Mod 2

Module-2
Group Functions
Internal conditions affecting group
functioning: Roles, Norms, Conformity,
Status, Cohesiveness, Size, Inter group
conflict.
External Conditions affecting group
functioning: Authority, Structure, Org.
Resources, Organizational policies etc.
Group Cohesiveness and Group Conflict
Adjustment in Groups
Once a group is formed it starts functioning towards attainment of goal or set
objective. There are certain factors that influence the group functioning:
I. Internal Factors:
1. Status: is socially defined position or rank given to groups or group members

by others-permeates every society. High status members of groups often are
given more freedom to deviate from norms than are other group members.
*High status people tend to be more assertive. They speak out more often,
criticise more, state more commands and interrupt others more often.
2. Roles: By this term, we mean a set of expected behaviour patterns attributed
to someone occupying a given position in a social unit.
When individual is confronted by divergent role expectations, the result is role
conflict so role clarity is very important when it comes to smooth and efficient
group functioning.
3. Norms: are acceptable standards of behaviour within a group that are shared
by group members.
4. Conformity: is adjusting one’s behaviour to align with the norms of the
group. Group pressure leads to conformity which in turn affects
individual’s judgement and attitude. As a member of a group ,one desires
acceptance by the group. Because of desire for acceptance conforming to
the group norms occurs.
5. Size: It affects groups behaviour. There are instances of smaller group

being fast at completing tasks than large ones. But if a large group is
involved in tasks like problem solving it will fare well better than small
group.
6. Cohesiveness: Cohesiveness is the degree to which members are

attracted to each other and are motivated to stay in the group. For
example some work groups are cohesive because members have spent a
great deal of time together or group’s small size facilitate high interaction.
• External conditions are determined by the
following :
• development strategy of the organization;
• organizational structure;
• formally established rules and regulations of
the organization ;
• available resources of the organization;
• The development strategy of the organization identifies its goals
and means of achieving them. Among them are: reducing
production costs, improving its quality, expansion of sales on the
market or alternatively, reorganization and reduction of the
production. Naturally, the development strategy of the organization
determines the strategy of the operation of each particular group,
its member.
• Each organization has its own organizational structure that defines

who makes decisions and at what level, who reports on their
implementation and to whom, moreover, there is an individual or
collective responsibility for the implementation of tasks.
Organizational structure is usually determined by the place of the
particular unit in the organizational hierarchy, the formal leader of
the unit and its relationships with other structural units of the
organization.
• Organizations also have formally established rules (e.g., internal
regulations), various provisions and regulations in order to standardize
the behavior of the employees of the organization. The greater the
number of formally established rules and regulations in the
organization is, the more likely that the behavior of the group
members will be predetermined by them, i.e. will be relatively
constant and predictable.
• Available resources of the organization (staff, money, raw materials,

equipment etc.) have a significant impact on the specifics of the
organization and all its departments. For example, the excess of the
workforce is usually accompanied by its irrational use and decrease in
the efficiency, while shortage of the workforce may be accompanied
by an excessive increase in the intensity of labor, defects in work and
premature “deterioration” of the workforce. The lack of other
resources – money, modern equipment and raw materials – can often
be accompanied by conflict within the organization
GROUP COHESIVENESS
• Groups differ in their cohesiveness that is the
degree to which members are attracted to each
other and are motivated to stay in the group. For
instance some work groups are cohesive because
the members have spent a great deal of time
together, or group’s small sizes facilitate high
interaction, or the group has experienced external
threats that have brought members close together.
• Cohesiveness is important as it is linked to group’s
productivity.
• Group Cohesiveness: Cohesiveness refers to the
bonding of group members or unity, feelings of
attraction for each other and desire to remain
part of the group.
• Many factors influence the amount of group
cohesiveness – agreement on group goals,
frequency of interaction, personal attractiveness,
inter-group competition, favourable evaluation,
etc.
• The more difficult it is to obtain group
membership the more cohesive the group will be.
Groups also tend to become cohesive when they are in intense competition with other
groups or face a serious external threat to survival. Smaller groups and those who
spend considerable time together also tend to be more cohesive.
• Cohesiveness in work groups has many positive effects, including worker satisfaction, low
turnover and absenteeism, and higher productivity. However, highly cohesive groups may be
detrimental to organizational performance if their goals are misaligned with organizational
goals.
• Highly cohesive groups may also be more vulnerable to groupthink. Groupthink occurs when
members of a group exert pressure on each other to come to a consensus in decision making.
Groupthink results in careless judgments, unrealistic appraisals of alternative courses of action,
and a lack of reality testing.
• Evidence suggests that groups typically outperform individuals when the tasks involved require
a variety of skills, experience, and decision making. Groups are often more flexible and can
quickly assemble, achieve goals, and disband or move on to another set of objectives.
• Many organizations have found that groups have many motivational aspects as well. Group
members are more likely to participate in decision-making and problem-solving activities
leading to empowerment and increased productivity. Groups complete most of the work in an
organization; thus, the effectiveness of the organization is limited by the effectiveness of its
groups.
• Types of Conflict
• There are several common causes of conflict in a group, but
most are categorised by who in the workplace is involved in it.
• The 4 main categories are:
• Intrapersonal – this is when a person experiences inner
turmoil, such as disagreeing with the values of the company or
being a perfectionist.
• Interpersonal – this is conflict between two or more
individuals; it may be an isolated incident or an ongoing issue.
• Intragroup – this refers to the conflict between one or more
people in the same group or team.
• Intergroup – these involve several different teams and are often
difficult to handle without external support or
preventative/corrective action.
• Intragroup Conflict
• In many jobs, team members rely heavily on one another
to complete tasks and projects. Low levels of conflict are
natural and even healthy: they stem from creative tension
and enable people to reach new, positive outcomes by
overcoming weaknesses. But more intense conflicts
seriously reduce productivity and morale.
• There are two main types of intragroup conflict: task
conflict and relationship conflict.
• Task conflicts occur due to differing aims or an inability to
meet the group’s standards, while relationship conflicts
involve issues relating to personal views, attitudes, beliefs,
and personality traits. Relationship conflicts are usually
more deep-seated and harder to diffuse.
• Intergroup Conflict
• Intergroup conflicts are not usually due to

personal reasons; they often stem from
disagreements over how groups carry out
work activities or the requests they make to
other teams. It may even be a result of
competitiveness. Other times, individual
people in the group initiated the conflict, and
other team members simply follow suit.
• Ways to deal with group conflict include:
• Mediation. It is ideal if you want to keep the situation informal and for
people to be actively involved in reaching a compromise. Either you or an
external mediator will get people to listen and open up about issues. But
be aware that you need training in conflict management and mediation to
effectively do this.
• Arbitration. This is a more formal approach that involves an arbitrator
assessing evidence and reaching a legally-binding decision. Trained
arbitrators are experienced in handling cases objectively and reaching a fair
resolution. But because people don’t talk through differences, relationships
may not be repaired as effectively as they would through mediation.
• Arbitration is generally better suited to large group conflicts, but
mediation can work equally well with multiple mediators.
• Promote a workplace culture of openness where people feel free to share
complaints about individuals or a team without retribution. Otherwise,
issues behind the scenes lead to the quality of work dropping while you
struggle to understand why.
Adjustment in Groups
• Adjustment would mean fitting into the group. Being part of

the group not only physically but also emotionally.
• It is not easy to fit in if one is very different in his thought
process from the other members of the group.
• This process in which each member of the group tries to
identify himself with the group is called adjustment.
• Adjustment can happen in two ways
• Compromise : Where one gives up certain aspects of his likes
& feels that it’s not fair but has no option but to do it, to fit
into the group
• Adaptation : The effort to give up likes & be satisfied with that
to become part of a group.
• The difference is in the way the change or
‘giving up’ process is viewed. If viewed
positively, its adaptation. If viewed negatively ,
it’s compromise.

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Module-2

1. Status: is socially defined position or rank given to groups or group members

5. Size: It affects groups behaviour. There are instances of smaller group

6. Cohesiveness: Cohesiveness is the degree to which members are

• Each organization has its own organizational structure that defines

• Available resources of the organization (staff, money, raw materials,

• Intergroup conflicts are not usually due to

• Adjustment would mean fitting into the group. Being part of

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