...GE347 Group dynamics are important to achieving a set of goals set forth by a group of individuals. Groups follow a course of cohesion and function. Research has been done to understand group dynamics. One of the most accepted models is that of Bruce Tuckman. His research shows groups follow a set path of Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing. The movie Apollo 13 gives several examples of Tuckman’s model. In this essay we will follow Jim Lovell and his steps in group dynamics through out the movie. When the movie begins you can see that there is a barbeque going on at Jim Lovell’s house. You could draw the conclusion that Jim has worked with the others before at some point. This is where the forming begins Jim invites other astronauts over to watch the first landing on the moon. All of these men have a common goal, which is going to the moon. This is also Jim’s interpersonal need to be around others who want to go to the moon as well. The next phase is the storming phase. We know that people don’t always get along in groups. One great example of this is when Jim, Fred and Ken are in the simulator running case scenarios. They are done with the last case scenario in the simulator Jim and Fred are ready to go home. Ken tells them that he wants to run it again. Jim and Fred think that they should go home and rest that they will have time another day to practice to get it perfect. Because of Jims individual goal, getting to the moon he gives into Ken’s request to do the...
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...Syllabus Page 1 of 6 GE347—Group Dynamics Note: The course syllabus describes how the course will be taught and how the materials and activities are planned. Please print the syllabus for your reference. Course Description In this course, students examine elements of successful teams and small decision-making groups. Emphasis is on communication, critical thinking and group process techniques. Quarter Credits 4 Instructional Contact Hours 40 Instructional Methods Prerequisite Courses Co-requisite Courses 40 hours theory 0 hour lab GE117 Composition I or equivalent None Objectives 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Explain the importance of group dynamics. Critique the performance of groups/teams in a variety of scenarios. Evaluate the use of problem-solving and decision-making techniques for virtual groups/teams. Apply theories of small group communication during small group activities. Apply ethical standards while participating in groups/teams. Apply critical-thinking and analysis skills to overcome obstacles and improvise solutions as a leader within small groups. 7. Use the ITT Tech Virtual Library for research and information necessary to complete assignments and projects. SCANS Objectives SCANS is an acronym for Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills. The committee, created by the National Secretary of Labor in the early 1990's, created a list of skills and competencies that the committee feels are necessary for employees to function in a high technology...
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...that this group is in the storming stage of group development. The text states that during the storming stage there is high emotion and tension among the group. The team also could have many changes during this stage. During this time there are membership expectations and obstacles that are standing in the way to complete them. The reason that they are at this stage of group development is because Christine is having difficulty getting the team together for meetings and there is tension among the group members. The group member Mike is never making the meetings and is allowing his personal life to effect the group. There are some characteristics of the norming stage because most members did complete their work, but the problem with Mike is affecting them to be completely in the norming stage. I believe that it is very important for Christine to understand the stages of group development. The stages give a clear picture of what they mean and the benefits that each stage has. She would better understand the stages and have a better understanding of how to get to each level if she knew more about them. Christine is being faced with some problems. The primary problem she is being faced with is that she is having difficulty getting the whole group to work together and understanding the importance of the group. The secondary problem is having Mike on the same page as the group and attending the meetings. Mike hasn’t attended the meetings and seems to be distant from the group. Christine...
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...Group Dynamics Most people within the organizations belong to some formal work group that establishes temporary or permanent groups to accomplish tasks and achievements. These groups consist of different people within the organization who work together to accomplish objectives of the company (Jex & Britt, 2008). It is important that there is an examination of the behavior of the groups so that a complete understanding of the behavior is obtained. There are many types of groups that people become a part of in their everyday life including family, community, church, and within their profession. Memberships to these groups are important because it plays an important role in their behaviors and attitudes. This paper will identify an organizational group of which I have been a part of and will give analysis of the group dynamics of my chosen group. As a part of the analysis the group will be described including the purpose, goals, and demographic nature such as gender, education, and so forth. The stages are development experienced by the group is described and the structure and effect of the structure on the effectiveness of the group is written to help readers understand the importance of the group. Explanation of the dynamics of group behavior within the group and analysis of the effect that group has on me concerning group polarization, conformity, and groupthink concepts. Counseling Department for Georgia Department of Corrections There are many reasons to why a...
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...Characteristic of a Successful Group In my opinion the most important characteristic of a successful group is the Information seeker. It asks for clarification, facts and current information about the group. An information seeker is a very important person in a group because it has the ability to clarify any arguments, ideas and opinions with ease. A very good example of clarification would be that a person in the group will come up with many brainstorming ideas and opinions and is the job of the information seeker to organize and clear every theme so everyone in the group can understand what the topic is being discussed. One of the main problems in a group is that many of the group members sometimes don’t understand the material that is being discussed and more often feel very lost in the process, the information seeker does notice these problems and minimizes it’s stated in the paragraph before, the information seeker gathers facts and current information and it makes it easier for everyone in the group to understand everything that is being discussed. The information seeker also wants to stay current on the topic so it also incorporates a lot of current events regarding the information given. It is very important for an information seeker to keep every opinion and facts in order so the group can get a better understating and keep good moral in the group. In conclusion I do believe that information seeker is the most important characteristic of a successful group for many reasons...
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...How to Run a Focus Group * What is a focus group? A focus group is a small and structured meeting of approximately 8 – 10 people. Discussion revolves around a set of pre-determined topics to give you a set of rich qualitative information. Although focus groups take a while to set up and require a budget to run, once done, they can prove an efficient way of getting detailed information on a subject. Expect a focus group to give you a range of views from your target audience, and to find out why people hold these views. A focus group can take place either before or after your event, depending on what you want to find out. For example, if you want to know what motivates your audience to attend an event you might choose to run a focus group before they have seen an event. However, if the information you need is about their opinions of the event itself, then you will obviously need to take them to see something first. * Preparing for Session Invite around 6 to 8 people to participate for a session to last for about an hour. Then, prepare an agenda including a list of the top-level issues to be tackled (if appropriate). Prepare an introduction script explaining the purpose of the day and how the day will be run. This can include issues of consent and fire regulations (if relevant). Be sure to always use a quiet room with few distractions and arrange people in a circle (possibly around a table). * Developing Questions When you go into the group, go in prepared. Don't...
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...Organizational Behavior Trends Abstract This group and team paper contains the essentials for the establishment of a high-performance team. First, the foundation of this paper consists of the explanation on how to become a high-performance team. Second, the definition and the impact of demographic characteristics and cultural diversity on group behavior are implemented in the paper. Description of how the affects of demographic characteristics and cultural diversity can enhance or divert high-performance. The five stages of group development such as forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning are explained in this group and team paper. Groups and Teams Paper A group of people can become a high-performance team by achieving accomplishments with self-gratification. These small groups of people may consist of diverse races, cultures, genders, ethics, religions, personality traits, and behaviors. Team members can successfully collaborate their skills to accomplish a common goal or task High-performance teams have core values; clear performance objectives; the right mix of skills; and diverse creativity (Hunt, J., Osborn, R., Schermerhorn, J., 2005). Open systems, group input factors, group dynamics, and inter-group dynamics are some sources that can help a group to become a high-performance team. These high-performance teams can achieve a more effective and efficient productivity when they collaborate in an open system. This system allows all members to...
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...Groups() - A group is defined as two or more individuals - Play an important roles in the lives. - Interacting and Interdependent, - Who have come together to achieve particular objectives. [pic] (Figure Shows Example of Groups, (Prof. Roger N. Nagel, Lehigh University, Pennsylvania, 2006)) - Members similar or dissimilar.(Huczynski, Buchanan, 2001) -Groups can be either formal or informal means: Formal: The deliberate and systematic grouping of people in an organization. What does an organization do? The total no. of people working in an organization is divided into smaller groups (teams or sections or departments)and each group is responsible for fulfilling a task which would ultimately contribute to fulfilling the organization’s goal. This increases the efficiency of the organization. Example :KCB: If we take KCB as an example, we all know that we have a larger goal of training students for the engineering profession. But within this larger goal, we want students to be trained for computer engg, electrical, mech, etc. So this larger goal is divided into departments (example computer department), which is a formal group in this larger organization. So, all the departments together achieve the goal of efficiently training the students for engineering purpose. Informal: The natural and spontaneous grouping of people whenever they work together over a period of time. Whenever people interact and work together over...
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...The Forgotten Member- A Case Report In Organizational Behavior, we define a team as a group of people brought together to use their complementary skills to achieve a common purpose for which they are collectively accountable. (Schermerhorn, 2010) Stages of group development Bruce Tuckman (1965) developed a 4-stage model of group development. They are 1. Forming: The group comes together and gets to initially know one other and form as a group. 2. Storming: A chaotic vying for leadership and trialing of group processes 3. Norming: Eventually agreement is reached on how the group operates 4. Performing: The group practices its craft and becomes effective in meeting its objectives. 5. Adjourning: The process of "unforming" the group, that is, letting go of the group structure and moving on. Part I: Group Development The Forgotten Member is a case study of a group of students who were assigned a project by their professor. In the case of Christine and her group which is composed of her classmates in accounting, their goal is to generate a well-written analysis in reviewing a 7-page case. This five member group is a dynamic bunch because of the mix of different personalities. Since there is diversity within the group, it cannot be prevented that a variety of perceptions and work attitudes affect the group processes and development. It also mentions different personality traits that a team coordinator has to encounter in a team to maintain a balance. It also outlines...
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...Alcoholics Anonymous Group Behavior Questions 1. Participation Patterns and Make-up of Group (5 Points) a) What is the makeup of group? (i. e. genders, age ranges of people present, ethnicity, races, smokers and/or non-smokers present, number of individuals attending, etc.) 1. The Majority of the members are male. There was a total attendance of 14 members. There were 2 females in the group and 2 other females who were accompanying their spouses as listeners. The majority of the group was Caucasian and there were also 3 Hispanic males and 1 Hispanic female. It seemed like almost everyone in the group was smoking throughout the meeting. b) Who does the talking in the group? (I.e. is it mostly the group leader; one particular group member; or other members?) 2. The group leader will initiate the meeting by reading about the group meeting and then will open the floor for anyone who would like to share about their day/week. In this session everyone who was a member spoke for a few minutes about their problems with alcohol. Only one group member declined to share. c) To whom do the group questions go to: the leader, the group itself, or individual members? 3. The questions were directed at the group and everyone gives their input or advice. d) Do group members who don’t talk much or participate, seem to be interested or not? If not, what do they do instead? 4. The one member who chose not to...
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...Tuckman’s Model of Group Development Forming: in which the group is just coming together. It is often characterized by shyness, uncertainty and diffidence among the members, although extravert members may rapidly assume some kind of leadership. Maintenance concerns predominate Storming: in which, having been established, there is a period of jockeying for position, authority and influence among the members. In classes, this is the period of "testing-out" the teacher. Disagreements appear or are manufactured and roles are eventually allocated. The initial leaders may not survive this period: it is the most uncomfortable phase of the group's life—a sort of group adolescence. Norming: having sorted out its internal structure, there is then the issue of what the group stands for. What kind of behavior and contribution is acceptable and what isn't? Members explore behind the power processes of storming and begin to form some idea of the group's identity: the "group in the mind". This is rarely done explicitly, of course, and it can readily slip back into Storming, Performing: after all that, the group can begin to get some work done, on the basis of a relatively stable structure. Adjourning: This is about completion and disengagement, both from the tasks and the group members. Individuals will be proud of having achieved much and glad to have been part of such an enjoyable group. They need to recognize what they've done, and consciously move on. Some describe...
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...Case 7: The Forgotten Group Member Paul Leach II Paul.leach@laverne.edu MGMT-591 Dr. Cindy Phan Christine Spencer, as Team Coordinator, needed to understand the stages of group development in order for the group assignment to run efficiently. Once the forming stage was underway, each member should have been interested in getting to know each other and discovering what is considered acceptable behavior, in determining the real task of the team, and in defining group rules. Christine was able to identify each of the member’s qualities, strengths and weaknesses during the first meeting. After this stage was completed, the group would enter the storming stage. In this stage, the member’s expectations should be clarified, and attention shifts toward obstacles standing in the way of team goal, such as team member’s non-participation. The group is on the verge of commencing the next stage, the norming stage, whereas the members feel a sense of closeness and a sense of harmony. However, Mike still had not joined in this sense of harmony and closeness. thus the group is still stuck in the storming stage. The primary problem is the lack of defined team goals and tasks. This is directly related to the lack of the leadership role of Christine. During the storming stage, Christine should have assigned specific tasks for each group member in order to keep the group organized and productive based upon the understanding she had of each member’s qualities. This also can be achieved...
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...Case Study: The Forgotten Group Member MGMT 591 – Leadership and Organizational Behavior Christopher Declerk 1/27/2013 Group Development 5 Stages of Group Development 1. Forming Stage: In the Forming stage, personal relations are characterized by dependence. Group members rely on safe, patterned behavior and look to the trainer for guidance and direction. Individual learners have a desire for acceptance by the group and a need to know that the group is safe. They set about gathering impressions and data about the similarities and differences among people in the group, and forming preferences. 2. Storming Stage: This stage is characterized by competition and conflict in personal relations. As the group members attempt to work together on the task, conflict inevitably results - healthy debate or slight disagreement. Individuals may need to adapt their feelings, ideas, attitudes, and beliefs to suit the group. 3. Norming Stage: In the norming stage, interpersonal relations are characterized by cohesion. Learners are engaged in active acknowledgment of others' contributions, community building and maintenance, and solving of group issues. Individuals will be willing to change their preconceived ideas or opinions on the basis of facts presented by others, and they actively ask questions of one another. 4. Performing Stage: The performing stage is not always reached by all groups, however if learners are able to get through this stage their capacity...
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...course Journal 1 I never thought I’d end up in group dynamics, but I decided to further educate myself in psychology. It’s my first week in and I’m having a blast learning all kinds of things about group formation and group decisions. I especially learned a lot from watching 12 Angry Men with my classmates. I loved this film because it identified almost all of the group roles in some way, so for me I really got a chunk of what group dynamics really is my very first day. I found group dynamics to be about a list of things, but more specifically to feel affection and be in control while in a group because most members of a group expect to be able to speak and be understood in discussions. The next day I was partnered with a group of individuals I didn’t really know at the time, but we were tasked with identifying the group roles of each jury member in 12 Angry Men. Anyway, I am very intuitive person and I felt I wasn’t getting enough recognition in my group the time. I wanted give a more in-depth opinion on the group roles we were discussing, but I guess my group was more focused on generalizing the group roles for each jury member. Although I didn’t get to fully express my opinion… but I rolled with it.All in All, it was great to have learned about group roles in my first week, I look forward to what I’m going to be learning next in this course. Later, Journal 2 After taking time to think about all the group situations I’ve ever dealt with in my life. I’ve decided...
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