Group Cohesion and Climate Overview

Group Cohesion and Climate

• Group cohesion refers to the commitment and attraction among group members, influencing the group climate, which is the enduring interaction tone experienced by members.
• Two types of cohesion exist: task and social.
• Task cohesion is the group's commitment to its purpose and activities, while social cohesion is the attraction and liking among members.
• Ideal groups balance these two types for optimal function, with task-oriented groups prioritizing task cohesion and relational-oriented groups prioritizing social cohesion.
• Cohesive groups exhibit several positive behaviors:easily set goals, show commitment to group purpose, are productive, have lower absenteeism, support each other during difficult times, and have satisfied members.
• Positive group climate, akin to group morale, is enhanced by participation, supportive messages, helpful feedback, equal opportunity for participation, and clear/accepted roles.
• Motivation increases when members feel connected to group goals and purpose.
• Symbolic convergence refers to group consciousness created through non-task communication (e.g., stories, jokes). Sharing group fantasies strengthens bonds.

Supportive and Defensive Group Climates

• Defensive communication arises when individuals perceive threat or anticipate threat. It is often associated with a focus on self-preservation over group success.
• Individuals engaging in defensive communication allocate energy to defending themselves rather than focusing on the group task.
• Defensive communicators exhibit behaviors like evaluation, control, strategy, and superiority, potentially escalating defensiveness within the group.
• In contrast, supportive communication techniques include description, problem-orientation, spontaneity, neutrality, empathy, and equality. These actions reduce defensive behaviors and promote effective communication.
• Jack Gibb's six pairs of defensive and supportive communication categories explain how different behaviors affect group climate.

Conflict

• Conflict is an expressed struggle between interdependent parties due to perceived incompatible goals or insufficient resources.
• Conflict must be expressed; if not, it isn't conflict.
• Conflict occurs among interdependent parties who need each other in order to accomplish something.
• Conflict arises from clashes over what people want or how to achieve those desires.
• Moderate conflict can be constructive, stimulating innovation and growth. It allows readjusting structures and reestablishing unity.
• Excessive or prolonged conflict is problematic as it leads to poor psychological well-being, and can negatively affect group cohesion and productivity.

Types of Conflict

• Substance conflicts (intrinsic conflicts) relate to differing factual interpretations or beliefs about what choices to make in a given situation.
• Value conflicts occur when disagreements arise from differing or prioritized values among group members.
• Process conflicts concern disagreements about how to reach a goal or pursue shared values.
• Misperceived differences arise from misinterpretations of others' actions or emotions.

The Conflict Process Model

• Thomas's model (frustration, conceptualization, behavior, outcome) explains the conflict process.
• Frustration occurs when a group or individual feels thwarted in pursuit of goals.
• Conceptualization is the problem-solving and strategy phase where conflicting parties understand the nature of the problem and potential solutions.
• Behavior involves the actual tactics used to resolve conflict, including competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding, and accommodating.
• Outcome determines the extent to which conflict is resolved to the satisfaction of all parties involved.

Social Loafing

• Social loafing is the phenomenon of decreased individual effort when working in a group compared to working alone.
• Causes of social loafing include perceived inequitable contributions from others, submaximal goal setting, a perceived lack of connection between the member’s input and the outcome, lack of individual evaluation, and unequal compensation.
• Social loafing has negative consequences for groups, including reduced productivity, low cohesion, and dissatisfaction.
• It can also negatively impact individuals, leading to disappointment and decreased personal growth.

Group Decision-Making

• Group decision-making can be more creative and effective than individual decision-making due to collective experiences and perspectives.
• However, groups often experience process losses from coordination problems, social loafing, groupthink, and time constraints.
• Several decision-making methods include discussion ("plop"), delegation to an expert, averaging, voting, and consensus.
• Consensus involves reaching a decision through discussion and agreement from all parties. Though longer, it can lead to greater satisfaction and agreement by the team. It is distinct from unanimity.

Groupthink

• Groupthink is a phenomenon causing flawed decision-making through reduced reality testing, moral judgment, and mental efficiency, often due to group pressure to conform.
• Eight symptoms characterize groupthink: illusion of invulnerability, collective rationalizations, unquestioned belief in group morality, stereotyped views of out-groups, direct pressure, self-censorship, illusion of unanimity, and self-appointed mindguards.
• Large and cohesive groups are more prone to groupthink.

Problem-Solving Process

• Problem-solving involves a series of steps from initial issue definition to achieving a solution.
• Effective problem-solving requires defining the problem, analyzing it, generating solutions, evaluating those solutions, and implementing the final solution while assessing the effects.
• Five characteristics to consider include task difficulty, the number of possible solutions, interest and familiarity among group members, and the need for solution acceptance.
• Techniques like the "six thinking hats" method (White, Red, Black, Yellow, Green, and Blue hats) can aid creative problem-solving and decision-making within a group.

Leadership

• Leadership is a complex of beliefs and communication behaviors.
• Leaders can be designated (appointed) or emerge through the process.
• Trait approaches to leadership focus on distinguishing traits that set leaders apart from followers, such as communication ability, intelligence, and extroversion.
• Situational approaches consider how leadership effectiveness depends on the context and context determines the appropriate leadership approach.
• Functional approaches look at how effective leadership behaviors generate conditions for successful accomplishment through tasks, procedural processes, and interpersonal relations.
• Transformational leaders inspire followers to surpass expectations through idealized influence, inspirational motivation, individualized consideration, and intellectual stimulation.

Virtual Teams

• Successful virtual teams need to establish an online/virtual community and clear expectations.
• Five best practices for establishing a successful online community include clear expectations, effective organization, prompt and meaningful responses, a positive tone in communication, and regular review and reflection.

This quiz explores the concepts of group cohesion and climate, focusing on the dynamics that influence group interactions. It covers the two types of cohesion: task and social, and emphasizes the positive behaviors exhibited by cohesive groups. Understanding these concepts is essential for creating an optimal group environment.