Group Behavior & Individual Behavior

I. Group Behavior

A. Definition: A group is a collection of two or more people at a place with a common objective.

B. Types of People in a Group:

• Competitors: Individualistic outlook, self-focused.
• Cooperators: Cooperative approach.
• Equalizers: Treat everyone equally.

C. Characteristics of a Group:

• Collection of two or more individuals
• Frequency of interaction
• Collective identity
• Interdependencies

D. Tuckman & Robins' Group Development Process (5 Stages):

Stage	Description
Forming	Much uncertainty; structure and leadership undefined.
Storming	Intergroup conflict due to unclear rules and differing behaviors.
Norming	Normalization of behaviors; close relationships and cohesion develop.
Performing	Teamwork and task accomplishment; peak productivity.
Adjourning	Group disbands; members return to their departments; feedback and dispersal.

E. Types of Groups:

1. Formal Groups: Intentionally created; organizational members (and possibly external members); permanent or temporary.

* **Command Groups:** Permanent; managers/supervisors; regular meetings for organizational issues.
* **Task Groups:** Temporary; formed for a specific task; no hierarchical boundaries.
* **Committee Groups:** Set up for specific functions; temporary or permanent (e.g., parliamentary committees). Members can be internal or external.

2. Informal Groups: Automatically formed; fulfill social and psychological needs.

* **Friendship Groups:** Common views, similar thought processes, similar age.
* **Interest Groups:** Common interests (e.g., sports, music).
* **Reference Groups:** Similar characteristics, business qualifications.
* **Membership Groups:** Members subscribe to a group (e.g., gym membership).
* **Cliques:** Small groups (5-6 people) with shared interests; limited membership; can include external members; own social norms.

F. Differences between Formal & Informal Groups:

Feature	Formal Group	Informal Group
Formation	Consciously created	Automatic
Objective	Task completion	Fulfillment of social/psychological needs
Size	Larger	Smaller
Stability	Stable, permanent	Unstable, temporary
Communication	Horizontal & vertical	Grapevine pattern
Leadership	Formal, authority comes with the position	Informal, personal authority

G. Group Behavior: How a group with shared goals behaves. Influenced by:

• Group leadership
• Cohesion
• Motivation
• Group norms
• Individual roles
• Environmental factors
• Task types (additive, conjunctive, disjunctive)

II. Individual Behavior

A. Definition: Reaction and response of a person in a given environment. Determined by personality, experiences, and ideology.

B. Factors Influencing Individual Behavior:

• Personal Factors: Biographical characteristics (physical qualities, gender, marital status), learned characteristics (personality, perception, attitudes, values).
• Environmental Factors: Economic, social, cultural, political.
• Organizational Factors: Organizational structure, incentive schemes, leadership type, work-related behaviors.

C. Models of Individual Behavior:

• Rational/Economic Man: Motivated by monetary incentives.
• Social Man: Affected by social needs and norms.
• Organizational Man: Needs fulfilled through the organization; seeks organizational recognition.
• Self-Actualizing Man: Self-directed, self-controlled; moves from immaturity to maturity.
• Complex Man: Unstable behavior; different responses in similar situations.

III. Attitudes

A. Definition: Positive or negative evaluative statements about motives, people, or events. What we feel about a person, thing, or event.

B. Characteristics of Attitudes:

• Acquired (not innate)
• Has an object (person, thing, event)
• Influences behavior
• Relatively stable

C. Components of Attitudes:

• Cognitive: Knowledge and beliefs.
• Affective: Emotions and feelings.
• Behavioral: Actions towards people or objects.

D. Changing Attitudes: Providing new information, using fear/punishment, removing differences/conflicts, providing participation/problem-solving.

E. Components of Attitude Formation: Values, social learning, educational institutions, personal experience, organizational components, personality-related components.

IV. Values

A. Definition: Purpose of life and means of achieving that purpose. Judgmental elements.

B. Characteristics of Values:

• Central to a person's core
• Relatively permanent and resistant to change
• Provide standards of conduct and morality
• Transcend specific persons and places
• Part of culture; transferred across generations

C. Types of Values:

• Terminal Values (Values as an End): Final objectives in life (freedom, equality, self-respect, wisdom).
• Instrumental Values (Values as a Means): Used to achieve terminal values (polite, loving, obedient, responsible).

D. Factors Influencing Values: Family, social life, culture, life experiences, personal factors.

E. Importance of Values: Understanding worker attitudes and motivation; influencing managers' and workers' capabilities; affecting individual perception; impacting performance and job satisfaction.

V. Team Building

A. Definition: Transforming individual efforts into collective efforts to achieve shared responsibility and accountability, utilizing complementary skills, mutual trust, and interdependence.

B. Differences between Teams and Groups:

Feature	Team	Group
Size	Few members	Any size
Performance	Individual & collective	Only personal performance
Goal Setting	Interdependent	Set by managers
Accountability	Individual & collective	Only individual
Synergy	Positive	Negative
Membership	Complementary members	Random members; formal or informal groups

C. Team Building Process:

1. Define Objectives (clear, specific)
2. Select Members (qualified, efficient)
3. Design Activities (roles for goal achievement)
4. Identify Skills (training programs if necessary)
5. Monitor Team Efforts (supervise)
6. Evaluate Team Output (meet objectives?)

D. Essential Conditions for Effective Team Building: Supportive environment, necessary skills, clarity of roles, team objectives prioritized over personal objectives, suitable reward system.

E. Types of Teams:

• Problem-Solving Teams: 5-12 members from the same department; address problems like product quality, work efficiency, working conditions.
• Self-Managed Teams: Highly motivated; perform technical tasks; cooperate in management and leadership functions; set own goals; plan, control, and improve their work methods.
• Functional Teams: Divided based on function (finance, marketing, sales, etc.); managed by different leaders.