Group Dynamics Essays (Examples)

Group dynamics: Working as a nurse-Midwife
Working as a midwife requires me to function as a member of a team, not simply an individual nurse. The midwife must coordinate her advice with other components of the patient's obstetric treatment team. The midwife must also work well with the patient's family. Groups are often said to be either task-oriented or person-oriented (Group Dynamics 1 PowerPoint, Slide 8). In the case of the groups in which I work when I am dealing with a client, the group has both characteristics. On one hand, the task is to deliver a healthy baby, with as few complications (preferably none) as possible. But the team is also person-oriented, to help the mother navigate pregnancy and delivery. "CNMs/CMs are a vital part of the healthcare team and collaborate closely with physicians. When CNMs/CMs and physicians work together as a team, women receive an optimal combination of primary…

Group Dynamics
Discuss the functions of formal and informal groups. How does each contribute to the organization? with examples

Formal groups are organizations that have a fixed set of rules, structure and have procedures that leave little room for interpretation, and must be followed. As well, they have status symbol, limit activities of individuals in the group, set objectives and policies and coordination between people. They have rules that are readily observable through documents or rules that are written and determined or executed through formal position, like authority or ownership. The function of formal organizations is for the individual and group. For the organization and individuals, they are assigned work to reach the objective of the group, facilitate coordination of different activities in the organization, people have a definite role and hierarchy to establish an authority relationship, divide work in the group and create group togetherness in the organization. Examples of a…

In a group situation, therefore, an emergent leader has an inherent power to be valued by a group of his or her peers. ather than being viewed as superior, the leader's abilities are valued by other group members, with respect being earned rather than forced.
As mentioned, communication is central to effective group functioning and leadership. Hence, a good group leader will also have a distinctive verbal style. Members who display a confident verbal style, making helpful suggestions and organizing the group in effective ways, tend to emerge as leaders. Such leaders also speak clearly and directly, which increases their influence in the group. To reiterate a previous point, it is also such leaders who will be able to influence group members towards a certain decision. Strong group leadership is particularly beneficial where difficult decisions are at hand, or where group members struggle to reach consensus on issues.

In terms of…

The internal processes become more efficient because barriers in personal communication are broken down once the group is working towards the common purpose. Increasing cohesiveness in the group requires leadership that orients the objectives of group members more strongly towards the common purpose. This can be done a number of ways, including through individual and group task structure, the fostering of a common culture, the establishment of smooth communication systems and through providing structural reinforcement of behavioral norms.
Social Interaction

Social interaction impacts decision-making because it determines the degree to which the decisions orient the team members towards the common purpose. Strong social interaction should allow the group to have a greater degree of consensus in decisions. Attitudes about the team's objectives and the methods used to achieve those goals are reinforced by strong social interaction. eak social interaction can leave some group members oriented towards their own individual goals, because…

Adding conflict and competition to that precarious situation can be difficult, but is an important part of workplace group dynamics. However, conflict and competition can be both positive and negative components within a group dynamic situation. Jehn and Mannix (2001) discuss intragroup conflict and performance in their Academy of Management article, finding consistent results that implied the important nature of some conflict within workplace groups. The researchers found that groups that performed well exhibited low levels of process conflict, but that the conflict that was there was increasing. However, these groups also had generally low levels of task conflict and only moderate levels of conflict associated with task. Thus, Jehn and Mannix's (2001) findings suggest that some levels of conflict within a group are necessary, and perhaps even beneficial. Without any type of conflict, groups would most likely be described as cohesive, those groups that were prone to groupthink…

Leadership

In considering leadership, Curtis (1995) suggests a number of optimal characteristics that are desirable in any group setup, whether formal or informal. An effective leader has certain responsibilities and concomitant traits that are important in performing his or her duties. Responsibilities for example include honesty, establishing trust, being a role model, adaptability, decision-making, motivation, and being sensitive to the needs of other group members. In leading a group, meeting these responsibilities can be summarized into two main functions that the leader has to accomplish: helping the group to work towards accomplishing the tasks and goals of the group, and the maintenance and development of relationships within the group to optimize the completion of tasks within the group.

According to the author, the leader has to display strength in certain tasks and objectives. He or she for example needs to both give and seek opinions. As a leader, giving opinions, facts, suggestions…

Group dynamics in such an environment produce psychological and energy changes "fuelled by the underlying forces of motivation and anxiety"(Tyson, p.47).
Stacey (1998) maintains that study of group dynamics in an educational setting is important because group interaction is seen as a "interaction is a "critical variable in learning and cognitive development" (1990 p.43 in Stacey, 1998, p.77) specifically in the "socio-emotional variables of group interaction, including motivation, satisfaction and anxiety reduction that are important in effective learning" (Stacey, 1998, p. 77). Group dynamics is thus a 'critical variable' whose effect on learning "cannot be ignored" (Stacey, 1998, p.40).

In an educational setting, the leader plays an important role especially at the beginning of the session when every member in the classroom is unfamiliar with his environment and his peers. Bion (1961) concludes that initially a group may face three possible problems known as dependency, flee instinct and rescue. It means…

The social worker in group therapy has a responsibility to avoid personal bias and to enable others in the group to do the same and rather than being put off by differences among group members to respect and embrace those differences.
ibliography

Context, Engagement, Assessment, Intervention, Evaluation: The Heart of Social Work Practice -- Chapter 8, The Social Group Work Process. (2011) School of Social Work, Texas State University -- San Marcos, 2011. Retrieved from: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&ved=0CFIQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgato-docs.its.txstate.edu%2Fchp-school-of-social-work%2FAccredidation%2FSW-Version-pdf%2FVolume-1-SW-pdf%2F2-SW-Chapters-pdf%2F8-SW-Merged-social-work-processes-oct-29-5pm_edits_11-17-11%2F8%2520SW%2520Merged%2520social%2520work%2520processes%2520oct%252029%25205pm_edits_11.17.11.pdf&ei=KvfkUcP3EsSciALUl4GoCg&usg=AFQjCNFTmOSZznklN_N5jQCqj95og_5c3Q&sig2=u_IkfjwUfAAMER1zziJ6Qw&bvm=bv.48705608,d.cGE

Forsyth, DR (2006) Group Dynamics. 4th Ed. Retrieved from: http://www.cengagebrain.com.mx/content/forsyth68220_0534368220_02.01_chapter01.pdf

Forsyth, DR (2010) Group Dynamics. 5th Ed. Retrieved from: http://pldimitrov.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/group_dynamics.pdf

NASW Standards for Clinical Social Work in Social Work practice (2005) National Association of Social Workers. Retrieved from: http://www.socialworkers.org/practice/standards/naswclinicalswstandards.pdf

Rengasamy, S. (nd) Social Group Work. Student's Guide. Retrieved from: http://www.slideshare.net/srengasamy/understanding-social-group-work

In one of the scenes Constance tells Alice that she knows she will die before very long and would much rather die in the country because she has found a bit of happiness there. Alice informs Constance that she certainly isn't thinking of dying but is heading off to go fishing leaving Constance to her crying along. Another leader exists in the form of Winnie Holden who is the group's initiator and leader in the fitness and dance class in the kitchen of the old cottage.
Sher (2005) states in the review of the film published in the Canadian Filmwriters Journal (2005):

'Cissy Meddings is an elf-like woman with an irresistible smile and disposition with no hint of the stroke that had left her bed-ridden. Beth Webber is all British reserve, better dressed for high tea than a hike." (Sher, 2005)

Summary

Alice is strong where Constance is weak and the same can…

This can be a challenging process and it is not always apparent what is the norm and what is offensive in some cultures. Furthermore, the counselor will also have to ensure that the group respects the diversity that it has within it and therefore there may have to be an educational component to teach the group what will and will not be tolerated in regards to diversity.
Conclusion

Ethics are a complex issue to study and this is a primary reason why a professional code of conduct is establish and is meant to be followed. Although it is definitely good for a counselor to have a background in ethical training, it is not entirely necessary if they adhere to their professional guidelines. A basic overview of some of the ethical systems was provided for illustration purposes and to show the complexity within the discipline. However, most people have a sort of…

Assessment of participants in this study will include assessment of the behavior of the participants as set out in the work in Tolman and Edleson, which specifies the improvements that should be present in an effective and successful domestic violence intervention treatment group study.
SUMMARY

ecause the Duluth model presents the opportunity for 'real' change in the lives of men who batter and as well in the lives of families in a process of restoration of the family, this study is important not only at the level of the family but is important for society as well. Children and women who are from broken homes that have been broken due to unresolved domestic abuse more times than not live in poverty however, the potential for family restoration through ending the cycle of domestic violence from male batterers offers new hope that will impact the community and the world around these individuals…

Leader-Member Exchange heory: Another Perspective on the Leadership Process. International Journal of Management, Business, and Administration, 1-5.
he LMX theory might be interesting to look into. he basic idea behind the leader-member exchange (LMX) theory is that leaders form two groups, an in-group and an out-group, of followers.

Naor, M., Linderman, K., & Schroeder, R. (2010). he globalization of operations in Eastern and Western countries: Unpacking the relationship between national and organizational culture and its impact on manufacturing performance. Journal of Operations Management, 194-205.

Another analysis on multicultural teams that focuses on differences that lie between Eastern and Western cultures will make the HR role even more dynamic and essential to the organization's success.

Bell, S., & Morse, S. (2013). An Approach to Comparing External and Internal Methods for Analyzing Group Dynamic. Group Dynamics: heory, Research, and Practice.

his study presents the results of a statistical analysis comparing 2 different approaches to assessing group…

Air Force: Group Dynamics
The Air Force refers to the division of the United States Army which uses its power in aviation technology to protect the nation at large.

Stages of Development

The history of the United States Air Force is a truly lengthy one, as the division of the military is over one hundred years old. The beginnings were modest and difficult. "On August 1, 1907, the U.S. Army Signal Corps formed an Aeronautical Division. This action came only three-and-a-half years after the Wright brothers flew the world's first powered airplane at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. At first, however, the Aeronautical Division was mainly interested in balloons and dirigibles instead of heavier-than-air flying machines" (airforce.com/history). It wasn't until 1909 that the first plane flew within the air force, with the first Aero Squadron being formed in 1913; the following year the army created the aviation section of the signal corps as a…

group dynamics/Group interaction.
It is a norm where candidates apply for jobs and switch jobs if they happen to stumble over a good opportunity. Similarly, a candidate applied for a Sales Manager position in a reputed International firm. The candidate worked in the designated post as a Sales manager for 2 years until the candidate happens to receive a better opportunity with good pay package in another company. Erratically, the candidate faced paradigm shift of the new society. This is a normal, norm. Every company has their own culture, rules and regulations. Only what is noted here is that the candidate was unable to raise the anticipated revenue for the fellowship which the candidate was earlier generating. The candidate faced flak of motivation and felt regret of switching the job (Certo and Certo, 2008).

Withal, it is observed that a good pay packet is constantly employed in head hunting by company's…

Lord of the Flies and Group Dynamics
In the movie Lord of the Flies, a group of very young and adolescent boys are forced to fend for themselves without adult supervision after becoming stranded on an island. The various reactions depicted in the movie highlight the destructive effects an intense group dynamics can have on individual psychology and behavior.

In one of the early study of child psychoanalysis, Melanie Klein (1984) proposed that even infants have an innate aggression, and live psychic lives dominated by sadistic fantasies. However, as they grow up, most children move beyond this "paranoid-schizoid position" into a "depressive position." According to her, the paranoid-schizoid and the depressive positions fight for dominance throughout an individual's lives.

In the depressive position, however, a person learns how to work with a group. In a well-ordered group, Klein further theorized, individuals who have moved into the depressive state learn how to tolerate and…

The legal team is also putting pressure on everyone now that that they have the Metric Streams report. hile the Metric Streams audit has added pressure at this moment in the firm's history, it will also in the long run greatly aid our PATRIOT Act compliance by taking a lot of the guess work out of the mix.
Based upon the report from Metric Streams, as well as legal team and top management directives to lower level management, new leadership for the team has recently been appointed. Roles have been reassigned and we have a number of team building "release sessions" where members can express their frustrations during this period. Based upon Blair, the criticism will be required to be neutral, constructive and as friendly as possible while realistic (Blair). This will hopefully discourage personal oppression since team members will have it explained to them that the people in leadership…

Organizational Behavior
An Examination of Group Dynamics

Group work is often times the most honest and productive type of work because of the challenges, the exchange of ideas and the creativity-promoting environment it inherently contains. Group work, however, is most productive when group dynamics function smoothly. It is for this reason that organizational behavior is important to study in order to see what, in fact, achieves the kind of productive behavior expected of good group dynamics. The paragraphs below will describe both theory and give practical examples of a selected group that can demonstrate the kinds of structures and dynamics that are most useful.

The group selected for these purposes is one that deals with customer service requests at a said company, the name of which is withheld in this examination for privacy purposes. This group's sole purpose is to ensure the complete satisfaction of customers who either call or e-mail with questions…

Passing to a deeper analysis (made through a cognitive and not behavioural perpective), the terms of value and expectancy can be replaced with the ones of "amount" and "rate." The cognitive approach underlines the fact that the importance of the variables mentioned above is not the same. Their impact varies from individual to individual and it is extremely difficult to accurately measure the personal value attributed to the elements under debate.

Amount is what the cognitive approach describes as the "perceived attractiveness or aversiveness of the outcome. Similarly, rate refers to the frequency that actions lead to rewards or, alternatively, the probability of acquiring the expected outcome" (Steel, Konig, 2006).

y establishing a relation of synonymy between amount and value as well as between rate and expectancy, the resulting equation moves the expectancy theory towards picoeconomics. Picoeconomics is a theory according to which people, when choosing from a multitude of actions with…

According to the Tuckman model of group dynamics, the initial conciliatory relationships that characterize the formation stage quickly give way to the storming stage in which individuals come into direct conflict with others over operational decisions or task delegations. In some cases, conflicts are resolved by the group but just as often they are merely dealt with superficially and persist at various levels below the surface. In addition to the expression of honest opinions and individual differences, the storming stage also represents the transition to operational tasks normally suspended during the formation stage (Aronson, Wilson, and Akert 2003; Blair 2003).

The third stage of group evolution described by Tuckman is norming, which he characterizes as the resolution of conflicts and the normalization of operational issues identified in the storming stage of group evolution. This stage includes the establishment of rules of engagement or standard operating procedures that incorporate the compromises and…

Sports Performance Psychology: Group Dynamics
It is often said that there is no 'I' in team. One of the challenges as well as one of the rewards of team sports is that it is essential that all participants are able to function effectively as a unit to shine (Horn 2008). Unfortunately, high school teams are often made up of players with very different ability levels. If one student is innately gifted athletically, this can lead to arrogant behavior on the court, such as a refusal to pass the ball when necessary to team members during a game, unwillingness to go to practice (or to participate in the less 'fun' aspects of practice, such as drills), and a general bad attitude. The problem regarding the group dynamics of one high school basketball team was as follows: one player was much better than the other players and could 'get away' with minimal practice…

The talker may react as he or she does because of nervousness, a lack of self-awareness, or out of a desire to show off (Jacobs 2012: 377). To restrain a chronic talker, a leader can stress that he or she wants everyone to respond to a particular question or specifically ask members of the group to respond who have not yet spoken (Jacobs 2012: 377). Leaders can also provide individualized feedback in a written form so as not to embarrass a 'nervous' chronic talker and to enable him or her to become more self-aware.
The 'dominator' type likes to control the group not only by speaking a great deal but also with the force and vehemence of his communication. He may try to take control of the group session. The best way for a facilitator to use the dominator is to give him a role as a 'helper' or some…

placement of children and youth within residential group treatment programs group treatment will be reviewed. As will be reflected within the literature review, while there has been little direct attention focused on the use of groups and group treatment within residential placement settings for children and adolescents, there are a number of factors associated with residential placement that may be significant and meaningful to future efforts to further examine group treatment, group dynamics and group living experiences within residential programs. Initially, an overview will be provided of current information available on the use of residential placement as a treatment modality for meeting the service needs of children and adolescents. This will be followed by a discussion of current perceptions regarding residential placement and the problems associated with it. Finally, an overview will be provided of ongoing policy, practice and research issues associated with residential group care.
Overview of the Current…

Yet the film ends on an optimistic, even triumphant note, with the raised hand of Bender symbolizing victory over the stereotypes subject to which the characters began the film.
Conclusion

The film "The Breakfast Club" contains myriad examples of group dynamics at play. Doing a close reading of the film was valuable in that it provided insight into how narratives can be shaped by psychological principles. In dissecting the actions of the film's principal characters, it became apparent that the filmmakers were not simply trying to create a plotline that would entertain a mass audience. The film also integrates psychological inquiry into its teenaged protagonists. Each character is given a back story which motivates his or her behavior and later undergoes a realization of his or her flaws in order to make a change. The film goes beyond just a high school narrative; it is about how to break free from…

Group Dynamics in Physical Activity Promotion, by Estabrooks, Harden and Burke (2012). This article looks at the influence that group dynamics has in getting people to engage in more physical activity. The promotion of physical activity is an important area of sports leadership, in particular among children, so understanding the processes by which greater levels of physical activity can be encouraged in important.
The authors found that there are no known causal mechanisms for what sorts of group dynamics encourage physical activity. They did find that there is sufficient evidence to suggest that the promotion of greater levels of physical activity tends to result in greater levels of physical activity. Different approaches were taken, and worked, with the result being that they conclude group dynamics can influence the levels of physical activity in a population, but that there is insufficient knowledge base with respect to how group dynamics influence the…

Groups for Relationship Issues
Support groups do what their title implies that they do -- they provide emotional, psychological and community support for individuals that are struggling with problems. This paper discusses support groups that exist to help people resolve romantic and other relationship issues that can stand in the way of a normal, peaceful existence. This paper delves into several kinds of support groups that deal with relationship issues, and discusses the potential solutions that different support groups offer to troubled participants.

hat are Support Groups? hat do Support Groups actually do?

Generally speaking, support groups for relationship problems or other issues provide a mechanism that offers some kind of therapy in response to "...the needs of people dealing with stress caused by life transitions, crises, or chronic conditions" (Fagan, et al., 1996). There has been a "proliferation of support groups in recent years," Fagan writes, which is a reflection of…

ise and Fall of Peoples Temple From a Group Dynamics Perspective
The paper will cover the concept of group dynamics by analyzing power, status, role, and authority with an aim to establish what was actually happening to the individuals who joined the Peoples Temple. Following Jim Jones as their leader will also be analyzed in an attempt to understand why they were willing to follow him to the grave. This paper will attempt to answer the question that most people have when they hear or remember the events that took place in Guyana. This topic is vital because it allows us to have a concrete understanding of how groups form, and how they are influenced, which would explain some of the events that have taken place in the past relating to groups and their followers.

The Peoples Temple was a religious movement that was founded by Jim Jones in 1955 in…

Strengthening Others for Team Excellence
For a team to be successful in their activities, they need a strong leader who will bring the team together by ensuring the team members trust each other and look forward to achieving the goal of the team. According to Northouse (2012), the team leader is important and should exhibit traits such as intelligence, confidence, integrity, and determination. Kouzes and Posner (2012) also suggest similar qualities stating that the leader should be honest, inspiring, competent, and forward-looking. These scholars present different views of groups and teams dynamic, which form the subject matter of this paper.

Group dynamics and cohesiveness

According to Northouse (2012), a group's cohesiveness is promoted by the leader's qualities. The leader should be intelligent, as seen in their communication and problem-solving skills, excellent as seen in their synergy with the team and determined. Kouzes and Posner (2012) define competence as the most important trait to…

The AA also provides a strong network of relationships that is important for the recovery and support process as pointed out by Khantzian & Mack, (1994, pp.348).
The steps are important since they assist the alcoholics in becoming patient. They also admit that they are reckless and out of control. They also give up the alcoholic struggle with self and the bottle in order to allow the higher power as well as assistance of other to emancipate them. In the recovery process, there are sponsors. A sponsor is an alcoholic who has fully recovered and the recovering alcoholic can reach them at any time.

Alcoholic Anonymous believes even the alcoholics are important help to others. The concept of AA is beneficial in getting rid of the incessant alienation as well as shame that the alcoholics feel. It then proceeds to instill a sense of hope, contact with other as well as…

Group Social Work: Nurturing Father's Program
The group investigated for this paper is the Nurturing Father's Program. I encountered the Nurturing Fathers Program while working for my state's child protective services division (DCFS). The NFP is an evidence-based, 13-week training course designed to teach parenting and nurturing skills to men. Each 2 1/2-hour class provides proven, effective skills for healthy family relationships and child development" (Nurturing Fathers, 2012). The goal of the program is to help men transform themselves into nurturing fathers by enabling cognitive, behavioral, and affective changes in the group participants. The NFP program has been used successfully in a wide variety of contexts, including, but not limited to schools, preschools, churches, government child-safety programs, and the military.

This particular NFP group meets at First Presbyterian Church, 270 Franklin Street, Quincy, MA on Tuesday evenings from 6:00pm to 8:30pm. There is no charge for participation, and group participants are given…

Group Motivation Inventory
Motivation can be defined as the various ways used to make people or a group of people to become more interested and committed to their work. Scholars' termed motivation to be more of sociological and psychological concept as it is relying on human behavior and how they relate to one another. Group motivation is an important aspect in group dynamics since most groups purely rely on motivation to be able to work together efficiently Xiangli, Solmon, Tao, & Ping, 2011.

Motivation can be derived from various things and because of that, each and every group member derive his/her motivation from different sources, which without their, existence results in differences in attitude and contribution levels to the group's projects or tasks. In the recent group motivation assessment, we carried out, I got to discover how I view group participation and some of the issues that affect both mine and other…

Group Behavoirs in Companies
Group Behaviors in Companies

There are so many different companies that have embraced executive coaching and mentoring as their principal way to support development creativities in hospital settings. However in today's corporate world these do not talk to the real-world, group dynamics that managers have to deal with. Behavior within a group in a hospital setting can be manipulated by group dynamics, interactions, group cohesiveness, the work environment, social influences, and leadership. This paper will explore each of these components of group behavior in the interior of an organization such as a hospital.

Defining Group Behaviors

Group Behavior can be described as, conditions that enable groups of people to have interaction rather it be large or small group settings. These individuals collaborating among each other may appear to coordinate their behavior by performing in a certain way that will bring them to a design that differs from what each person…

Group Dynamics
From the inception of the group at the beginning of the group work engagements, the team had little idea about the personalities of the members of the group, there was a lose relationship that was purely based on the issues to be discussed or the research to be conducted and each person went his way after that. This changed with time as the group members got more and more acquainted with each others' personality and there was more understanding that grew among the group members. This meant that the group members did not just talk about the real academic issue in the meetings but there was opening and closing issues and comments that had nothing to do with the matter being discussed. In the process, there grew several contentious sections of disagreements, discontent as well as too much unanimity on an issue that made it uncomfortable for the group…

GOUP LEADESHIP SKILLS refer to the ability of a leader to manage a group in a manner that ensures maximum cooperation between group members and helps each make significant contribution for the accomplishment of organizational goals and objectives. ecent studies in the field suggest that group leadership skills may differ from individual leadership but the essential core competencies probably remain the same. For this reason, let us first understand what leadership means and how crucial a role in plays in organizations today.
Fenton (1990) explains who a leader is: "Leaders stand out by being different. They question assumption and are suspicious of tradition. They seek out the truth and make decisions based on fact, not prejudice. They have a preference for innovation."

Leadership is therefore "an interactive process that influences, motivates, and elicits human potentialities in the pursuit of group goals or interests" (Sogunro, 1996, p. 31). The most damaging problem that…

The basic assumption of the question itself, namely that there is a best method for organizing a social system independent of the needs, resources, or purpose(s) of that social system, could certainly be debated, but as stated the question's importance largely speaks for itself.
The need to develop a better (or best) method of organizing social systems for the contemporary era can be seen from many different perspectives. The technological advances of the last century, and of the last two decades especially (namely with the rise of the Internet and cell phones, and their new combined form in the data phone) have drastically changes the way social systems come into existence and operate. Globalization also demands greater conscious attention be paid to the development of social systems; increasing environmental concerns, corporate ethics issues, increasing divorce rates, and a plethora of other prominent social issues each suggest that we are in…

The maintenance roles help to support the creative side, which is a task that can be high risk at times (Benne & Sheats, 1978). The work that the junior members do in providing support to the creatives while simultaneously challenging them to develop stronger ideas is one of the reasons that the shop's output is so highly regarded.

This group has a significant amount of trust. The different members have built this trust over the course of years and multiple projects. ith this trust, however, they are able to be stronger, in particular with task roles. Assumptions are challenged frequently, in particular with regards to the outcomes sought by the customers. The group views this is value added to the customer, by refining a vague customer concept into something that is actionable for the advertising firm.

The high level of trust that the group members have in one another allows for the…

With workplace tasks becoming increasingly complex, the significance of teamwork cannot be overemphasized. Teamwork often facilitates faster and more effective execution of tasks. Nonetheless, managing a group or team of people can be a challenging endeavor in large part due to conflicts and communication issues. Indeed, conflict, misunderstanding, and miscommunication can greatly affect team success and productivity (Bateman, Snell & Konopaske, 2016). With reference to Kolb's learning model, this paper describes my own experience with a team. Following a description of the experience, I reflect on the experience, interpret the experience at a deeper level and identify ways to respond to a similar experience in the future.
Concrete Experience

At my place of work, I was recently appointed as one of the members of a team aimed at investigating the potential of a certain product the organization wanted to venture into. More specifically, the responsibility of the team was to evaluate whether…

The study was performed on groups of White and South Asian students, and showed that cross-group friendships provided a platform for reducing out-group prejudice and perceived hostility among these groups.
A study by McGregor, Haji and Kang (2008) also reveal that in-group individuals who display a high Personal Need for Structure (PNS) tend to be inclined towards out-group derogation and hostility. The authors found that lowering PNS also lowers this inclination. Interestingly, this is not done by means of focusing upon the out-group, but rather upon in-group dynamics. This indicates that a positive in-group focus and stability lies at the root of the problem, rather than the perception of out-group hostility or the need to display such hostility towards out groups.

eferences

McGregor, Ian, Hagi, eeshma and Kan, So-Jin. (2008). Can in-group affirmation relieve out-group derogation? Journal of Experimental Psychology. Vol. 44, pp. 1395 -- 1401

Turner, hiannon N., Hewstone, Miles, and Voci,…

Individuals trust that agreement speaks something relating to the fact. Complying with the group norms hence fulfils our requirement relating to mastery. When individuals privately, show their compliance since they trust group norms represent fact, the group has the impact of information. At the time when the chances are high, individuals are more inspired to take correct decisions, and hence correspond even strongly. Going away from the agreement weaken the impact of the group. Additionally, it weakens confidence, and hence we could feel perplexed, apprehensive and ambiguous. (Smith; Mackie 315-319).
Norms accord us the feelings of linkage since compliance to group principles lead to achieving a positive as well as principled social identity and getting respect from the members of the other group. Compliance as such gives rise to encountering a view of belonging, and it indicates assurance to members of other groups. A group has positive impact at the…

All of the above roles are positive influences on the group. Each is necessary in providing or prompting information, utilizing that information, and allowing for the free and equal flow of that information. Effective leadership in a group dynamic means ensuring that all of these roles are being met; if this is the case, little overt leadership should be required to maintain an effectively functioning group. There are also, however, several self-centered roles that disrupt the group dynamic and can lead to negative group performances and experiences.

Self-centered roles attempt to attract attention to themselves, and this away from the group task. Aggressors do this by belittling others and their issues, or blaming others for their mistakes; calm confrontation is often the only way to make aggressors aware of their behavior and its damages. Jokers quite obviously make jokes of things, not with the intent of relieving tension but rather of…

Different demographic groups also feel differently about the demographics of a group, and racial and gender differences can cause reduced efficacy for some individuals. Group size must also be considered.
Group cohesiveness is also another important factor in measuring group efficacy, though some cohesion can be detrimental to the group's purpose. The cohesive elements must support the group's states and intended purpose to be effective. Group development can also be studied; this perspective treats the group as an individual entity that changes over time, hopefully for the better. This concept is most useful to practitioners as a way of organizing the individual members of the group as far as their goals are concerned, and to draw their attention to the dynamics of the group, especially during times of group change.

Though empirical evidence is still difficult to come by when addressing group development, there is a general consensus in the literature…

" (Unknown, Culture at ork) and finally, avoidance is the final stage of conflict resolution and is best used when issues are unimportant or conflict doesn't involve some other party.
Summary

Technology, global demand and consumerism have all contributed to the need for the majority of both private and public organizations in their quest to grow. Employees are expected to increase productivity but with fewer of their peers from a few years ago to assist them. These developments and expectations of constant change disrupt work environments and therefore cause deep conflicts. One outlet for many is to strike out as opposed to try for stress and conflict relief. Ever since Volvo made the team concept famous the world of manufacturing retail and more have all initiated, many organizations have naturally migrated to that particular business model and new concepts such as just-in-time inventory has taken the team concept even further. Now whole…

Groups
The first thing that Christine should have done is formed a personal relationship with each member of the group; it would not have to be anything real formal, instead it could be something as simple as have a 15-minute conversation with each member. During this initial forming stage group members usually are looking to know that the group is safe; it's obvious to see that Mike does not feel safe within the group, nor does he feel that the group members are being upfront with him. Mike believes that the group is excluding him, and that they are doing so primarily because he is different than they are. One recent study determined that "there is growing evidence that the existence of shared mental models (SMM's) among the members of a work team has a great impact on team processes and task effectiveness" (Jo, 2012, p. 290). Christine could have assisted…

Group Dynamics and Teams Introduction
This paper examines an experience I had in a group dynamic that did not go well. The group was tasked with a rush project and the members of the group were not prepared professionally or personally to meet the demand. The result was a complete failure, but looking back on it I can see why it failed. This paper will describe the experience, discuss it from multiple points of view, and show what could be done to turn a similar situation into a success the next time around.
Concrete Experience
We were a team of five: Paul was the group leader; Bishop was from sales; I was heading the social media team; Carlos was from product development; Dodd was from HR; and Michelle was from PR. Each of us had worked together in the past, so we were familiar with one another; however, on this occasion we were meeting…

57). Although both teams and work groups are similar, there are some instances in which one is better suited than the other, and these issues are discussed further below.
6.

elative effectiveness of work groups compared to teams.

While some authorities suggest that team and work groups share a sufficient number of commonalities to make them indistinguishable, there are some situations in which work groups may be more effective if they are defined within certain categories (Biech, 2001). In this regard, Lewis (2001) reports that a useful definition of team is "a group of people who work together to achieve a common goal. Unless they collaborate and cooperate with each other, they cannot achieve the goal because it is too big for any one of them to accomplish individually" (p. 410). Although this general definition could well fit most work groups as well, there are some distinguishing characteristics involved. According to Kristof…

One theory holds that a variety of sociometric techniques will bring relations into view, structure, them, and use sociometrty to measure and diagnose the peer relations, friendships, and social status of individuals within the classroom. Once this data is recovered, using the proper template, an aggressive management of group dynamics may occur -- more powerfully in the younger years where authority and time are more conducive, but still powerful in the secondary classroom (Sherman, 2002; Harris, 1998).
In the primary grades, the instructor can often create and manage the group -- size, composition, stabliity, etc. For maximum effect on certain projects. This allows students to both learn and teach, but the instructor to manage the inner dynamics in a proactive manner (Baines, Kutnick and Blatchford, 2009). In fact, one of the great pedagogical challenges that, if done correctly, meets a number of classroom goals is the ability to create high…

KAPesources Consulting Firm
Case Overview

KAPesources Consulting Firm, a Human esources consulting company, has recently made the decision to expand its operations internationally. This expansion has been identified to require twenty-five families to relocate from the domestic headquarters to offices in Spain and Hong Kong. The plan is to also hire an additional fifty employees from the local international regions to support the company's growth plan. It has been identified that the transition for the families to the overseas locations could be a critical success factor and it is commonly known that many families have trouble during an extended overseas assignment.

Not only will the new cultures require significant amounts of adaptation from the employees and their families, but the employees' new roles in the international markets will also require new skills and new perspectives. This analysis will focus on the company's task force who has been asked to make recommendations about the…

Otherwise, you face rejection, and in some cases even murder or other violence. This indicates the great influence groups can have over our minds and our actions, and indicates how whole groups of people can get swept up into a movement like Nazism, where Hitler created a "master race" that was better than everyone else and wanted to exterminate others from the earth. That's a good example of a very frightening and influential primary group (the German people, which seems like a secondary group, but they had nationalistic pride that brought them together as a "family").
In an article, sociologist Gil Friedman talks about much the same group dynamics in our own nationalism and patriotic pride after the events of Sept. 11, 2001. He notes that leaders can use rallying tactics to "mobilize the public through patriotic appeals" (Friedman, 2006). This is exactly what Hitler did when he mobilized the…

Progress eport #3Summarize your activities since the last progress reportPersonally, I have enhanced my awareness of the various differences that exist between cultures. This I have accomplished through the establishment of friendly relations with students from diverse cultures in my class. The team has familiarized itself further with group dynamics including, but not limited to, the characteristics and behavioral patterns of groups.Critique the team\\\'s effectiveness in relation to Shulman\\\'s discussion about groupsI would say that the team has been relatively effective. In essence, Shulman (2010) points out that in a group setting, people form mutually beneficial relations to solve problems. To a large extent, the group has accomplished some goals due to the said mutually beneficial relationship existing between members. The fear of groups syndrome has however been visible in some instances especially when some members fail to make contributions or fail to defend their contributions effectively in the…

Westaby, J.D., Pfaff, D.L. & Redding, N. (2014). Psychology and social networks. American Psychologist 69(3): 269-284. Westaby, Pfaff & Redding (2014) attempt to fill a gap in the literature on social networks by focusing on how social networks influence goal striving via emotional pathways. The authors base their research on dynamic network theory, and the results can be applied to numerous practical or clinical settings including organizational-industrial behavior or even information science. The dynamic network theory orientation also sheds light on numerous types of social networks and organizations, illuminating both individual and collective behavior. Although not an experimental research or a meta-analysis, the study does direct psychologists and researchers toward potentially fruitful areas of investigation.
The authors explain dynamic network theory in depth, centering their attention on the importance of emotional responses in social networks, and then outline the most important roles social networks fulfill in human behavior. Dynamic network theory posits…

Group Dynamics
In the lifetime of an individual student in any learning institution, he is bound to work within a setting that brings him together with other students with a common goal to be achieved collectively. Group work seems inevitable in many aspects of a student's life and our group discussed herein was one of the several groups that I have found myself in the course of my academic pursuit.

The group here was out to set a vacation for the group that had been working together on several assignments and it was agreed that it was in order to end the year by having a weekend vacation together. This was interesting since it presented a unique and somehow queer situation since the group had been working together on school and academic based assignments for quite sometime, but since it has never worked on the arrangement of a vacation, it seemed like…

Group Influence:
Groups or teams in a workplace play a crucial role in promoting and enhancing the ability of an organization or company to accomplish its desired objectives. In most cases, the groups are usually structured in different ways depending on various factors such as the number of people in the team, the established objectives, and the duration for the accomplishment of these objectives. Moreover, the structure and purpose of the team is influenced by the type of organization where they are formed i.e. either profit or non-profit organizations. An example of a departmental meeting at a workplace is the marketing team meeting at The TYPO3 Universe Company. The firm provides highly flexible, customizable, and scalable products for Web Content Management. The marketing team or group meeting is vital because of the significance of this department in promoting the firm's productivity.

Observation of the Marketing Team Meeting:

As previously mentioned, The TYPO3 Universe…

Individuals forging together as one is not so simple. There is often an overt or covert struggle for power amongst certain members, whilst others may assume differential roles such as those of loafer, of leader, of helper, or of needy person, and so forth. That this is so in this group too can be seen from the fact where Diana is quiet and needs to be drawn out, whilst Christine is serious and motivated, and Mike is the class clown. Some need to be drawn out, whilst others need to be gently suppressed. Understanding the different team persona and playing to them may have helped Christine build a more supportive workgroup.

art III. Retrospective Evaluation

Christine can take two particular steps. Dealing with the conflict as soon as possible is essential. She can have the major parities sit around the table and negotiate, or at least talk out their complaints. She may…

) to engage in online price discrimination (Ramasastry, 2005). For instance, Amazon has used dynamic price to offer discounts to customers comparing prices on a bargain hunter Web site and to offer special prices to first-time customers (Ramasastry, 2005). To date, online price discrimination based on information about individual customers has been limited primarily by consumer resistance to this practice. A University of Pennsylvania survey revealed that eighty-seven percent of people believed the practice should be illegal (Ramasastry, 2005).
ibliography

Allen, C. (2000, February 8). Dynamic pricing. http://www.clickz.com/showPage.html?page=820911

Ramasastry, a. (2005, June 24) Web site change prices based on customer's habits. CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/06/24/ramasastry.website.prices/index.html

Rincon, a. Definition of dynamic pricing. http://onlinebusiness.about.com/od/onlinebusinessglossary/g/dynamicpricing.htm

Weiss, R.M..and Mehrota, a.K (2001, Summer). Online dynamic pricing: Efficiency, equity and the future of e-commerce. Virginia Journal of Law and Technology. http://www.vjolt.net/vol6/issue2/v6i2-a11-Weiss.html#legality

Groups and Teams
In this text, I highlight the main differences between groups and teams. Also, I examine workplace diversity and its relevance in an organization. Further, I determine how diversity relates to workplace team dynamics.

Groups and Teams: Key Differences

It is important to note that although the terms teams and groups are in most cases used in the same context, they do not mean the same thing. When it comes to their definition, a work group according to Griffin and Moorhead (2011) "is two or more persons who interact with one another such that each person influences and is influenced by each other person." On the other hand, in the authors' opinion, "a team is a small number of people with complimentary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable" (Griffin and Moorhead, 2011). Apart from having distinct definitions, teams…

Zeff & Higby (2002) also point out that respect is a common feature enhancing communication within teams. Therefore, quiet members can be encouraged to participate more readily in the informal and supportive team environment than they might in a group environment.
A diverse workplace benefits especially well from teamwork because of the enhanced communication potential. Moreover, minority voices are more likely to be acknowledged within the respect-oriented setting of a team. The team has no choice but to work together to achieve goals meaningful to each individual. In the group, individuals only care about their own performance. The motivation to help others in the group is low, and the desire to seek help by expressing concerns is also low especially when some members of the group are domineering. Quiet members of a group will feel dominated by the more aggressive ones ("Teams & Groups" 1996). This is especially true when…

Group Process
Social workers deal with many different types of people in many different situations, but probably the most common interaction is with some type of group. The job of a social worker is to be an advocate for whomever the individual is working with and to find resources that the individual or group did not know existed. This work can either be difficult because the worker in question does not understand the dynamics involved in the work, or it can be made easy by focusing on the objectives of the particular assignment. When working with a group of people it is essential to remember what type of group it is, know the roles the different participants can take, and have the training required to adequately facilitate the group.

Understanding the type of group is the first step. The study guide (Maidment, 2010) lists the different types of groups that a social…

Next, the facilitator will pose an introductory question that will stimulate brainstorming by engaging students in the "why" of their involvement in the group (Bouassida et al., 2006). Next a transitory question will lead to examination of the problem at hand, where the members of the group attempt to answer key questions including (1) what is the foundation of the problem (2) what tools are available to solve the problem (3) what are the most probable outcomes of a problem given the information provided (Bouassida, et al., 2006).
ational/Outcome

Bouassida et al. (2006) provide the rationale for this protocol, suggesting it enables group members to participate in a manner that allows greater collaboration and verification of the results. This form of focus group enables each member to participate on an equivalent basis. The outcome will result in rapid resolution of complex problems including those presented in the future to students at…

Week 2 DQ 2 -- Diversity is having a team comprised of heterogeneous members -- in physical characteristics, education, experience, outlook and other facets of being. Diversity brings a number of viewpoints to the workplace. In addition, it helps the company to better understand its customers if the workforce reflects the customer base. By opening up more markets within the general populace, diversity can increase the potential value of a firm by increasing its potential revenue streams. There are a number of strategies to increase diversity, including targeting recruiting, building better networks in specific communities and establishing mentorship programs that can encourage members of different communities to apply at the firm by improving the firm's employer brand within those communities.

Week 3 DQ 1 -- I was engaged in a field operation and my team faced enemy fire. Keeping the team together under such an adverse circumstance was partly the result…

People function in work groups together much as they do in unified departments within an organization.
How does a group differ from a team?

On a true team the human parts of the group still retain their integrity as individuals, but become a part of a whole that is larger than their individual selves -- teams bring specialized skills or knowledge that are vital to larger organizational goals, like a baseball team is made up of a good pitcher and a hitter, fielders, etc., with the aim of winning a championship -- rather than just lots of great hitters.

How can a group become a high-performance team?

People must feel free to share their unique skills and ideas, so they can work together to solve problems and achieve common goals. High-performance teams listen as well as talk, are comfortable with reasonable disagreements, but keep task-focused so consensus ultimately occurs and the end of…

Groupthink can also influence the wider cultural context. Mullen, Calogero and Leader (2007) for example examined the phenomenon known as ethnonyms among different racial groups. Ethnonyms is a term referring to the designations that an in-group uses to distinguish itself from out-groups. These influence the groupthink dynamic, as it encourages homogeneous thinking and paradigms. Indeed, the authors found that intergroup hostility is directly related to these ethnonyms. The dangers of groupthink can therefore be avoided by encouraging diversity and critical thinking on the internal level.

eferences

Mullen, Brian, Calogero, achel M., Leader, Tirza I. (2007, Apr.). A social psychological study of ethnonyms: Cognitive representation of the in-group and intergroup hostility.

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Vol 92(4), pp. 612-630.

Sommers, Samuel . (2006, Apr.). On racial diversity and group decision making: Identifying multiple effects of racial composition on jury deliberations.

Journal of Personality and…