Group dynamics, leadership and communications

1. Group dynamics,leadership andcommunications

2. Group description • Two or more interacting persons, • Influence others and influenced by others, • Share common goals • Have a stable relationship • Somehow interdependent • Perceive that they are part of a group • Baron and Byrne(1991) criteria of a group : (Interact , interdependent ,stable , shared goals , structure, perception )

3. Group dynamics • Is a process which indicates that changes take place at both personal and group level . • Change of attitudeor general way of behavior(at a personal level) . • Changes of roles , relationships or leadership(at a group level) • Even if one or two criteria missed it can be still called a group .

4. Group development • Schutz perspective(1958): (fundamental interpersonal relations orientation): People behave according to their orientation to other people and this is based on three fundamental needs of every group member : - Inclusion (in - out dimension, human preference e.g. over social, undersocial) - Control (human preferences vary from autocratic to abdicratic) - Affection (is the area of intimacy, human preference vary from over personal to under personal)

5. Group formation • Groups are formed for different reasons. • Once the group is formed it follows a set of successive stages. • ( Tuckman1965)perspective: • Forming • Storming • Norming • Performing • Adjourning

6. Group formation • Yalom (1985)perspectives : • Orientation : • initial stages • members need to establish a way to accomplish the task • members work towards comfort , meaning and pleasure of being in the group . • Conflict : centred around preoccupation with dominance , control and power . Emerges between members or members and leaders .(tuckman storming stage ) • Cohesiveness : • Shows elements of greater trust , high morale , more disclosure and members are more committed to one another

7. Bion perspectives : • Suggest that the emotional states of the group dictates its dynamics .there are three types of emotional states called basic assumption cultures: • Aggressiveness ,hostility and fear. • Optimism and hopeful anticipation . • Hopelessness . • Members share some beliefs which generate these emotions and they will behave according to it so there are three Basic assumption groups : - Aggressiveness=basic assumption fight-flight. -optimism=basic assumption pairing. -helplessness=basic assumption=dependency. • the role of the leader is extremely important , each assumption group will search for a specific type of leader to fulfil its needs.

8. Factors influencing group behaviours • Factors affecting group effectiveness : • Atmosphere . • Discussion ( focused and every one participates ) • Objectives . • Listening . • Disagreement . • Decisions . • Criticism. • Feelings . • Action . • Leadership . • Self conscious .

9. Role functions : a set of behaviours that is expected and /or displayed by the individual who occupies a particular position in the group structure . Four different criteria for roles : • Prescribed roles . • Subjective roles . • Enacted roles . • Functionally requisite role . • For the group to survive the role must be fulfilled . • How to sabotage the group ?

10. Penland and Fine broad categories of the roles : • Group task roles . • Group building and maintaining roles . • Individual roles.

11. Group task roles: • It is the tasks which the group has to undertake, any of the following roles may be played by various members of the group: -initiator. -information seeker. -opinion seeker. -information giver. -opinion giver. -elaborator. -co-ordinator -orienteer,evaluater. -energiser. -technician,recorder.

12. Group building roles: • Centered on the functioning of the group as a group . -encourager. -harmonizer. -compromiser. -Gate keeper. -Observer. -Follower.

13. Individual roles: • It focus on members individual needs,group needs take second place. it could lead to conflicts. -aggressor. -Blocker. -Recognition seeker. -Self-confessor. -Dominator. -Help seeker -Special-intrest-pleader.

14. Leadership definition: • Leader is in a central position .he is the focus of group processes and instrument of goal achievement,(bass1981) • Leader is a primary agent for determining group structure , atmosphere , goals , ideology , and activities . • Leader needs significant traits in order to be effective in his central position : • Charisma . • Social boldness . • Highly dominant in times of crisis . • Empathic understanding .

15. Leadership • Munson(1921) , leadership is the art of inducing compliance,he is able to deal with group members to achieve the most with the least friction and greatest co-operation. • Bass (1981): leadership as a power relation, the leader is the one with the power to influence group members into action. • Hollander (1978);sees leaderchip as an instrument of goal achievement. Shaw(1981) a leader exerts positive Influence over group members, towards achievement of a certain goal .

16. Leadership • who chose the leader and which is better ? • Factors that contribute to who become a leader: -Personal characteristics . -Individual behaviors . - skills , knowledge and attitudes . -Characteristics of task . -Environment . -Group needs .

17. naturally born Leader ? • Are leaders born? or does one acquire the skills of leadership? • Great leaders do possess certain key traits that distinguish them from other people. • No research evidence to support this belief.

18. Leadership styles • Some leaders give orders ,make all decisions without consulting the group and demand obedience . • Others ask for members opinion ,cooperation and consult them before making a decisions . • Lewin styles of leadership : • Authoritarian . • Democratic . • Laissez-fair .

19. Authoritarian style: • The leader doing every thing without consulting the rest of the group. • Task oriented. • Not interested in members needs. • Aloof ,and personal in praise.

20. Democratic style: • Share the decision making with the members of the team. • Concerned about members needs. • Socially close to members of the team.

21. Laissez faire style: • The leader allow the members to do as they wish. • The team dos not receive any feed back from hem. • Have no confidence in his own ability. • Do not make decisions.

22. In a study conducted by lewin(1939),four comparable groups of 10-years old boys were observed as they performed a task for 3 weeks trail under the three leadership styles, the results showed significant differences in behavior in response to the deferent styles. -hostility and aggression were higher under authoritarian style -scapegoating occurred more frequently in authoritarian style. -the product was superior in the democratic group. -morale was higher in the democratic group.