Interpersonal Relations and Group Dynamics

Interpersonal Relations

• Need satisfaction, social support, synergy, and conflict are results of interpersonal relations.
• Groups consist of two or more people who interact and are influenced by each other.
• Group categorizations can be based on formalization (established by the organization or self-created) and permanence (permanent or temporary).
• Group development progresses through four stages: mutual acceptance, communication & decision making, motivation & productivity, and control & organization.
• Group performance factors include composition, size, norms, and cohesiveness.
• Homogeneity refers to similarity among group members, while heterogeneity refers to differences.
• Factors affecting group decision making include group polarization and groupthink.
• Group problem solving is also a factor.

Factors Influencing Cohesiveness

• High cohesiveness leads to increased goal accomplishment, personal satisfaction, and improved interactions.
• Factors that increase cohesiveness include homogeneous composition, a relatively small size, frequent interactions, clear goals (competition or external threat), and success.
• Factors that decrease cohesiveness include heterogeneous composition, recent formation, large size, physical dispersion, ambiguous goals, and failure.

Communication in Organizations

• Communication is a social process where parties exchange information and share meaning.
• In organizations, communication serves several purposes, including coordinating actions, expressing emotions, and sharing information (organization goals, task directives, results of efforts, decision-making).
• Interpersonal relations issues, such as language differences and nonverbal communication, impact communication effectiveness.

Communication Process Elements

• Source: Initiates communication.
• Encoding: Converting ideas into symbols.
• Transmission: Sending the message/symbols through a medium.
• Decoding: Receiving and interpreting the message.
• Receiver: Receives the message.
• Feedback: Response to the message.
• Noise: Disturbances that affect communication.

Communication Methods

• Primary organizational communication methods include written (letters, memos, reports, manuals) and oral (conversations, speeches).
• Nonverbal communication also plays a significant role using facial expressions, body language, and the environment (office layout, architecture for instance).

Conflict in Organizations

• Conflict is opposition resulting in animosity.
• Common conflict forms include process (disagreements on how to achieve goals), relationship (interpersonal issues), legal (perceptual differences), and task (goals and work content).
• Causes of conflict can be interpersonal (between individuals) or intergroup (between groups).

Decision-Making Processes

• Decisions are classified as programmed (occurring frequently, with established procedures) or non-programmed (infrequent, and new).
• Decision-making approaches include behavioral (considering human behavior), rational (systematic, step-by-step), and personal.
• Problem-solving involves identifying and evaluating alternatives, while practical approaches combine elements of different approaches.

Task Interdependence

• Pooled Interdependence: Teams combine individual efforts.
• Sequential Interdependence: Team members depend on each other in predictable ways for information, work, and decisions.
• Reciprocal Interdependence: Members are sequentially interdependent, exchanging a pattern of give and take of information and decisions.

Conflict Resolution

• Five conflict reactions include avoidance, accommodation, competition, collaboration, and compromise.
• Conflict reactions are influenced by the importance of goals to each party and by the compatibility of goals across parties.