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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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Satisfaction andadjustment
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
Satisfaction andadjustment
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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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Click icon to add picture
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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Click icon to add picture
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