Group Processes and Types of Groups

Group behavior is affected by the processes that go within a work group. The process comprises the communication pattern used by members for information exchange, group decision process, conflict, interaction etc. The group process is very much important to understand and group behavior. By understanding group behaviors, the behaviors can be controlled and with the help of desired behavior, work can be accomplished. Group process includes the following synergy: 

An action of two or more substances that results in an effect that is different from the individual summation of the substances. For example, social loafing (i.e. the tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working collectively than when working individually) is a negative synergy. 

Social Facilitation Effect 

The tendency for performance to improve or decline in response to the presence of others, while this effect is not entirely a group's phenomenon - people can work in the presence of other and not be members of the groups. The group situation is more likely to provide the condition for social facilitation to occur. 

Concept of Group Tasks 

There is certain nature of task, which needs groups to perform it. Individual alone cannot perform it. Sometimes one group has to depend upon other group due to its nature. The impact of group processes on the group's performance and member satisfaction is also moderated by the tasks that the group is doing. The complexity and interdependence of task influence the group effective. 

Group task can be simple or complex. 

1. Simple Task 

• Are routine wise or standardized
• Group's members do not need to discuss alternatives. 
• They can rely on standardized operation procedures for doing the job. 

2. Complex Task: 

• Ones that tend to be novel or non-routine.
• The more complex the task, the more the group will benefit from discussion among members on alternative work method. 
• There is high degree of interdependence among the tasks that the group member must perform. 

Types of Groups 

There are many types of groups in organizations and each type plays an important role in determining organizational effectiveness. The basis of differentiation may be purpose, extent of structuring, process of formation and size of the group membership. Each type has different features and different effect on its participants. Brief descriptions of different types of groups is as follows: 

1. Formal Work Group

Formal groups are created and maintained to fulfill specific needs or tasks which are related to the total organizational mission. Thus, these are consciously and deliberately created. Such groups may be either permanent in the form of top management item such as board of directors or management committees, work units in the various departments of the organization, staff group providing specialized services to the organization and so on or the formal groups may be constituted on temporary basis of fulfilling certain specified objectives. When such objectives are fulfilled, they disappear. These may be in the form of temporary committee, task-force etc. Managers establish formal work groups to help the organization achieve its goals. The goals of a formal work group are determined by the needs of the organization. There are different types of formal group as follows 

a) Command Group

Command group is the collection of subordinates who report to the same supervisor. It is composed of the subordinates who report directly to a common superior. This type of group is determined by organization chart. Command groups are based on the basic reporting relationships in organizations and they are frequently represented on organizational charts. These groups have a profound effect on the extent to which an organization is able to achieve its goals. Example of such a group may be a production manager and his subordinates in his department, a college principal and teachers and so on. 

b) Task Force

A task force is a collection of people who come together to accomplish a specific goal. It is made up of a group of people with different backgrounds who are assigned to a specific task or mission. Since the tenure of a task force is over when the task or mission is over, usually membership in the task group is temporary; each person remains part of it only so long as his skills and knowledge are required and task force continues. The task force also differs from a matrix organization in the sense that the later appears almost on continuous basis and personnel are assigned tasks in different projects at different periods of time. A task force is constituted when the organization faces some unusual problems which cannot be solved by a single individual or by a single department. A standing committee or task groups are task forces that may be enduring (though members may change) or permanent in nature. 

Formal group has following characteristics:

1. Group structure is designed by the top management to fulfill certain requirements like performance of necessary activities there by achieving organizational goal.
2. Group structure is based on the principles of division of labor and efficiency in operations.
3. Group concentrates more on the performance of jobs and not on the individuals performing the jobs.
4. The authority and responsibility assigned to each job have to be adhered to by the job holders. Based on the concept of authority and responsibility, people are placed in hierarchy and their status is determined accordingly. 
5. Coordination among members and their control are well specified through processes, procedures, rules etc. 

2. Informal Work Groups 

Informal work groups emerge naturally in organization because organizational members perceive that membership in a group will help them achieve their goals or meet their needs. In other words, informal groups are created in the organization because of operation of social and psychological forces operating at the workplace. Members create such group for their own satisfaction and their working is not regulated by the general framework of organizational rules and regulations. 

The different between formal group and informal group can be better understood with the help of the following table.

Basis	Formal Groups	Informal Groups
Origin	The formal groups are created deliberately and consciously by the framers of the organization.	Informal organization are created because of the operation of socio-psychological forces at the work place, that is people while working together develop certain liking and disliking for other and interact on a way not prescribed by the framers of the organization.
Purpose	Formal groups are deliberate creations; they are created for achieving the legitimate objectives of the organization.	Informal groups are created by organizational members for their social and psychological satisfaction. Thus, they serve the purpose of organizational members which formal groups are not able to satisfy.
Nature of Group	The formal groups are stable and may continue for a long period. Their membership is specified through organizational process. There may be many standing groups in the organizations.	Informal groups are quite unstable in nature. Since their formation and functioning depend upon the value systems, general liking and disliking and other personality features of its members concerned. They may disappear very quickly because of the change in the membership or they may cause to be attractive for the members and the members may from alternative group.
Members of Group	The number of formal groups is decided to serve the organizational purpose. This depends upon the organizing pattern.	A large number of informal groups may also be found in the organization. However, an individual may become member of several informal groups. Therefore, there is overlapping of membership.
Communication	Communication is prescribed in the formal groups. It is normally through chain of command to which people refer as formal channel of communication.	In the informal group, the communications pass through informal channels. This informal channel may be in any form.
Authority	The members of formal groups derive authority through the formal source that is through the process of delegation and re-delegation. Thus, authority flows from the higher to lower levels.	In the informal groups, all members are equal. However, some may command more authority by their personal qualities.
Existence	Normally formal group does not arise because of informal group.	Informal group emerges while working in a formal group.
Relationship	Superior-subordinate relationship	Personal and social relationship
Leadership	Based on formal authority and position	No bounds, operates in different directions
Boundaries	Operates within set boundaries	No boundaries, operates in different directions.

You may also like:

• The Dynamics of Inter-Groups Conflict
• Reasons of Awareness of Information Groups
• Different Stages of Group Development
• The Processes of Group and Types of Groups
• Group Dynamics
• Inter-Group Conflicts
• Group Decision Making Processes
• Structure of Group
• Nature and Significance of Informal Group in an Organization
• Group Dynamics: A Social Process
• Concept of Group and Reasons for Forming and Joining Group

Group Structure

Every group has structure, which shape the behavior of members and makes explain and predict the large portion of individual behavior within the group and performance of the group.

A group structure includes following variables.
1. Formal Leadership: Almost every groups has a formal leader e.g. manager, supervisor/ foreman.

2. Roles: Roles deal with what people do. As set of expected behavior pattern attributed to someone occupying a given position in asocial unit. People have the ability to shift roles rapidly when they recognize that the situation and its demand clearly require major changes.

• Role Identity: These are certain attitudes and actual behavior consistent with a role and they create role identity.
• Role Perception: An individual's view of how he is supposed to act in a given situations.
• Role Expectations: How others believe a person should act in a given situation.

3. Norms: The norms are accepted standard of behavior shared by group members. It tells, what should or should not do by group members. Every group has established their norms. But norms differ from group to group. Norms influence the behavior of group members. They are 'ought' of behavior.

4. Authority: Group is formed to achieve a particular objective. In a group, that is a leader and follower. Leader is an entitled to decision, while the follower has to follow the decision. Thus the power to make decision into action is known as authority.

Concept of Group and Reasons for Forming and Joining Groups

Concept of Group

Group is a collection of two or more individuals, interacting and interdependent who have come together to achieve particulars common objectives. A group is, thus, an aggregation of people who interact with each other, are aware of one another, have a common objective, and perceive themselves to be a group. Now, a group may be defined as a collection of people who have a common purpose or objectives, interact with each other to accomplish the group objectives are aware of one another and perceive themselves to be part of group.

In other words, a group is the largest set of two or more individuals who are jointly characterized by a network of relevant communications and a shared sense of collective identity .Similarly, a group is a collection of two or more people who have a common goal or interest and interact with each other to accomplish their objective. Work groups use roles, rules, and norms to control members's behavior and they use several socialization tactics to turn newcomers into effective group members. Groups contribute to organizational effectiveness.

Similarly, a group is defined as two or more individuals, interacting and interdependent, who have come together to achieve particular objectives. A group is any number of people who;

• Have a common purpose or objective,
• Interact with each other to accomplish (or obtain) their objectives
• Are aware of one another.
• Perceive themselves to be part of the group.

Some of the experts have been defined the term group as follows:

"If two or more individuals are together briefly, but interact and influence one another, they constitute, if only for a time, a real group." – Kilenberg

"A group can be defined as two or more people, interacting and interdependent who come together to achieve particular goals." – Stephen Robbins

"By a small group is meant a size varying from 4 to 12 members, who usually have face to face relations, over a period of time and who consider themselves as differentiated from others, either implicitly or explicitly." – Chowdhry and Kakar

"A group is an assemblage or aggregation of persons considered as being related in same way or united by common ties or interest-class, race or occupation." – Kast and Rosenzweig

From the above definitions, a group can be defined as a collection of individuals working in face-to-face relationships to share information and resource for a task to be achieved. A group whose members work intensely with each other to achieve a specific, common goal or objective is known as Team.

More collection people cannot constitute a group. For example, a crowd in front of a shop in the market watching India vs. Australia one-day cricket match on stadium will not be called as group because people do not interact with one another, do not know one another and also do not share a common purpose.

Features of Group

The following are the basic features of a group:

1. Interaction

Interaction among group members is sine quo none of a group. A regular exchange of facts, news, views and feelings through face-to-face interactions, gestures or writings is the most essential features of the group. As a matter of fact, a group is a natural outcome of interactions among people and which later provides a forum for the people.

2. A small Aggregation of Persons

A group involves at least two persons, but group which consist of only a small number of members will not feel socially and psychologically satisfied.

3. Common Interest

People having common interests, common goals, common ideology, common phenomenon / interests, problems, friendship, same philosophy etc. is essential to attract and keep the group members together. This commonness provides them a basis for continuous interactions and relations.

4. Perceived Collective Identity

A recognized collective identity as a group is the most distinguishing feature of a group, which makes it different from a casual aggregation of individuals or from the other recognized groups. Each member of the group must perceive that he belongs to the group and recognize others who are the members of that group. Mutual awareness and collective identity are, therefore, essential ingredients of a group.

Functions of Groups

Functions of a Group

1. Representation

The group through its leader or spokesman represents the ideology and thinking of the group before other groups or before the management. It is also a means of communication.

2. Teaching

The group teaches to its members how to do work, how to behave and how to get things done. It helps in improving performance in the job.

3. Fight for Common Cause

The group, as a collectives of its members, fights for the common interests against the management or other groups.

4. Orientation

The group socializes the members in the organization by telling them work norms, work climate, social and formal relations, group members and their status and roles and infuses a sense of belonging.

5. Creation of Social Life

The group creates social life. In the absence of informal groups, the atmosphere of the organization would be boring and miserable.

6. Collective Thinking

The group encourages discussion, interaction and exchange of news and views among the members. It helps them in collective thinking and group decision. Diversities are resolved and consensus is achieved before arriving at a decision.

Reason of People Forming and Joining Group

People form and become members of group for a variety of different reasons. They are as follows:

1. Safety and security needs

Groups provide protection to their members from outside pressures. That is why workers join trade unions to feel safe and secure. This holds true at all walks of life. Even in the nursery class, when the teacher asks the small kids who broke the toy, he seldom gets an answer. What happens is all kids keep mum or quiet. Although young, they protected their member by not disclosing any kid's name of pointing out any one in group.

2. Relatedness or Belongingness needs

People being social belong belonging to or relating to groups satisfies a numbers of their social needs. In every organization, there are many persons who are very isolated or who prefer to be absent from work most of the times. Studies shows, such phenomena occur more where people are unable to belong to groups.

3. Esteem needs

When member of a group does some good piece of work, gets a praise from other. This is turn, bring a sense of recognition to the group member, on the one hand, and also a sense of fulfillment of one's need for growth towards higher achievement of work and better career prospects, on the other side.

4. Power

One of the appealing aspects of groups is that they represent power and also offer power to their members. Workers enjoy much greater power by joining groups than they do as individuals. This is because of at least two reasons: 

(i) There is strength in numbers, and 

(ii) United we stand, divide we fall.

5. Identity

As a member of a group, an individual gets identity who am I? Practices, we understand ourselves through the behavior of other towards us. For example, when others praise us, we feel we are great, if other laugh at us, we see ourselves as funny ones.

You may also like:

• The Dynamics of Inter-Groups Conflict
• Reasons of Awareness of Information Groups
• Different Stages of Group Development
• The Processes of Group
• Group Dynamics
• Inter-Group Conflicts
• Group Decision Making Processes
• Structure of Group
• Nature and Significance of Informal Group in an Organization

Role of Informal Groups in Organizations

Group may be defined as a social phenomenon in which two or more persons decide to interact with one another, share common ideology and perceive themselves as a group. Both formal and informal groups exist in organizations. Formal groups are collection of employees who are made to work together by the organization to get the job done smoothly and efficiently. Informal groups, on the other hand are groups that emerge or randomly get formed due to the formal group member's interactions with each other, and there by develop common interacts. In the other words, informal groups are not formally organized in the work system to get the job done, but randomly develop on their own at the work place because of common interests and mutual linking among the members of the formal group. Informal groups in modern organization are important as they play vital roles. Some of the roles played by informal groups can be as following:

• Informal group are controlled by their norms and values, so the behavior of employees could be positive.
• Informal groups sometime lead to innovation and creativity regarding to job complexity and difficulties or for new product and services.
• Informal groups are controlled by their norms and values, so the behavior of employees could be positive.
• Informal groups help in communicating new changes easily and effectively.
• Informal group by their social interaction can create the better image of company.
• Informal group creates the warm relationship between superior and subordinates. Plus, it helps in establishing cultural interaction for the issues created in organization.
• Informal group can solve the formal problems of organization even in off-the-job time.
• Informal groups inform, suggest and help the organization determining employee's salary, motivation and job satisfaction.
• Informal groups lead special effort on job result and help in adoption of organizational change.