cohesion and development 2013

8/22/2019 Cohesion and Development 2013

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5

Cohesion 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 iscalled group cohesion and is anecessary, if not sufficient, conditionfor a group to exist. A group may beginas a collection of strangers, but, as

uncertainty gives way to increasingunity, the members become bound totheir group and its goals. As cohesionand commitment ebb and flow withtime, the groups influence over itsmembers rises and falls.

vWhat is group cohesion, and

what are its sources?vHow does cohesion developover time?vWhat are the positive andnegative consequences ofcohesion?vDo initiations increasecohesion?


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Sources


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Time

Performance and cohesion

Formation

Conflict

Stabilizing

Performance

dealing with sourceof tension

creatingthe group

and settinggoals

structureand

stability

monitoring,leading,feedback

Five Stage Model of GroupDevelopment


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Tuckmans Five Stage Model


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Cyclical vs. Stage Models

Tuckman: A successive stage

model

Bales Equilibrium model: a

cyclical model

Punctuated equilibrium model

Task Orientation

Relationship Orientation

Cultural differences in developmentand time perceptions: polychronic vs.monochronic


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The Natureof Cohesion

DevelopingCohesion

Consequencesof Cohesion

Satisfaction andadjustment

Dynamics andinfluence

Productivity

ExplainingInitiations

Most people, if asked to choose betweentwo groupsone that is cohesive and

another that is notwould likely pick thecohesive group. But cohesiveness has its

drawbacks. A cohesive group is an intensegroup, and this intensity affects the

members, the groups dynamics, and thegroups performance in both positive and

negative ways. Cohesion leads to a range ofconsequencesnot all of them desirable.


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ExplainingInitiations

Donald Roys (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 thecohesive 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.


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PositiveConsequences

ProblematicConsequences

Enhanced member satisfaction

Reduced tension, stress

Higher group engagementReduced turnover

Longer duration of membership

Intensification of emotional and social

processes

Increased influence, pressureHostility

Groupthink

What about productivity?

Dynamics andinfluence



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Sources: Mullen &Copper, 1994; Beal etal., 2003; Gully et al.,1995

Do Cohesive Groups

Outperform Less CohesiveGroups?

Cohesion

Socialcohesion

Unity(Group Pride)

Task Cohesion(teamwork)

Performance

.51

.25

.24

.,17.25

Norms are also critically important

Task Interdependence

.24

.17


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Application:ExplainingInitiations

Cohesionand

initiations

Hazing

Festingers theory of cognitivedissonance predicts thatpeople who must invest intheir group will becomecommitted to it.

Festinger, Schachters andBacks classic study of theSeekers supported thispredictions

Aronson & Mills tested this hypothesis in anexperimental study of initiation and alsofound evidence of increased commitment


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Application:ExplainingInitiations

Cohesionand

initiations

Hazing

Aronson & Mills tested this hypothesis in anexperimental study of initiation and alsofound evidence of increased commitment


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Bonding: Increases dependency

on the groupDominance: Establisheshierarchy, statusCommitment: Increasespsychological costs andcommitment

Tradition: Defended as a sacredtradition

Hazing

Dangers of hazingWhat sustains hazing?

Ineffective: Not as effective ameans of increasing commitmentas other group-level activitiesDangerous: Harmful and fatal insome casesIllegal: Banded in mostjurisdictions

T T


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The

N

ature

of

Cohesio

n

The

N

ature

of

Cohesio

n


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Click icon to add pictureGroup

Development

Tuckmans 5 stage

model of group

developlment

FormingStormingNorming

PerformingAdjourning

Forming

Storming

Norming

Adjourning

Task

Performing

Source: Forsyth, 2010

cohesion and development 2013

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