5 Cohesion and Development

1. 5Cohesion and Development A group is not just a set of individuals, but a cohesive whole that joins the members in interlocking interdepen-dencies. This solidarity or unity is called group cohesion and is a necessary, if not sufficient, condition for a group to exist. A group may begin as a collection of strangers, but, as uncertainty gives way to increasing unity, the members become bound to their group and its goals. As cohesion and commitment ebb and flow with time, the group’s influence over its members rises and falls. • What is group cohesion, and what are its sources? • How does cohesion develop over time? • What are the positive and negative consequences of cohesion? • Do initiations increase cohesion?

3. “The total field of forces which act on members to remain in the group” Festinger, Schachter, & Back, 1950, p. 164 The Nature of Cohesion Sources Social Task Collective Emotional • Equifinality: Potential to reach an end state through many paths • Multifinality: Reaching different endings from the same starting conditions Structural

4. Multicomponent-multilevel model (e.g., member to member, member to group…) (e.g., attraction, shared task focus, identity… Sources of Cohesion

5. Components Levels Attraction between members Social Cohesion Attraction to the group-as-a-whole Sources of Cohesion

6. Components Processes Shared commitment to group goals Collective efficacy Group potency Task Cohesion Sources of Cohesion

7. Components Group Unity: WE Collective Cohesion Belonging (part of the group): IN Sources of Cohesion Self-group bonding Identity fusion

8. Components Morale Esprit de corps Emotional Cohesion Sources of Cohesion Relational cohesion theory: cohesion increases as the group becomes a source of positive emotions (e.g., behavioral syncrony)

9. Components Processes Structural Cohesion Sources of Cohesion Open groups tend to be less cohesive than closed ones (e.g., e-groups)

10. Bulldogs Red Devils Sherif & Sherif, 1953, 1956

11. Sources

12. Consequences of Cohesion Explaining Initiations The Nature of Cohesion Developing Cohesion Sources Theories of development Social Five Stages Task Cycles of development Collective Emotional Structural

13. Performance monitoring, leading, feedback Stabilizing structure and stability Five Stage Model of Group Development Formation Performance and cohesion creating the group and setting goals dealing with source of tension Conflict Time

14. Tuckman’s Five Stage Model

15. Cyclical vs. Stage Models Tuckman: A successive stage model Bale’s Equilibrium model: a cyclical model Punctuated equilibrium model Cultural differences in development and time perceptions: polychronic vs. monochronic

16. Consequences of Cohesion Explaining Initiations The Nature of Cohesion Developing Cohesion Most people, if asked to choose between two groups—one that is cohesive and another that is not—would likely pick the cohesive group. But cohesiveness has its drawbacks. A cohesive group is an intense group, and this intensity affects the members, the group’s dynamics, and the group’s performance in both positive and negative ways. Cohesion leads to a range of consequences—not all of them desirable. Satisfaction and adjustment Dynamics and influence Productivity

17. Satisfaction and adjustment Donald Roy’s (1959) “banana time” case study documented the benefits of membership in a cohesive workgroup. Roy worked for two months in 12-hour shifts lasting from 8AM to 8:30PM with three other men in an isolated room in a factory. The work was tedious, menial, repetitive, and tiring, but the cohesive workgroup group filled its workday with jokes, teasing, kidding around, and horseplay that gave structure and meaning to their day. To break up the day into smaller segments, the men stopped from time to time for various refreshments and breaks. There was, of course, lunchtime, but the men added many others, such as coffee time, peach time, fish time, and banana time. These rituals and social activities, collectively called “banana time” by Roy, turned a bad job into a good one. Explaining Initiations

18. Satisfaction and adjustment • Dynamics and influence Positive Consequences Problematic Consequences What about productivity? Enhanced member satisfaction Reduced tension, stress Higher group engagement Reduced turnover Longer duration of membership Intensification of emotional and social processes Increased influence, pressure Hostility Groupthink

19. .51 Do Cohesive Groups Outperform Less Cohesive Groups? Sources: Mullen & Copper, 1994; Beal et al., 2003; Gully et al., 1995 Social cohesion .17 .,17 Cohesion .25 Performance Unity (Group Pride) .24 .24 .25 Task Cohesion (teamwork) Task Interdependence Norms are also critically important

20. Studies suggest that the productivity of cohesive groups depends on the norms of that group: if the group norms do not support hard work, then cohesive groups will be strikingly unproductive! Groups with norms that stress productivity P r o d u c t i v i t y Groups with norms that stress low productivity Low Cohesion High Cohesion

21. Festinger’s theory of cognitive dissonance predicts that people who must invest in their group will become committed to it. • Festinger, Schachter’s and Back’s classic study of the “Seekers” supported this predictions Application: Explaining Initiations Cohesion and initiations Hazing • Aronson & Mills tested this hypothesis in an experimental study of initiation and also found evidence of increased commitment

22. Application: Explaining Initiations Cohesion and initiations Hazing • Aronson & Mills tested this hypothesis in an experimental study of initiation and also found evidence of increased commitment

23. Dangers of hazing What sustains hazing? • Ineffective: Not as effective a means of increasing commitment as other group-level activities • Dangerous: Harmful and fatal in some cases • Illegal: Banded in most jurisdictions • Bonding: Increases dependency on the group • Dominance: Establishes hierarchy, status • Commitment: Increases psychological costs and commitment • Tradition: Defended as a sacred tradition Hazing

25. Performing Group Development Tuckman’s 5 stage model of group developlment Forming Storming Norming Performing Adjourning Task Norming Storming Adjourning Forming Source: Forsyth, 2010

26. For images of the 1980 US Hockey team s see • Sports_Illustrated_Miracle_on_Ice_cover.jpg • http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_online/the_golden_goal/ • http://www.usahockey.com/ushhof/default.aspx?NAV=AF_01&id=289718