The Nature of Groups Ch. 8

What is a group? “a small collection of people who interact with each other, usually face to face, over time in order to reach goals.”

In order to be considered a group, members must: Interact Be interdependent -members rely on one another Interact for a length of time Be a particular size (at the very least three members) Have hopes of achieving one or more goals

Types of Goals Individual Goals - the motives of each individual group member Group goals – the ultimate outcome the group hopes to accomplish

4 Types of Groups Learning groups Growth groups Problem-solving groups Social groups

Learning groups where the purpose is to increase the knowledge and skill of each member

Growth groups focus on teaching members more about themselves

Problem-solving groups when members form in order to solve a problem that affects all of them

Social Groups Groups that meet for the sole purpose of satisfying the social needs of their members

CHARACTERISTICS OF GROUPS All groups have certain characteristics in common. Rules and norms Member have individual Roles Patterns of interaction Decision-making methods

Rules and Norms Rules- clearly defined guidelines governing the ways in which members are expected to behave Norms- are rules that are not stated or discussed, but members know they are supposed to be followed

3 types of norms Social norms – effect the relationships that occur between members Procedural norms – outline the ways in which the group is to operate Task norms – how the job at hand will be carried out

Roles The behavior that is expected from each group member

Types of roles Formal roles – assigned by an organization or group often to establish order Informal roles – roles that work to satisfy a particular function

Two types of informal roles: Task roles – help the group accomplish its goals Maintenance roles- help the relationships among members run smoothly.

Dysfunctional roles behaviors that prevent the group from working effectively

Patterns of interaction Interactions that take place within a group tend to follow a particular pattern. Types of patterns of interaction: All-channel network Chain network Wheel network

All- channel network Takes place if group members stay together and shared every piece of information with one another. Group members must be face-to-face

A chain network When interaction and communication moves sequentially from one member to another Good for simple messages Tend to break down with more complex messages

Wheel network All communication within the group goes through one person who is at the center of the groups operation.

Decision-Making Methods 5 ways in which groups make decisions: Consensus Majority control Expert opinion Minority rule Authority rule

CONSENSUS Takes place when every member of the group supports the decision

MAJORITY CONTROL Decisions are based on what the majority of members desire

EXPERT OPINION When decisions are left to one member who is believed to be an expert on the decision to be made Works if the person is truly an expert

MINORITY CONTROL Takes place when a few members of a group decide on a matter

AUTHORITY RULE When the leader or the person with the most power makes the decisions for the group

THE INFLUENCE OF CULTURE ON GROUPS

Cultural influences on group communication Groups are effected greatly by culture Culture provides the rules and norms that determine how members will interact with one another Culture also determines how members will achieve the goals of the group

Geert Hofstede’s (4) cultural forces that shape the attitudes and behaviors of groups and individuals Individualism vs. Collectivism Power distance Uncertainty avoidance Task versus social orientation

(1) Individualism vs. collectivism Describes the way that some cultures place value on the individual, while cultures place value on the group

Individualism Individualistic values stress the importance of pursuing personal goals and independence Individualistic cultures are focused on individual goals Those with individualistic orientation are concerned with standing out in the crowd

Collectivism Collectivistic values focus on the importance of group harmony, fitting in, and relational dependence Collectivistic cultures are focused on the goals in the group Those with collectivistic orientation are concerned with fitting in with the rest of the group

Individualistic vs. Collectivistic countries The United States, Canada, Australia, and Britain. Latin American and Asian societies tend to be more collectivistic

Cultural influence on view of conflict Individualistic cultures view conflict as a positive, and tend confront it head on -use more direct language (low-context) Collectivistic cultures tend to view conflict negatively, and avoid it -use less direct language (high-context)

(4) Power distance The accepted distance of power between to people of status and power within a culture

Low Power Distance If people are relatively equal there will be low power distance Cultures low in power distance tend to push toward equality among members

High Power Distance If people differ greatly in level of power there will be a high power distance Cultures high in power distance accept differences in power and status as a way of life

Countries with Low Power Distance Israel New Zealand Germany U.S.A

Countries with High Power Distance Philippines Mexico India France

(3) Uncertainty Avoidance Takes place when people try to avoid that which is uncertain Different cultures react differently to uncertainty: -some cultures avoid uncertainty as much as possible -other cultures welcome uncertainty

Countries with low uncertainty avoidance Singapore India Philippines U.S.A

Countries with high uncertainty avoidance Greece Japan Peru Mexico

(4)Task vs. Social Orientation Some cultures are focused more on getting the job done, while other cultures are focused more on the social orientation of the group

Task Oriented Societies Focus is on getting the job done Focus on making the team more competent Highly concerned with individual success

Socially Oriented Societies Focus more on collective concerns of the group Cooperative problem solving A friendly environment Good working conditions

Countries High in Task Orientation: Japan Austria Italy Mexico

Counties High in Social Orientation Sweden Norway Chile Portugal

In conclusion… An awareness of the ways in which different cultures deal with conflict and problem solving helps to eliminate miscommunication and misconceptions that may take place within groups.