Group Dynamics

Types of Groups

Groups can be classified on the basis of purpose, extent of structuring, process of formation, and size of the group membership. Following are the most common type of groups:

1. Primary and Secondary groups

Primary Group

A small size group is called primary group. It is usually consisted of small number of people. Although there is no fixed number of members, but it requires a face-to face interaction. Thus a primary group is characterized by intimate, face-to-face association and cooperation. All primary groups are small groups, but not all small groups are primary groups. The peer group and family are primary groups. Primary groups have great impact on individual behavior.

Secondary Group

A secondary group is more formal, general and remote. The members of the secondary group may not have any interest in the problems and pleasures of others. The continuous interaction, intimacy, face-to-face interaction, cooperation and association of primary groups may not be found in secondary groups.

2. Membership and Reference Groups

Membership Group

A membership group is one to which an individual really belongs.

Reference Group

A reference group is one with which the individual identifies or to which he would like to belong. In fact an individual may be member of several groups at a time but he may not participate actively in all such groups. He would like to participate in that whose norms are more attractive and gratifying. The attractiveness of the reference group makes the norms of that group more attractive to the individual who aspires to it and its norms will, therefore, become more influential in determining behavior. The reference groups have been more relevance to organizational behavior.

3. Command and Task Groups

Command Group

A command group is determined by the organization chart. It is composed of the subordinates who report directly to a given manager. Examples of such group may be production manager and his subordinates in his department, a college principal and teachers and so on.

Task group

Task groups, also organizationally determined, represent those working together to complete a job task. However, a task group’s boundaries are not limited to its immediate hierarchial superior. It can cross command relationships. For example, if a college student is accused of a campus crime, it may require communication and coordination among the dean of academic affairs, the deam of students, the registrar, the director of security, and the student’s advisor. Such a formation would constitute a task group. It should be noted that all command groups are also task groups, but because task groups can cut across the organization, the reverse need not be true.

4. In-groups and Out-groups

In-groups

The in-group represents a clustering of individuals holding prevailing values in a society or atleast, having a dominant place in social functioning. It an be a majority numerically, or it may represent the power structure with its pattern of behavior considered desirable.

Out-groups

The outgroup is the conglomerate looked up as subordinate or marginal in the society. It is usually referred to as the minority group even though in certain instances, it may represent a numerical majority.

5. Formal and Informal Groups

Formal Groups

In formal groups, the behavior that one should engage in are stipulated by an directed toward organization goals. A group is formal when it is purposely designed to accomplish an organization objective or task. It is created via formal authority for some defined purpose.

Informal Groups

They develop naturally among the people of organisation’s persons without any support from the management if the organisation within which they operate. Common goals and interest which are shared by members keep them together even in normal setup. The common goals sought by members of an interest group may unite workers at many different organizational levels.

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