GROUP DYNAMICS

AND
TEAM WORK

BY: Ms. PRIYANKA BANSAL

Msc. NURSING- I YEAR
RUFAIDA COLLEGE OF NURSING
 
 INTRODUCTION
‘Two heads are better than one’!
‘The more the merrier’!

While on the other hand ,

 ‘Too many cooks spoil the broth’!

What is the truth about GROUPS?

Are they as important as many say they are?

What is it about groups that make

organizations increasingly rely on them?

Fundamentally, the complex nature of organizational

activity makes it virtually impossible for individuals to
cope at a satisfactory level. There is a clear requirement for
people to operate in groups, in order for them to combine
their knowledge and abilities to solve complex problems.
 GROUPS:
 Two or more employees who interact with each other
in such a manner that the behavior and/or
performance of a member is influenced by the
behavior and/or performance of other members.

 Any number of people who interact with one another,

are psychologically aware of one another and perceive
themselves to be a group.
CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE GROUPS

 Accomplish its goals.

 Maintain its cohesion.

 Develop and modify its structure to improve its

effectiveness.
 GROUP DYNAMICS:

The word ‘dynamic’ means ‘force’.

The term group dynamics refers to the forces
operating in groups.

 Group dynamics may be defined as the social process

by which peoples interact face to face in small groups.
 Why do
people join
groups??
STATUS: Provides recognition and status for its members.

SELF ESTEEM: Provide people with feelings of self-worth.

AFFILIATION: People enjoy the regular interaction that comes

with group membership.

POWER: What cannot be achieved individually often becomes

possible through group action.

GOAL ACHIEVEMENT: There are times when it takes more than

one person to accomplish a particular task- there is a need to pool
talents, knowledge, or power in order to complete a job.
STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT:

FORMING

STORMING

NORMING

PERFORMING

ADJOURNING
 FORMING:
• Bringing together of a number of individuals.
• FOCUS: defining goals and developing procedures for performing
their task.
 This also involves getting to know each other and understanding
leadership and other member roles.
 In this stage, individual members might:
1. Keep feelings to themselves until they know the situation.
2. Act more secure than they actually feel.
3. Experience confusion and uncertainty about what is expected of
them.
4. Be nice and polite.
5. Try to ascertain the personal benefits relative to the personal
costs of being involved in the group.
 STORMING

There is normally some anxiety in groups as members try to

create an impression, to test each other and to establish their
own personal identity.
During it, competition over the leadership role and conflict
over goals are dominant.
The key is to manage conflict at this stage, not to suppress or
withdraw from it.
The group cannot effectively evolve into the third stage if the
leaders and the members go to either extreme: suppressing
conflict would probably create resentment, which would last
long after members attempts to express their differences and
emotions; withdrawal could cause the group to fail more
quickly.
 NORMING
Members of groups will establish guidelines and
standards and develop their own norms of acceptable
behaviors.
Information is shared, different opinions are accepted
and positive attempts are made to reach mutually
agreeable decisions on the group’s goals.
Group sets the rules by which it will operate.
Co-operation within the group is a dominant theme.
A sense of shared responsibility for the group
develops.
 PERFORMING
The roles of individual members are accepted and
understood.
The members usually understand when they should
work independently and when they should help each
other.
Some groups continue to learn and develop from their
experiences and new inputs, and these groups will
improve their efficiency and effectiveness.
At this stage, it can be said that the group has
‘matured’. It is at this point that the group becomes
effective.
 ADJOURNING
In this stage, the group prepares for its disbandment.
Attention is directed toward wrapping up activities.
Responses of group members vary in this stage.
Some are upbeat, basking in the group’s
accomplishments.
Others may be depressed over the loss of camaraderie
and friendships gained during the work group’s life.
 CLASSIFICATIONS OF GROUPS
PRIMARY GROUP
 It is a small intimate group in which
the relationships among members are
personal, spontaneous, sentimental,
cooperative and inclusive.
 Members of a primary group
communicate with each other largely
in face-to face interactions and
develop a strong sense of unity or
‘oneness.’ What belongs to one person
is often seen as belonging to the
group.
 Ex- family, friendship groups,
informal work groups, a play group of
children.
SECONDARY GROUP
 It is generally larger, more impersonal,
and less sentimental than a primary
group.
 Members view these groups simply as
means of getting things done.
Interactions don’t occur in face to face
contact and do not require that the
members know each other in any
inclusive sense.
 Once the goals of the group are
achieved or change, the interaction is
discontinued.
 Ex- professional associations, task
groups, adhoc committees, political
groups and business groups.
 FORMAL
Formal groups
usually exist to
carry out a task
or goal rather
than to meet the
needs of group
members.
Ex- Work
organization.
SEMIFORMAL
People’s social
needs and ego
needs are
satisfied by
membership in
these groups.
Ex- Churches,
lodges, social
clubs and some
labor unions.
INFORMAL
These groups
provide much of a
person’s education
and develop most
cultural values.
Ex- Friendship
groups, hobby
groups, convenience
groups, work groups
and self protective
groups.
 GROUP SIZE
Does the size of a group affect the group’s overall
behavior?
YES.
Smaller groups are faster at completing tasks than are
larger ones.
If the group is engaged in problem solving, large groups
consistently gets better marks than their smaller
counterparts.

Group performance increases with group size, but the

addition of new members to the group has diminishing
returns on productivity.
Social loafing
Social loafing is the tendency for individuals to expend less
effort when working collectively than when working
individually. It directly challenges the logic that the
productivity of the group as a whole should at least equal the
sum of the productivity of each individual in that group.
Conclusion:
Groups with an odd number of members tend to be
preferable to those with an even number. Having an odd
number of members eliminates the possibility of ties when
votes are taken.
Groups made up of five or seven members do a pretty good
job of exercising the best elements of both small and large
groups
ELEMENTS OF GROUP BEHAVIOR
 ACTIVITY

 INTERACTION

 BELIEFS

 NORMS

 SENTIMENTS
 UNFAVORABLE
SENTIMENTS
Unfavorable sentiments will be directed
against members who do not share or who
violate the norms generally accepted in the
group. Furthermore, these unfavorable
sentiments frequently lead to the emergence
of further activities which have the function
of punishing the violators of the norms and
which may lead to further defensive or
aggressive activities by the violators. When a
member violates a norm, interaction with
him will initially increase as efforts are made
to bring him into line. However, if these
efforts fail and he persists in violating the
norm, he will be the recipient of increasingly
unfavorable sentiments and consequently
decreasing attention.
ASSESSING GROUP
DYNAMICS
 COMMITMENT
Members feel a strong sense of belonging.
Members enjoy each other.
Members seek each other for counsel and
support.
Members support each other in times of
difficulty.
Members value the contributions of other
members.
Members are motivated by working in the
group and want to their tasks well.
Members express good feelings openly and
identify positive contributions.
Members feel that the goals of the group are
achievable and important.
 LEADERSHIP STYLE
Who starts the meeting or the work?
Who contributes additional
information to help the group carry out
its functions?
Who represents the group with other
groups?
Who encourages contributions from
group members?
Who provides support to group
members with difficult situations?
Who keeps the discussions relevant?
 DECISION MAKING METHODS
Five methods of decision making have been
identified:

INDIVIDUAL OR AUTHORITY RULE

DECISIONS

MINORITY DECISION

MAJORITY DECISIONS

CONSENSUS DECISIONS

UNANIMOUS DECISIONS
 GROUP TASK ROLES
INITIATOR/CONTRIBUTOR: Offers facts, opinions,
ideas, suggestions, and relevant information to
facilitate group discussion.
INFORMATION GIVER: Offers relevant information
based on personal knowledge or experience.
INFORMATION RECEIVER: Asks for opinions, facts,
information, ideas and feelings from other members to
facilitate group discussion.
OPINION GIVER: Offers opinions, judgments or
feelings about suggestions.
OPINION RECEIVER: Asks for opinions, judgments or
feelings about suggestions.
SUMMARIZER: Restates and summarizes the main
points discussed.
ENERGIZER: Stimulates a higher quality of work from
the group.
EVALUATOR: Examines the practicality and workability
of ideas; evaluates alternative solutions.
GATEKEEPER: Encourages everyone to participate, gives
recognition for contributions, and demonstrates
acceptance and openness to the ideas of others.
LINKER: Enables members to analyze their differences
of opinion constructively, searches for common elements
in conflicts, and tries to reconcile disagreements.
DIAGNOSER: Identifies sources of difficulties the
group has in working effectively and identifies blocks
to goal accomplishment progress.
ACTIVE LISTENER: Listens and serves as an
interested audience for other members.
CLARIFIER: Ensures that each group member
understands what other members are saying.
TENSION RELIEVER: Eases tensions and increases
the enjoyment of group members by joking,
suggesting breaks, and proposing fun approaches to
group work.
RECORDER: Keeps notes of ideas, suggestions or
decisions made by the group.
Some behaviors can block the effectiveness
of the group in achieving its goal:
DOMINATOR: Attempts to assume group leadership, interrupts others,
gives directions and wants his or her own way.

BLOCKER: Is generally negative, resistant, and disagreeable. Obstructs

group progress by reintroducing issues already resolved.

PLAYBOY: Does not take the group task seriously; jokes, plays around and
makes silly, inappropriate comments.

AGGRESOR: Is overly assertive; attacks and criticizes group members.

MONOPOLIZER: Talks continually to the extent that other members do not

have an opportunity to speak.
 INTERACTION
PATTERNS
Interaction patterns can be
observed and ascertained by a
sociogram, a diagram of the
flow of verbal communication
within a group during a
specified period.
Ideally, the interaction
patterns of a small group
would indicate verbal
interaction from all members
of the group to all members of
the group.
In reality, however, such an interaction
pattern does not occur. Not all
communication is a two way process.
The lines with arrow heads at each end
indicate that the statement made by
one person was responded to by the
recipient; a short cross line drawn near
one of the arrow heads indicates who
initiated the remark.

One way communication is indicated

by lines with arrow head at only one
end. Remarks made to the group as a
whole are indicated by arrows drawn to
only the middle of the circle.
 COHESIVENESS
Cohesive groups ( those
that cohere or ‘hang
together’ ) possess a
certain group spirit, a
sense of being ‘we’, and a
common purpose.
 POWER
Power can be viewed as a vital, positive force that
moves people toward the attainment of individual
or group goals. It is impossible to interact with
others without influencing and being influenced;
hence, group members are constantly adjusting to
one another and modifying their behavior.
The unequal distribution of power within a group
can adversely affect the task and maintenance
functions of the group. Members who believe they
have little influence in the group are less likely to
feel committed to group goals and participate in
decision making.
High- power people often are the most popular or
have the most authority. However high quality
decisions are the result of power based on
expertise, competence, and relevant information,
not on popularity or authority.
SCOPE OF GROUPS IN
NURSING
 TEACHING GROUPS
The major purpose of teaching groups is to impart
information to the participants. Numerous subjects are
offered handled via the group teaching format: child birth
techniques, birth-control methods, effective parenting,
nutrition, management of chronic illness such as diabetes,
exercise for middle-aged and older adults and instructions
to the family members about follow-up care for discharged
patients.

A nurse who leads the group in which the primary purpose

is to teach or learn must be scaled in the teaching-learning
process.
 SELF-HELP GROUPS
A self-help group is a small, voluntary organization
composed of individuals who share a similar health,
social or daily living problem. A self-help group can be
classified as either behaviorally or cognitively oriented.

Examples of self-help groups are: stillbirth, parenting,

pregnant adolescents, divorced, drug-abused, cancer,
mental-illness, diabetes, AIDS, women’s health and
grief. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS was the first self-
help group established.
 SELF-AWARENESS/GROWTH
GROUPS
The purpose of these groups is to develop or use
inter-personal strengths.
The overall aim is to improve the perception of
members or to improve the functioning of the
group to which they return, whether job, family or
community.
Effectiveness of these groups is facilitated when
an agenda and structure are defined by all
members and the leader.
 THERAPY GROUPS
These are clearly defined to do the work of
therapy.
Members work toward self-understanding, more
satisfactory ways of relating or handling stress and
changing patterns of behavior toward heath.
The focus of the group is member-centered.
The leader of the group, referred to as a therapist,
differs from the members in having superior skills
in a specialized area such as group psychotherapy.
 DEFINITION
Teamwork is defined in Webster's New World
Dictionary as "a joint action by a group of
people, in which each person subordinates his
or her individual interests and opinions to the
unity and efficiency of the group."

This does not mean that the individual is no

longer important; however, it does mean that
effective and efficient teamwork goes beyond
individual accomplishments. The most effective
teamwork is produced when all the individuals
involved harmonize their contributions and
work towards a common goal.
 NEED OF TEAM WORK
Teamwork has become an important part of the working
culture and many businesses now look at teamwork skills
when evaluating a person for employment. Most
companies realize that teamwork is important because
either the product is sufficiently complex that it requires a
team with multiple skills to produce, and/or a better
product will result when a team approach is taken.

Therefore, it is important that students learn to function

in a team environment so that they will have teamwork
skill when they enter the workforce. Also, research tells us
that students learn best from tasks that involve doing
tasks and involve social interactions.
BASICS OF WINNING TEAMS
 CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE TEAMS
The team must have a clear goal.
The team must have a results-driven structure.
The team must have competent team members.
The team must have unified commitment.
The team must have a collaborative climate.
The team must have high standards that are
understood by all.
The team must receive external support and
encouragement.
The team must have principled leadership.
6 Key Benefits of Teamwork
1. Creativity

2. Satisfaction

3. Skills

4. Speed

5. Sounding board

6. Support
Teamwork In Nursing
Individual workloads can be reduced.
 Nurses have an increased sense of fulfillment .
 Retention improves.
Patients receive better treatment.
Frequency of patient illnesses decreases.
Less overall stress and less burnout among nurses.
Overcome the shortage of nurses.
Responsibilities are increasingly divided among teams.
All nurses are involved in decision-making processes.
Atmosphere of mentoring.
Nurses communicate better with one another and grow to
respect one another.
 SUMMARY
To summarize we can say that Group Dynamics focuses
a team work, where in the small member groups are
constantly in touch with each other effectively. In the
topic along with group dynamics we discussed about
classification of groups, stages of group development,
elements of group behavior, assessing group dynamics,
teamwork, need of teamwork, characteristics of
effective teams, laws of team work, difference between
team exercise and group exercise and the scope of
groups in nursing.
 CONCLUSION
Group Dynamics has become an important part of the
working culture and many businesses now look at
teamwork skills when evaluating a person for
employment. Most companies realize that teamwork is
important because either the product is sufficiently
complex that it requires a team with multiple skills to
produce, and/or a better product will result when a
team approach is taken.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY:-
BOOKS:
Basavanthappa, BT. Nursing Education, 2nd Edition. India: JAYPEE, 2009, pp.
100-110.
Kyprianou, Anna and Anderson, Alan H. Result oriented organizational
behavior, 1st Edition. U.K.: Blackwell, 1998, pp. 95-105.
Robbins, Stephen p. and Sanghi, Seema. Organizational Behavior, 11th Edition.
U.S.A.: Pearson Education Inc, 2007, pp. 228-239.
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http://www.healthandnutritiontips.net/teamwork_in_nursing/teamwork_in_n
ursing.html
THANK YOU!