group cohesion
TRANSCRIPT
GROUP COHESSIVENESS
PRESENTED BY,
JENY THOMAS MAYURI S J
What is group cohesiveness?
Group cohesiveness is the ability to think and act 'as one' if the
group is physically together or not.
It means supporting the group in whatever decision or action
it takes even if a group member personally is not in favor of the
act or thought.
Dimensions of group cohesiveness
Group Unity
Attraction
Team work
Group unity
Many theorists believe that group cohesion results
from a deep sense of “we-ness” or belonging to a
group as a whole.
By becoming enthusiastically involved in the efforts of
their group and by recognizing the similarities that exist
among group members, individuals tend to develop a
close connection with their group and its members.
Attraction
According to Hogg (1992), group cohesiveness
typically develops from a depersonalized attraction
to group members based on their status as group
members, rather than a personal attraction based
on specific relationships.
Team work
Some theorists stress that cohesion comes from
group members’ commitment to work together to
complete their shared tasks and accomplish their
collective goals.
Members of task-oriented groups typically exhibit
great interdependence and often possess feelings of
responsibility for the group’s outcomes.
1. Threat & Competition
Whenever the common group goal is threatened,
cohesiveness increases.
Also, such cohesiveness increases the importance of the goals.
When we fight for a goal, the goal gets the highest priority.
Thus the threatening party will have less chance of success
when faced with a unified force.
2. Difficulty in Entry
Some groups are not easy to join. The members are very
carefully selected and the selected members feels a sense
of pride and accomplishment.
The more difficult it is to get into a group, the more
cohesive that group becomes.
The reason being that in exclusive and elite groups the
members are selected on the basis of certain characteristics
and these characteristics being common to all add to the
degree of liking and attraction towards each other.
3. Time Together
It is quite natural that the more time people spend
together, the more they will get to know each other
and more tendency there will be to get closer to each
other, thus strengthening the degree of cohesiveness.
In an organizational setting, people who work near
each other are more likely to spend more time
together.
4. Group Size
Since continuous and close interaction among
members is a fundamental necessity for
cohesiveness, it would be natural to assume that
large groups restrict the extent of communication
and interaction with each other, thus resulting in
reduction of degree of cohesiveness.
5. Previous Success
When a group achieves a meaningful goal, the
cohesiveness of the group increases because the
success is shared by all the members and each one
feels responsible for the achievement.
For example, when a sports team wins an important
game, every one in the team congratulates every
other member of the team for this success.
6. Similarity of Attitudes & Values
One of the strongest source of group cohesiveness
is the similarity in values, morals, beliefs and code
of conduct.
We enjoy the company of others who hold similar
opinions and characteristics as ourselves.
HOW TO INCREASE COHESSION?
Induce agreement on group goals.
Increase membership homogeneity.
Increase interactions among members.
Decrease group size.
Contd…
Introduce competition with other groups.
Allocate rewards to the group rather than
individuals.
Provide physical isolation from other groups
HOW TO DECREASE COHESSION?
Induce disagreement in group goals.
Increase membership heterogeneity.
Restrict interaction among members.
Increase group size.
Contd…
Allocate reward to individuals rather than to a
group as a whole.
Remove physical isolation.
Introduce a dominating member
BENEFITS
Increased morale
Increased productivity
Improved communication
Conformity and influences
Conclusion
Group cohesion has been linked to a range of
positive and negative consequences.
People in cohesive groups are confronted with
powerful pressures to conform to the group’s goals,
norms, and decisions.
THANK YOU