COMMUNICATION

AND
GROUP DYNAMICS

What is group ?
Different types of groups
Stages of group development.
Group Properties
What is group decision making ?
Group Decision-Making Techniques
Dimensions of group dynamics
Communication process
Essentials of interpersonal communication
Barriers to effective communication
Group culture
Conclusion

DEFINING AND CLASSIFYING

GROUPS
Group(s)

Two or more individuals interacting

and interdependent, who have come
together to achieve particular
objectives.
Formal Group

Informal Group

A designated work
group defined by the
organizations
structure.

A group that is neither

formally structured nor
organizationally
determined; appears in
response to the need for
social contact.

Types of formal
group
Command Group
A group composed of
the individuals who
report directly to a
given manager.

Task Group
Those working
together to complete
a job or task.

Types of informal group

Interest Group

Friendship Group

Those working
together to attain a
specific objective
with which each is
concerned.

Those brought
together because they
share one or more
common
characteristics.

WHY DO PEOPLE FORM GROUPS

?
Consider the celebrations that follow a
cricket win.
Fans have staked their own self-image on
the performance of someone else.
Fans of the losing team feel dejected , even
embarassed.
The human tendency to take personal pride
or offense for the accomplishments of a
group is explained by the Social identity
theory.

SOCIAL IDENTITY
THEORY
Social identity theory: The perspective
that considers when and why individuals
consider themselves members of groups.

Downside of social identity :

Ingroup favouritism : This means we
see members of our ingroup better
than other people, and people not in
our group as all the same.
Leads to stereotyping

When do people develop a social identity ?

1. Similarity
2. Distinctiveness
3. Status
4. Uncertainty reduction

WHY PEOPLE JOIN

GROUPS ?
Security
Status
Self-esteem
Affiliation
Power
Goal Achievement

STAGES OF GROUP
DEVELOPMENT

AN ALTERNATIVE MODEL:
TEMPORARY GROUPS WITH
DEADLINES
Sequence
Sequenceofofactions:
actions:
1.1.
2.2.
3.3.
4.4.
5.5.
6.6.

Setting
Settinggroup
groupdirection
direction
First
Firstphase
phaseofofinertia
inertia
Half-way
Half-waypoint
pointtransition
transition
Major
Majorchanges
changes
Second
Secondphase
phaseofofinertia
inertia
Accelerated
Acceleratedactivity
activity

GROUP PROPERTIES

Roles
Norms
Status
Size
Cohesiveness

ROLES
Role(s)
A set of expected behavior patterns
attributed to someone occupying a given
position in a social unit.
Role Identity
Certain attitudes and behaviors
consistent with a role.
Role Perception
An individuals view of how he or
she is supposed to act in a given
situation.

Role Expectations
How others believe a person should act in a
given situation.
Psychological Contract
An unwritten agreement that sets out what
management expects from the employee
and vice versa.
Role Conflict
A situation in which an individual is
confronted by divergent role expectations.

NORMS
Acceptable standards of behavior within a
group that are shared by the groups
members.

Classes
Classesof
ofNorms:
Norms:
Performance
Performancenorms
norms
Appearance
Appearancenorms
norms
Social
Socialarrangement
arrangementnorms
norms
Resource
Resourceallocation
allocationnorms
norms

Group Norms & The Hawthorne Studies

A series of studies undertaken by Elton Mayo at Western

Electric Companys Hawthorne Works in Chicago
between 1924 and 1932.

Research Conclusions:
Worker behavior and sentiments were closely related.
Group influences (norms) were significant in affecting
individual behavior.
Group standards (norms) were highly effective in
establishing individual worker output.
Money was less a factor in determining worker output
than were group standards, sentiments, and security.

Conformity
Adjusting ones behavior to
align with the norms of the
group.
Reference Groups
Important groups to
which individuals belong
or hope to belong and
with whose norms
individuals are likely to
conform.

ASCH
ASCHSTUDY
STUDY

Deviant Workplace Behavior

Antisocial actions by organizational
members that intentionally violate
established norms and result in negative
consequences for the organization, its
members, or both.
Group norms can influence the
presence of deviant behavior.

TYPOLOGY OF DEVIANT
WORKPLACE BEHAVIOR
Category

Examples

Production

Leaving early
Intentionally working slowly
Wasting resources

Property

Sabotage
Lying about hours worked
Stealing from the organization

Political

Showing favoritism
Gossiping and spreading rumors
Blaming coworkers

Personal Aggression

Sexual harassment
Verbal abuse
Stealing from coworkers

STATUS
A socially defined position or rank given to groups
or group members by others.
Norms
Norms&&
Interaction
Interaction

Power
Powerover
overOthers
Others
Ability
Abilitytoto
Contribute
Contribute
Personal
Personal
Characteristics
Characteristics

Group
GroupMember
Member
Status
Status
Other things influencing or
influenced by status

Status
StatusInequity
Inequity

National
NationalCulture
Culture

SIZE
Advantages of small group :1. Interact more with each other and easier to co-ordinate
2. More motivated , satisfied and committed
3. Easier to share information
4. Faster at completing tasks
5. Individuals perform better in smaller groups
. Disadvantages of small group :1. Less number of ideas

 Advantages of large group :1. More resources at their disposal to achieve group
goals
2. Enables manager to obtain division of labor
advantages.
. Disadvantages of large group :1. Problem in communication and co-ordination
2. Conflict.

SOCIAL LOAFING
The tendency for individuals to expend
less effort when working collectively than
when working individually.

What causes social loafing?

Ways to prevent social loafing:

(1)Set group goals, so the group has a
common purpose to strive toward;
(2) increase intergroup competition, which
again focuses on the shared outcome;
(3) engage in peer evaluation so each
person evaluates each other persons
contribution;
(4) select members who have high
motivation and prefer to work in groups,
and
(5) if possible, base group rewards in part on
each members unique contributions.

COHESIVENESS
Degree to which group members are attracted
to each other and are motivated to stay in the
group.
Increasing
Increasinggroup
groupcohesiveness:
cohesiveness:
1.1. Make
Makethe
thegroup
groupsmaller.
smaller.
2.2. Encourage
Encourageagreement
agreementwith
withgroup
groupgoals.
goals.
3.3. Increase
Increasetime
timemembers
membersspend
spendtogether.
together.
4.4. Increase
Increasegroup
groupstatus
statusand
andadmission
admissiondifficultly.
difficultly.
5.5. Stimulate
Stimulatecompetition
competitionwith
withother
othergroups.
groups.
6.6. Give
Giverewards
rewardstotothe
thegroup,
group,not
notindividuals.
individuals.
7.7. Physically
Physicallyisolate
isolatethe
thegroup.
group.

Relationship Between Group Cohesiveness,

Performance Norms, and Productivity

GROUP DECISION MAKING

Decision-making
Large groups facilitate the pooling of
information about complex tasks.
Smaller groups are better suited to
coordinating and facilitating the
implementation of complex tasks.
Simple, routine standardized tasks reduce
the requirement that group processes be
effective in order for the group to perform
well.

 Strengths
More complete
information
Increased diversity
of views
Higher quality of
decisions (more
accuracy)
Increased
acceptance of
solutions

Weaknesses
More time
consuming (slower)
Increased pressure
to conform
Domination by one
or a few members
Ambiguous
responsibility

Effectiveness & Efficiency

Effectiveness:
Accuracy group is better than average individual but
worse than most accurate group member
Speed individuals are faster
Creativity groups are better
Degree of acceptance groups are better

Efficiency groups are generally less efficient

Two bi-products of group decision making

are:Groupthink
Phenomenon in which the norm for consensus
overrides the realistic appraisal of alternative
course of action.
Groupshift
A change in decision risk between the groups
decision and the individual decision that
member within the group would make; can be
either toward conservatism or greater risk.

Symptoms Of The Groupthink

Phenomenon
Group members rationalize any resistance to
the assumptions they have made.
Members apply direct pressures on those
who express doubts about shared views or
who question the alternative favored by the
majority.
Members who have doubts or differing points
of view keep silent about misgivings.
There appears to be an illusion of unanimity.

GROUP DECISION-MAKING
TECHNIQUES
Interacting Groups

Typical groups, in which the members interact

with each other face-to-face.
Brainstorming
An idea-generation process that specifically
encourages any and all alternatives, while
withholding any criticism of those alternatives

Nominal Group Technique

A group decision-making method in which
individual members meet face-to-face to
pool their judgments in a systematic but
independent fashion.

Electronic Meeting
A meeting in which members interact on
computers, allowing for anonymity of
comments and aggregation of votes.

Evaluating Group Effectiveness

TYPE OF GROUP
Effectiveness Criteria

Interacting Brainstorming

Nominal

Electronic

Number and quality of ideas

Low

Moderate

High

High

Social pressure

High

Low

Moderate

Low

Money costs

Low

Low

Low

High

Speed

Moderate

Moderate

Moderate

Moderate

Task orientation

Low

High

High

High

Potential for interpersonal conflict

Low

High

Low

Moderate

Commitment to solution

High

Not applicable

Moderate

Moderate

Development of
group cohesiveness

High

High

Moderate

Low

GROUP DYNAMICS
Group dynamics concern the forces operating
within groups that affect the way members relate to
and work with one another.

FEATURES OF GROUP DYNAMICS

Concerned with group
Changes
Rigidity or flexibility
Continuous process

GROUP DIMENSIONS

Group
Dimensions

Culture

Communication
and Interaction
patterns

Cohesion

Social Integration
and Influence

COMMUNICATION
The transference and the understanding of
meaning.

Communication
CommunicationFunctions
Functions
1.1. Control
Controlmember
memberbehavior
behavior
2.2.
3.3.

Foster
Fostermotivation
motivationfor
forwhat
whatisisto
tobe
bedone
done
Provide
Provideaarelease
releasefor
foremotional
emotionalexpression
expression

4.4. Provide
Provideinformation
informationneeded
neededtotomake
makedecisions
decisions

COMMUNICATION PROCESS
Communication Process
The steps between a source and a receiver that result in the
transference and understanding of meaning.

COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
Channel
The medium selected by the sender through which the
message travels to the receiver.

Types of Channels
Formal Channels
Are established by the organization and transmit
messages that are related to the professional activities of
members.

Informal Channels
Used to transmit personal or social messages in the
organization. These informal channels are spontaneous
and emerge as a response to individual choices.

DIRECTION OF COMMUNICATION

Upward

Downward

Lateral

DIRECTION OF COMMUNICATION

CEO
UP
WA
RD

VP
Mgr

VP
Mgr
LATERAL

Mgr

Mgr

DO
WN
WA
RD

INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
Oral Communication
Advantages: Speed and feedback
Disadvantage: Distortion of the message

Written Communication
Advantages: Tangible and verifiable
Disadvantages: Time-consuming and lacks feedback

NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

Body Movement

Intonations

Facial Expressions

Physical Distance

 Nonverbal Communication
Advantages:
Supports other communications and provides observable
expression of emotions and feelings
Disadvantage:
Misperception of body language or gestures can influence
receivers interpretation of message

COMMUNICATION NETWORKS

SMALL GROUP NETWORK EFFECTIVENESS

Small group effectiveness depends on the desired outcome
variable
TYPES OF NETWORKS
Criteria

Chain

Wheel

All Channel

Speed

Moderate

Fast

Fast

Accuracy

High

High

Moderate

Emergence of a leader Moderate

High

None

Member satisfaction

Low

High

Moderate

GRAPEVINE
Three Main Characteristics
1. Informal, not controlled by
management
2. Perceived by most employees as
being more believable and
reliable than formal
communications
3. Largely used to serve the selfinterests of those who use it

 Results from:
Desire for information about important situations
Ambiguous conditions
Conditions that cause anxiety

Insightful to managers
Serves employees social needs

REDUCING RUMORS
1. Announce timetables for making important
decisions
2. Explain decisions and behaviors that may
appear inconsistent or secretive
3. Emphasize the downside, as well as the
upside, of current decisions and future plans
4. Openly discuss worst-case possibilities
they are almost never as anxiety-provoking
as the unspoken fantasy

ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS
E-mail
Advantages: quickly written, sent, and stored; low cost for
distribution

Disadvantages:
Messages are easily and commonly misinterpreted
Not appropriate for sending negative messages
Overused and overloading readers
Removes inhibitions and can cause emotional responses and
flaming
Difficult to get emotional state understood emoticons
Non-private: e-mail is often monitored and may be
forwarded to anyone

 Instant messaging/Text messaging

Forms of real time communication of short messages
that often use portable communication devices.

Disadvantage: can be intrusive and distracting.

Intranet
A private organization-wide information network.
Extranet
An information network connecting employees with
external suppliers, customers, and strategic partners.

Videoconferencing
An extension of an intranet or extranet that permits
face-to-face virtual meetings via video links.

CHOICE OF COMMUNICATION CHANNEL

Channel Richness
The capacity of a communication channel to convey
information effectively.

Characteristics
CharacteristicsofofRich
RichChannels
Channels
1.1. Handle
Handlemultiple
multiplecues
cuessimultaneously.
simultaneously.
2.2.
3.3.

Facilitate
Facilitaterapid
rapidfeedback.
feedback.
Are
Arevery
verypersonal
personalinincontext.
context.

MEDIA RICHNESS MODEL

Low channel richness

Routine

High channel richness

Nonroutine

 Richest channels face-to-face communication.

Moderately rich channels telephone, electronic chat

rooms, E-mail, written memos, and letters.

Leanest channels posted notices and bulletins.

BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Filtering
A senders manipulation of information so that it will be
seen more favorably by the receiver.
Selective Perception
People selectively interpret what they see on the basis of
their interests, background, experience, and attitudes.
Information Overload
A condition in which information inflow exceeds an
individuals processing capacity.

Emotions
How a receiver feels at the time a message is received will
influence how the message is interpreted.
Language
Words have different meanings to
different people.
Communication Apprehension
Undue tension and anxiety about oral communication,
written communication, or both.

Silence as Communication
Absence of speech or noise
Powerful form of communication
Can indicate
Thinking
Anger
Fear
Watch for gaps, pauses, & hesitations in conversations

Common sources of noise in interpersonal

communication.

Physical distractions
Semantic problems
Mixed messages
Cultural differences
Absence of feedback
Status effects

POLITICALLY CORRECT COMMUNICATION

Certain words do stereotype, intimidate, and insult individuals.
In an increasingly diverse workforce, we must be sensitive to
how words might offend others.
Garbage becomes post-consumer waste materials
Quotas become educational equity
Women become people of gender
Such non-standard sanitizing of potentially offensive words
can reduce the clarity of messages

GROUP CULTURE
Values, beliefs, customs, and traditions held in common by
group members.

HAND GESTURES MEAN DIFFERENT THINGS IN

DIFFERENT COUNTRIES

CULTURAL CONTEXT
Cultures tend to differ in the degree to which context
influences the meaning individuals take from
communication
High-Context Cultures
Cultures that rely heavily on nonverbal and
subtle situational cues to communication.
Low-Context Cultures
Cultures that rely heavily on words to convey
meaning in communication.

A CULTURAL GUIDE

Assume
Differences

Emphasize
Description

Develop a
Hypothesis

Cultivate
Empathy

TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

CONCLUSION
The groups operate on a common task and common
attitudes.
The group dynamics is concerned with the interaction
between the group members in a social situation.
This is concerned with the gaining in the knowledge
of the group, how they develop and their effect on the
individual members and the organization in which
they function.

 The group dynamics is essential to study since it

helps to find how the relationships are made within a
group and how the forces act within the group
members in a social setting.
This helps to recognize the formation of group and
how a group should be organized, lead and promoted.

RIGHT AWAY WE HAD COMMUNICATED

WHAT WE WANT ......

THANK YOU