadlines. For instance, agreeing on a six-month timeline
instead of three or nine months demonstrates compromise.

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BRUNDAVATHI K, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR,
JNANA JYOTHI DEGREE COLLEGE