Group Development

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Group Development

• Dave Seibold
• Professor, Department of Communication, LS
• Co-Director, Graduate Program in Management
  Practice,
• Technology Management Program, CoE
• COMM 106 Lecture 7

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Goals for Lecture

• Evaluate pop literature on grp development
• Learn about theories -- and theory building -- in
  the area
• Analyze own groups in terms of these theoretical
  perspectives

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Fundamental Issues

• Do groups change over time?

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Fundamental Issues

• Do groups change over time?
• If so, do all groups change in same ways?
  (Unitary sequences)

5
Fundamental Issues

• Do groups change over time?
• If so, do all groups change in same ways?
  (Unitary sequences)
• Or do different groups change in different ways?
  (Multiple sequences)

6
Fundamental Issues

• Do groups change over time?
• If so, do all groups change in same ways?
  (Unitary sequences)
• Or do different groups change in different ways?
  (Multiple sequences)
• Are the changes coherent enough to be phases, or
  merely activity clusters?

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Fundamental Issues

• Do groups change over time?
• If so, do all groups change in same ways?
  (Unitary sequences)
• Or do different groups change in different ways?
  (Multiple sequences)
• Are the changes coherent enough to be phases, or
  merely activity clusters?
• How can these changes be explained?

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Phase of Group Development

• A qualitatively different subperiod of
  interaction
• within an overall period of time in which a
  group proceeds
• from initiation to completion
• of a problem

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Elements of GroupTheories

• Scope Conditions type of group and task(s)
  specified
• Description relationships among variables
• Explanation generative/causal mechanism(s)
• Predictions testable/falsifiable
• Rooted in interaction
• Account for permanence and change

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Elements of GroupTheories

• Capture imagination/innovative
• Parsimonious/elegant
• Hueristic value

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Overview of Theories/Models Group Development

• Task Self-Analytic
• Bales Strodtbeck Bennis Shepard
• Braden Brandenberg Schutz
• Fisher
• Tuckman

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Bales Equilibrium Theory

• Interdependence affects group cooperation/competit
  ion
• Task goals promote interdependence

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Bales Equilibrium Theory

• Interdependence affects cooperation/competition
• Task goals promote interdependence
• Groups main function task achievement
• Focus on instrumental activity threatens group
  stability

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Bales Equilibrium Theory

• Interdependence
• Task goals
• Main function task achievement
• Instrumental activity threatens stability
• Expressive activity to counteract tensions
• and build solidarity to accomplish task

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Bales Equilibrium Theory

• Interdependence
• Task goals
• Main function task achievement
• Instrumental activity threatens stability
• Expressive activity counteracts task tensions
• Groups have tendency toward equilibrium

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Bales Equilibrium Theory

• Interdependence
• Task goals
• Main function task achievement
• Instrumental activity threatens stability
• Expressive activity counteracts task tensions
• Tendency toward equilibrium
• Principle of homeostasis

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Bales Coding Scheme Interaction Process
Analysis (IPA)

• Gives Information Asks for Information
• Gives Opinions Asks for Opinions
• Gives Suggestions Asks for Suggestions
• Agrees Disagrees
• Releases Tension Creates Tension
• Shows Solidarity Shows Antagonism

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Bales and StrodtbecksThree Phases of Group
Development

• Stage 1 Orientation
• Stage 2 Evaluation
• Stage 3 Control

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Bales and StrodtbecksThree Phases of Group
Development

• Stage 1 Orientation
• Group members may individually comprehend the
  group's task orientation, but the focus of this
  phase is reaching collective consensus regarding
  the
• group's task.

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Bales and StrodbecksThree Phases of Group
Development

• Stage 2 Evaluation
• Group members must reach consensus on what their
  attitudes will be regarding the task and what
  value judgments (evaluations) they will use to
  solve their problem.

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Bales and StrodbecksThree Phases of Group
Development

• Stage 3 Control
• Group members focus on deciding what to do about
  the problem they face.
• Near end of allotted time, members realize
  decisions concerning solutions must be made.
• They feel pressured to take control of the
  process by completing the task.

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Braden and BrandenbergsThree Phases of Group
Development

• Phase 1 Members self-centered w/own
  socio-emotional needs. Atmosphere tense
  frustration and conflict evident decision making
  difficult.
• Phase 2
• Phase 3

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Braden and BrandenbergsThree Phases of Group
Development

• Phase 1 Members self-centered.
• Phase 2 Members realize self-centeredness is
  dysfunctional. React by becoming overly
  group-centered.
• Phase 3

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Braden and BrandenbergsThree Phases of Group
Development

• Phase 1 Members excessively self-centered.
• Phase 2 Members overly group-centered.
• Phase 3 Members balance self-centered needs and
  group-centered needs. Goals internalized, task
  work proceeding/accomplished.

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Fishers Coding Scheme

• Dimension 1 A - Asserted
• B Seeking
• Dimension 2 1 Interpretation
• 2 Substantiation
• 3 Clarification
• 4 Modification
• 5 Summary
• 6 Agreement

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Fishers Coding Scheme

• Dimension 3 f favorable toward proposal
• u unfavorable toward proposal
• a ambiguous toward proposal
• Other CodesOn origin of a decision proposal
• Dn reintroduction of a decision
  proposal
• Example
• A2fO3 a favorable assertion substantiating the
  third decision proposal introduced

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Fishers Model of Decision Emergence

• Orientation Phase
• Conflict Phase
• Emergent Phase
• Reinforcement Phase

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Orientation Phase

• A. Verbal acts reflect getting acquainted,
  clarifying, tentatively expressing attitudes
• B. Few assertions opinions expressed
  ambiguously ambiguous statements reinforced
• C. Agreement used to facilitate interaction, not
  to reinforce ideas (flight from task)
• D. Excessive primary tension

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Conflict Phase

• Verbal acts indicative of dissent,
• polarized attitudes
• B. Conflict over decision proposals
• direction of group now more important
• C. Direction of group now important
• (no flight from task)
• D. Tentativeness, ambiguity end

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Emergent Phase

• A. Fewer unfavorable acts
• B. Favorable comments followed by favorable
  comments Unfavorable comments followed
• by ambiguous ones (opinions being modified)
• C. Dissent reduced
• D. Interpretative acts repeated

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Reinforcement Phase

• Significantly more acts of
• favorable interpretation and
• favorable substantiation
• B. Few ambiguous and unfavorable acts
  (consensus emerges)
• C. Dissent has almost vanished
• D. Unity affirmed members commit to decision

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Bennis Shepard'sTheory of Group Development

• I. Dependence Phases
• II. Interdependence Phases

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Bennis Shepard'sTheory of Group Development

• I. Dependence Phases
• A. Dependence-Flight

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Bennis Shepard'sTheory of Group Development

• I. Dependence Phases
• A. Dependence-Flight
• B. Counterdependence-Fight

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Bennis Shepard'sTheory of Group Development

• I. Dependence Phases
• A. Dependence-Flight
• B. Counterdependence-Fight
• C. Resolution-Catharsis

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Bennis Shepard'sTheory of Group Development

• I. Dependence Phases
• A. Dependence-Flight
• B. Counterdependence-Fight
• C. Resolution-Catharsis
• II. Interdependence Phases
• A. Enchantment-Flight

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Bennis Shepard'sTheory of Group Development

• I. Dependence Phases
• A. Dependence-Flight
• B. Counterdependence-Fight
• C. Resolution-Catharsis
• II. Interdependence Phases
• A. Enchantment-Flight
• B. Disenchantment-Fight

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Bennis Shepard'sTheory of Group Development

• I. Dependence Phases
• A. Dependence-Flight
• B. Counterdependence-Fight
• C. Resolution-Catharsis
• II. Interdependence Phases
• A. Enchantment-Flight
• B. Disenchantment-Fight
• C. Consensual Validation

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Schutzs Theory of Group Development

• I. Theoretical Constructs (F.I.R.O.)
• II. Postulates of Group Development - 2

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Schutzs Theory of Group Development

• I. Theoretical Constructs (F.I.R.O.)
• A. Inclusion (I)
• B. Control (C)
• C. Affection (A)

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Schutzs Theory of Group Development

• II. Postulates of Group Development
• A. Principle of Group Integration
• I, C, A, (may repeat) . . .

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Schutzs Theory of Group Development

• II. Postulates of Group Development
• A. Principle of Group Integration
• I, C, A, (may repeat) . . . . .
• B. Principle of Group Resolution
• . . . . . . . . . . A, C, I

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Task Development of Group Tuckmans Four Phases

• Orientation
• Emotional Response to Task Demands
• Open Exchange of Relevant Interpretations
• Emergence of Solutions

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Task Development of Group Tuckmans Four Phases

• Orientation
• Members implicitly or explicitly orient
  themselves to answering questions such as "What
  is our task?" "What is expected of us?" "How will
  we proceed?" "What information is needed?"

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Task Development of Group Tuckmans Four Phases

• Emotional Response to Task Demands Members must
  reconcile their own orientations to the task with
  the group's emerging orientation.

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Task Development of Group Tuckmans Four Phases

• Open Exchange of Relevant Interpretations
• Members focus their task activity on sharing
  opinions, suggestions, solutions concerning
  whatever the group is working on.

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Task Development of Group Tuckmans Four Phases

• Emergence of Solutions
• Members adopt an alternative that seems
  acceptable for solving their problem, and they
  complete their task work.

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Social Development of Group Tuckmans Four Phases

• Forming Testing dependence
• Storming Intragroup conflict
• Norming Development of group cohesion
• Performing Functional role-relatedness

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Social Development of Group Tuckmans Four Phases

• Testing-Dependence
• Group members appear to be dependent on the
  leader. They also test each other to see what
  types attitudes and behaviors will and will not
  be permitted in the group.
• (Forming)

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Social Development of Group Tuckmans Four Phases

• Intragroup Conflict Members display their
  individuality and resist group structure.
  Conflicts between members center around a key
  issue To what degree will individual members
  become interpersonally involved in and committed
  to the group and its work? (Storming)

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Social Development of Group Tuckmans Four Phases

• Development of Group Cohesion Because of the
  discomfort associated with conflict in the
  previous phase, group members seek harmony. Once
  members accept the group, norms are established
  to ensure its perpetuation (e.g., re attendance,
  how disagreements will be handled, etc.).
• (Norming)

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Social Development of Group Tuckmans Four Phases

• Functional Role-Relatedness
• Group members build on the cohesion of the
  previous phase to develop stronger interpersonal
  relations. They also adopt different group roles.
  Both of these dynamic to facilitate group
  progress and task accomplishment. (Performing)

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Theories of Group-Induced Social Influence

• Position 1 No influence
• Position 2 Influence through preference
  display
• Position 3 Influence through information
• Position 4 Influence through preference
  display information
• Position 5 Influence through interaction

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Overview of Theories/Models Group Development

• Social
• Bales Strodtbeck
• Braden Brandenberg
• Fisher

• Self-analytic
• Bennis Shepard
• Schutz

Tuckman