Today
in this time of Covid19 don’t be surprised to find yourself in a whatsaap group
that you don’t know how it was formed but you can guess who the administrators
are, or you see the administrators and you are like…who is that guy? Have I met
him? The big question now should be why do people form groups? These groups are
categorized in formal and informal.
A
formal group
This
usually that which is governed by the formal structure of the organization. It
may be a choir group, athletics group, and school band or student government.
In a workplace it may be a planning team.
The
informal group
This
one just happens. It can be defined as ever changing relationships and
interactions that can be found within the organization or institution or club,
but they are not formally put together by anybody.
I
guess by now you know why you are in the group you find yourself. You may be a
formal group or informal group, but the bigger question now should not be why
am I in that group, but what are you doing in that group. If you don’t know why
you are in a given group, better ojisort
mapema. People join groups to fulfill needs that can’t be fulfilled when
acting alone.
These
needs and fulfilment belong to these categories: affiliation, attraction,
activities, assistance, and proximity.
Affiliation: Everyone has a
basic need to be with other people and relates to them. Although some people seem
to need it more than others, all people have the need to belong. Why do you
think you find yourself often with a specific person for lunch, chat,
conversation, walks if not that…
Attraction: Normal humans
feel attracted to be who are like them, who are they, they would like to
become. Those who have attitudes, values, personalities and economic positions similar
to their own. In short they like to be near to people who are attractive by
these standards.
Activities: You are where
you are in a given group because of the activities of that group. It may be a
football club, chama group,
journalist club, lawyers group, prayer group the list is endless.
Assistance: Some people
join groups because of the help or assistance the group can give them in some
area of their lives. Joining a labour union could be an example for one’s work
life. Joining a group for personal assistance.
Proximity:
People whom you work and do things with together always go around how near that
person is, close ties with people they see frequently, attend class with, eat
with and so forth.
The
question is what makes a group? A group is defined as two or more people who:
I)
Interact
with other members on either individual or network basis
II)
Share
common goals
III)
Are
governed by unspoken or formal rules or norms as a system of attitude and
behaviour
IV)
Maintain
stable role relationships
V)
Form
subgroups through various network of attraction and rejection
Interaction:
That means that each member of the group interacts with every other members,
but you still work together as a network, with a leader (or leaders), trying
activities together. The group is small and easily known and everything is informal
compared by a large group that everything look and attract formality.
Shared goals:
Two
people in an informal group, the only shared goal might be good conversation
and friendship. Larger informal groups may have fun as their goal and larger
formal groups may have only one major goal in common. An unconscious goal that
is always present, though, fulfilling the need to belong. If any group formal
or informal has opposing goals within itself, the group will not be effective.
Unspoken or
Formal Rules and Norms:
If
any group is going to work effectively, it has to maintain some basic rules
upon which it has agreed. A norm is a standard of behaviour that is expected of
group members. One group norm said “working hard is bad” another “do not work
very hard because group will be unhappy with you”. Small groups often have
unspoken rules that aren’t brought up until someone breaks one of them. They
may evolve from shared values of norms.
Larger
and formal groups usually require rigid norms, although informal norms also
exist, even in the larger groups. The effectiveness of the group depend on each
member’s understanding and following the rules of behaviour. An effective group
will need ways of enforcing its rules and norms, as well as methods for members
to rejoin the group after an offense has been corrected.
Stable role
relationship:
Even
in a group of two, one member will usually be considered stronger one, the
source of emotional support, whereas the other will be a problem solver. For
example if a group is formed in the classroom for special class project, a
leader will always emerge within a shortest time. The leader is not the only
member with an identifiable role. Others soon become recognized for individual
contributions they can give to the group. It may include team problem solvers,
accountants and soothers of hurt feelings.
Subgroup:
When
a large group cannot meet growing group needs, a subgroup will often form.
Subgroups usually continue to interact with the larger group while maintaining an
identity of their own. In informal groups, the subgroups usually form because
of the growth of the larger group and this may be due to attraction and
rejection is constantly changing the formation, growth and segmentation of
groups.
©Don
J.B.Nyamunga - Kericho Kenya
BIBLIOGRAPHY REFERENCES
Irving,
L. Janis, Groupthink, 2nd ed., (New York: Houghton – Mifflin Company,
1982)
Jon
L. Pierce- John Newstrom, Leaders and
Leadership Process (McGraw- Hill Irwin, 2008) pp.158-160.
J.
Richard Hackman – Charles, G. Morris, “Improving Group Performance
Effectiveness” in Advances in Experimental
Social Psychology, ed., Leonard Berkowitz (New York: Academic Press, 1975)
P. 345.
Lowell,
H. Lamberton – Leslie Minor, 4th ed., Human Relations Strategies for Success, McGraw Hill Higher
Education, New York, 1995)
Myers
and Mayers, Dynamics of Human
Communications.
Robert
R. Blakes – Jane S. Mouton, “Don’t Let Group Norms Stifle Creativity” Personnel
62 (August 1985) pp. 28-33.
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