Organizations work through groups and teams. When people interact, they form roles, norms and relationships that shape performance. Group dynamics studies how groups form, how members influence each other, and how group processes affect outcomes such as productivity, creativity, conflict and satisfaction. This topic covers group formation, roles, norms, cohesiveness and factors that make teams effective.
A group is two or more people who interact, share goals or interests, and influence each other’s behavior.
Group structure refers to the pattern of relationships and expectations that guide behavior in the group, mainly through:
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Organizations work through groups and teams. When people interact, they form roles, norms and relationships that shape performance. Group dynamics studies how groups form, how members influence each other, and how group processes affect outcomes such as productivity, creativity, conflict and satisfaction. This topic covers group formation, roles, norms, cohesiveness and factors that make teams effective.
A group is two or more people who interact, share goals or interests, and influence each other’s behavior.
Group structure refers to the pattern of relationships and expectations that guide behavior in the group, mainly through:
Norms are shared expectations about acceptable behavior in a group.
Examples:
Norms can increase coordination but can also create pressure for conformity.
Cohesiveness is the degree to which members are attracted to the group and motivated to remain part of it.
Factors increasing cohesiveness:
Highly cohesive groups can perform well, but if norms are negative, performance may decline.
Advantages:
Limitations:
Effective teams usually have:
Case: A project team misses deadlines. Two members dominate meetings; others stay silent. Some members contribute less because no one checks individual work.
OB diagnosis: storming stage conflicts; dominance and groupthink risk; social loafing due to low accountability.
Fix: clarify roles, rotate speaking, define individual deliverables, set norms and provide feedback.
From this topic
Group vs team (any three points):
Types of groups:
Example: A sales department is a formal group; colleagues who lunch together daily form an informal group.
Tuckman’s model explains how groups develop over time. The main stages are forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning.
Explanation and managerial role:
Thus, understanding group stages helps managers guide teams smoothly and improve performance.