Cohesion

and

Development

What is group cohesion?

– Cohesion = Attraction, Liking

Attractionbetweenmembers

Attractionto the

group-as-a-whole

Attraction Cohesion

Cohesion = Unity: Cohesive groups stick together as members “cohere” to one another and the group

– The group is unified; solidarity is high in the group

– Members report feeling a sense of belonging to the group

Group Unity

Belonging (part of the group)

Unity Cohesion

Cohesion = Teamwork: Members of cohesive groups coordinate their efforts to achieve goals

– Collective efficacy: a high level of confidence about success at the tasks the group accepts

– Esprit de corps: positive group affect

Cohesion

Group morale, esprit de corps

Teamwork

Collective EfficacyTask

Moti-vation

Implication:

Measurement is complex!

Special Issue: Hazing

Hazing, or severe initiations, can increase members’ commitment to the group– Festinger, Schachter’s and Back’s classic study

of the “Seekers” suggested initiations create dissonance

– Aronson and Mill’s study of severe initiations– Alternative interpretations and the dangers of

hazing

Does Cohesion Develop Over

Time? Cohesion develops over time in a relatively

predictable pattern

Tuckman's five-stage model of group development

Forming

Storming

Norming

Adjourning

Task

Performing

Does Cohesion Develop Over Time?

Types of group development models– Successive-stage theories: Tuckman– Cyclical models: Bales's equilibrium model– Punctuated equilibrium models: periods of

accelerated change

What are The Positive and Negative Consequences of

Cohesion? Cohesion tends to lead to:

– Increased member satisfaction – Decreased employee turnover and stress

Cohesive groups can intensify emotional and social processes. Such groups can: – Be more emotionally demanding (e.g, the old sergeant

syndrome)– Exert more conformity pressure on members– Suffer from groupthink– Respond with more hostility

Cohesion and Performance

Road crews

Cohesion and Performance

Cohesion

Attraction

Unity(Group Pride)

Task Focus (teamwork)

Performance

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.23

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Norms are also criticallyimportant

The cohesion-performance relationship is weakest if group norms do not encourage high productivity

Groups with norms that stress productivity

Groups with norms that stress low productivity

P r o d u c t i v i t y

Should Organizations Rely on Teams to Enhance Productivity?

What is a team?

A specialized, relatively organized, task focused group

Features (same as any group):

– Interaction

– Interdependence

– Structure

– Goals

– Cohesion

Types of teams

Type and Subtypes Function Examples

Management

Executive Plan, direct Board of directors, city council

Command Integrate, coordinate Control tower, combat center

Project

Negotiation Deal, persuade Labor-management, international treaty

Commission Choose, investigate Search committee, jury

Design Create, develop Research and development team, marketing group

Advisory Diagnose, suggest Quality circle, steering committee

Service Provide, repair Fast food, auto service team

Production Build, assemble Home construction, automotive assembly

Action

Medical Treat, heal Surgery, ER

Response Protect, rescue Fire station, paramedics

Military Neutralize, protect Infantry squad, tank crew

Transportation Convey, haul Airline cockpit, train crew

Sports Compete, win Baseball, soccer

Source: Adapted from Devine, 2002.

Should Organizations Rely on Teams to Enhance Productivity?

Team building – Setting and clarifying goals and roles– Designing teams: size, communication features,

authority, organization, duration, composition– Practicing (training): orienting, distributing resources,

pacing, coordinating responses, and motivating members

– Process consultation– Building cohesion by increasing communal

perspective, efficacyTeam approaches are reliably associated with increases in

effectiveness and satisfaction.