CLASS NOTES

CHAPTER 5: Becoming A Group

I. Case Study: The Man of La Mancha Cast and Crew

II. The Life Cycle of a Group

a. Life cycle defined—

III. Challenges in Group Development

a. A group’s major functions

i. Equilibrium problem:

IV. Social Tensions in Groups

a. Primary Tension defined:

b. Secondary Tension defined:

c. Tertiary Tension defined:

d. Managing tensions appropriately

i.

ii.

iii.

iv.

V. Phase Models in Group Development

a. Tuckman’s model of group development

b. Gersick’s model of punctuated equilibrium

i. Punctuated equilibrium:

VI. Group Socialization of Members

a. Group socialization defined—

b. States of group socialization:

i. Antecedent phase—

ii. Anticipatory phase—

iii. Encounter phase—

iv. Assimilation phase—

v. Exit phase—

VII. Group Roles

a. Types of Roles

i. Formal

ii. Informal

b. Role Functions in a Small Group

i. Role defined:

1. Task roles—

a. Initiating and orienting, information giving, information seeking, opinion giving, clarifying, elaborating, summarizing, consensus testing, recording, suggesting procedure

2. Maintenance Roles—

a. Establishing norms, supporting, harmonizing, tension relieving, dramatizing, showing solidarity

3. Individual Roles—

a. Withdrawing, blocking, status seeking and recognition seeking, playing, and acting helpless

c. The emergence of roles in a group

d. Managing group roles

VIII. Rules and Norms

a. Rules defined—

b. Norms defined—

c. Development of Group Norms

i. Primacy

ii. Explicit Statements

iii. Critical Events

iv. General culture

d. Enforcement of Group Norms

i. Deviant defined—

ii. How do you handle a deviant member?

1. Persuade to conform

2. Build solidarity

3. Ignore / Isolate the deviant

e. Changing a Group Norm

i. Summary

IX. Development of a Group’s Climate

a. Group climate defined:

i. Trust:

1. hidden agenda:

ii. Cohesiveness:

1. groupthink:

iii. Supportiveness:

X. Ethical Behavior during Group Formation

a. Supportive communication

b. No toleration of degrading communication

c. Encouragement of differences of thought

d. Members must be willing to express genuine thoughts