Man needs to communicate with his own kind. Most of us, sometimes unconsciously, actively seek interaction with other people. In many cases, our contacts with other people are short and insignificant. However, if two or more people spend enough time in close proximity to each other, they gradually become psychologically aware and mutually influence each other. The time required for such awareness, and the degree of awareness, depends very much on the situation and on the nature of the relationship of people.
The realization that others think of them and expect something from them causes people to change their behavior in some way, adapting or resisting the expectations of other people and thereby confirming the existence of social relationships. It is these processes that give rise to the emergence of stable groups of people.
Each of us belongs to many groups at the same time. We are members of several family groups: one's immediate family, families of grandparents, cousins, in-laws of the wife/husband, etc.
Most people also belong to several groups of friends - a circle of people who see each other fairly regularly. Some of the groups we interact with are short-lived and their mission is simple. When the goal of the group is achieved, or when the members of the group lose interest in it, the group breaks up. Other groups may exist for many years and have a significant impact on their members or even on the external environment.
According to Marvin Shaw, " Group - it is two or more persons who interact with each other in such a way that each person influences the others and is simultaneously influenced by other persons.
These are two or more individuals who come together to achieve certain goals, performing different duties, depending on each other, coordinating joint activities and considering themselves as part of a single whole.
Based on this definition, an organization of any size can be considered to consist of one or more groups. Management can create groups of its own accord when it makes horizontal divisions (divisions) and vertical divisions (management levels).
These groups created by the will of the leadership for the organization production process , are called formal groups. However small they may be, they are formal organizations whose The first function in relation to the organization as a whole is the performance of specific tasks and the achievement of certain goals.
Formal groups- groups created by decision of the management in the structure of the organization to perform certain tasks, their activities contribute to the achievement of the goals of the organization. They function in accordance with predetermined officially approved regulations, instructions, charters.
It is conditionally possible to formal groups can be divided into three types: management groups, production (working) groups and committees.
Leader's group (management team) consists of leader and his direct reports, which in turn can also be leaders(other divisions). CEO companies and directors of key areas- this is a typical command group.
The second type of formal group is working (target) group . It usually consists of people working together on the same task . Although they have have a common leader, these groups differ from command groups in that have much greater independence in planning and carrying out their work.
The third conditional type in our classification Committee - this is a group within an organization that is delegated authority to perform a task or set of tasks. Sometimes committees are called advice, target groups, commissions or commands. key difference - group decision-making and implementation of actions which distinguishes the committee from other organizational structures.
The effective management of each formal group within an organization is critical. These interdependent groups are the building blocks that form the organization as a whole system.
The formal organization is created by the will of the leadership. But once it is created, it also becomes social environment, where the rules of interaction between people are not formed according to the instructions of the leadership. From social relationships, many other associations are born - informal groups, which together represent an informal organization.
Due to the formal structure of the organization and its objectives, the same people usually come together every day, sometimes for many years. People who otherwise would hardly even meet are often forced to spend more time in each other's company than in their own. own family. Moreover, the nature of the tasks they solve in many cases makes them often communicate and interact with each other. The natural result of this intense social interaction is the spontaneous emergence of informal organizations.
informal groups do not have a legal status, but are characterized by an established system of interpersonal relations (friendship, sympathy, mutual understanding, trust). They are are not organizational structure, and arise as a result of people's need for social contacts.
informal groups are groups created by members of the organization in accordance with their mutual likes and dislikes, common interests, the same hobbies, habits for satisfaction social needs and communication of people.
informal groups subdivide on the interest groups and friendly .
Informal groups have something in common. What unites them with the formal:
- 1) they are practically organized in the same way as formal groups - they have hierarchy, leaders and tasks;
- 2) in spontaneously emerging groups there are also unwritten rules, called norms that serve the members of the organization standards of behavior. These norms supported by a system of rewards and sanctions.
difference thing is formal Group created according to a pre-planned plan, a informal is spontaneous response to unmet individual needs.
The most important reasons for joining the group are: sense of belonging, mutual assistance, mutual protection, close communication and interest.
- 1. Sense of belonging . Satisfying the need for this feeling is the very first reason for joining an informal group. Even before the Hawthorne experiments, E. Mayo discovered that people whose work does not make it possible to install and maintain social contacts tend to be dissatisfied.
- 2. Mutual Aid . AT ideal subordinates should be able to approach their immediate superiors without any hesitation for advice or to discuss their problems. If this does not happen, then the boss should carefully examine his relationship with his subordinates. In any case, right or wrong, many people believe that their boss in a formal organization will think badly of them if they ask him how they can do a certain job. In these and other situations, people often prefer to resort to the help of their colleagues. For example, a new worker in production is more likely to ask another worker to explain to him how to perform this or that operation. This leads to the fact that new workers also tend to participate in an already formed social group, where there are experienced workers. Receiving help from a colleague is beneficial to both: the one who received it and the one who provided it. As a result of helping, the one who gives it acquires prestige and self-respect, and the one who receives it acquires the necessary guidance for action.
- 3. Mutual protection . People have always known that strength is in unity. One of the primary reasons that prompted prehistoric people to unite in tribes was additional protection from hostile manifestations of their external environment. The perceived need for protection continues to be an important reason for people to join certain groups. Even today, members of informal grassroots groups protect each other from harmful rules.
- 4. close communication . People want to communicate and know what is happening around them, especially if it affects their work. However, in many formal groups, the system of internal contacts is rather weak, and sometimes management deliberately hides from their subordinates certain information. Therefore, one of important reasons belonging to an informal group is access to an informal channel of information - rumors.
- 5. Interest . People often join informal groups simply to be closer to those they like. For example, department clerks or engineers often work in large rooms where there are no partitions between desks. These people have a lot in common and like each other partly because they do similar jobs. So, they can go to lunch together, discuss their work and personal affairs during coffee breaks, or ask their bosses for a raise. wages and improving working conditions. At work, people tend to interact with those around them.
Informal groups have the following characteristics:
· social control. As the researchers note, informal organizations tend to exercise "social control" over their members. The first step towards this is the establishment and strengthening of norms - group standards of acceptable and unacceptable commands. In order to be accepted by the group and maintain its position in it, a person must comply with these norms. To reinforce these norms, fairly severe sanctions can be applied in the group, and those who violate them can face exclusion.
The social control exercised by the informal organization can influence and guide the achievement of the goals of the formal organization.
Discussing group norms, William Scott notes: "These norms may not fully correspond to the value system of a formal organization, so that a person may find himself in a situation where mutually exclusive requirements are presented to him";
- · resistance to change. People can also use the informal organization to discuss proposed or actual changes that may occur in their department or in the structure of the organization as a whole. In informal organizations, there is a tendency to resist change. Resistance will arise whenever members of a group see change as a threat to the continued existence of their group as such, their shared experience, social needs, shared interests, or positive emotions. This is due to the conservation law of the group;
- · informal leaders. Just like formal organizations, informal ones have their own leaders. They are essentially different only in that the leader of a formal organization has support in the form of official powers delegated to him and usually acts in a specific functional area assigned to him.
The support of the informal leader is the recognition of his group. In his actions, he relies on people and their relationships. The sphere of influence of an informal leader can go far beyond the administrative framework of a formal organization.
Significant factors that determine the possibility of becoming the leader of an informal organization include: age, position, professional competence, workplace location, freedom of movement working area and responsiveness. The exact characteristics are determined by the value system adopted in the group. And it is the values of the group, combined with how adequate the informal leader is to them, that largely determine the direction and pace of the group dynamics of the informal organization.
In this context, the informal leader has two primary functions: to help the group achieve its goals and to maintain and strengthen its existence. Sometimes these functions are consciously or unconsciously performed by different people.
The formal group is social group having a legal status, being part of social institution, an organization with the goal of achieving a certain result (products, services, etc.) within the framework of the division of labor in a given institution, organization. It is also important that a formal group is characterized by a certain hierarchical structure of subordination.In formal groups, functions, goals, rules of conduct, and even membership are fixed in normative documents, i.e. formalized. This helps to realize the main function of a formal group - to achieve high orderliness, planning and controllability of the actions of all members of the group in order to achieve the main goals of a social institution or organization.
Often such a group is formed and functions as an official part of a labor or public organization, and the direct basis of interpersonal contacts is Team work for the production of a particular product or the achievement of a particular goal. A formal group is an objective social formation, an element social structure society is also the family.
Due to the formalized nature of the relationship, a formal group can bring together a significant number of members. The structure, type of behavior and functions of such a group are determined by a higher level system, a larger group or society as a whole. If we take, for example, a production team, then its size, structure, functions, production task and leader (foreman) are strictly regulated by the rules of this production organization. Authority in such groups is determined not by personal qualities, but by the position of the individual.
An informal group is a social community that is formed on the basis of interpersonal relations and does not have an official, legally fixed, approved status.
The form of existence of informal groups can be different, they can function as relatively isolated, closed social communities(for example, a variety of informal youth groups, people randomly united to play volleyball on the beach, etc.) and can develop within official groups, be integral part an official group (for example, in a school class there are groupings consisting of close friends united by some common interest).
The main social mechanism leading to the formation and development of an informal group in the structure of official groups is self-organization. Over time, some self-organizing informal groups can receive official status, becoming, for example, public organizations, amateur groups, etc.
Sometimes joint activities may arise in an informal group, in which case it acquires some features of a formal group, certain, albeit short-term, roles and positions are distinguished in it (for example, a group of tourists going on a weekend hike).
Informal groups that have not received official status can be divided into friendly contact groups with a positive social orientation and groups whose goals and interests are at odds with the goals, norms and values of society. In this case, the task of the sociologist is to analyze the social orientation of the informal group and, on the basis of this, develop specific recommendations for stimulating social self-organization, which should ultimately lead to the emergence of an informal group with a positive social orientation. The structure of relationships in an informal group is studied using sociometry.
In official groups, a wide system of informal relations and informal groups is usually developed. This circumstance is very importance for the functioning of the official group, and even more so for production teams. Indeed, in an informal group, relationships are formed on the basis of emotional intimacy and mutual sympathy, and this leads to the creation of a favorable socio-psychological climate in the official group. In an official group, a work collective, there is a strict distribution of roles and relations between work colleagues, managers and subordinates, in contrast, in informal groups, members of the same team are still united by friendly feelings, mutual sympathy, and common interests.
The central place in the informal group is occupied by the leader, around whom the members of the group unite. And it often happens that if the head of the official group does not enjoy authority, then the leader of the informal group performs his functions.
The authority of the leader of any team depends not only on his business qualities and professional knowledge. In order to effectively manage the team, the leader must show interest in the informal relationships existing in the team, be aware of the likes and dislikes between team members and be able to resolve conflicts that arise in connection with this.
For the first time, the division of small groups into formal and informal was proposed by E. Mayo during his famous Hawthorne experiments. In 1928, E. Mayo was invited by the Western Electric Company to find out the reasons for the decrease in the productivity of relay assemblers, since studies conducted before him could not give a satisfactory explanation of the reasons. Altogether, the experiments at Hawthorne continued from 1924 to 1936. As a result of the experiments, E. Mayo concluded that there is an informal structure in the team along with the formal one, and also showed the importance of the informal structure of the team, the ability to use it as a factor influencing the team in the interests of the company.
Practice has shown that in reality it is very difficult to separate strictly formal groups and strictly informal groups, especially when informal groups arose within the framework of formal ones. Therefore, the classification of small groups into formal and informal cannot be considered rigorous, although the classification of group structures built on its basis is necessary and useful for developing ideas about the nature of groups [see: 9. p.197].
The concept of groups and their significance
Formal groups
informal groups
Characteristics
Interactions
Management methods
Consultations
The concept of the team
Social relations in the team
List of used literature
A person needs to communicate with his own kind and, apparently, receives joy from such communication. Most of us actively seek interaction with other people. In many cases, our contacts with other people are short and insignificant. However, if two or more people spend enough time in close proximity to each other, they gradually become psychologically aware of each other's existence. The time required for such awareness, and the degree of awareness, depends very much on the situation and on the nature of the relationship of people. However, the result of such awareness is almost always the same. The realization that others think of them and expect something from them causes people to change their behavior in some way, thereby confirming the existence of social relationships. When such a process occurs, a random gathering of people becomes a group.
The characteristic features of the group are the following:
1. Members of the group identify themselves and their actions with the group as a whole, and thus act as if on behalf of the group in external interactions. A person speaks not about himself, but about the group as a whole, using pronouns: we, ours, ours, us, etc. ;
2. Interaction between members of the group is in the nature of direct contacts, personal conversation, observation of each other's behavior, etc. In a group, people communicate directly with each other, giving formal interactions a “human” form;
3. In a group, along with the formal distribution of roles, if any, there is necessarily an informal distribution of roles, usually recognized by the group. Individual members of the group take on the role of generators of ideas, others tend to coordinate the efforts of group members, others take care of relationships in the group, of maintaining good climate in the team, the fourth ones make sure that there is order in the work, everything is done on time and brought to the end. There are people who act as structurizers - they set goals for the group, monitor the influence of the environment on the tasks solved by the group.
Formal groups
Formal groups are "legitimized" groups usually distinguished as structural units In the organisation. They have a formally appointed leader, a formally defined structure of roles, positions and positions within the group, as well as formally assigned functions and tasks.
In everyday speech, the word "formal" has a negative connotation, meaning not interested in the results, indifferent attitude to fulfillment official duties. Indeed, the abuse of formalities leads to various kinds of bureaucratic perversions. However, the formal has a number of advantages:
Makes the acquired knowledge and, based on it, advanced technologies and methods of work, common property;
Establishes uniform norms and rules for everyone, which excludes arbitrariness and contributes to the objectification of activities;
Provides "transparency" of the case for control and publicity for interaction with the public, which, of course, is important for the democratization of governance.
Thus, a formal group has the following features:
1. It is rational, i.e. it is based on the principle of expediency, conscious movement towards known target;
2. She is impersonal, i.e. It is designed for individuals, relations between which are established according to a compiled program.
In a formal group, only official connections between individuals are provided, and it is subject only to functional goals. The formal groups are:
A vertical (linear) organization that unites a number of bodies and departments in such a way that each of them is located between two others - higher and lower, and the leadership of each of the bodies and departments is concentrated in one person;
Functional organization, in accordance with which, management is distributed among a number of persons specializing in the performance of certain functions and works;
Staff organization, characterized by the presence of a staff of advisers, experts, assistants, not included in the vertical organization system.
Formal groups may be formed to perform a regular function, such as accounting, or they may be created to solve a specific task, such as a commission to develop a project.
informal groups
Informal groups arise as a result of the fundamental incompleteness of formal groups, since job descriptions it is simply impossible to foresee all possible situations that can happen, and it is simply impossible to formalize all subjective ideas as norms for regulation public relations possible only under totalitarian political regimes.
Informal groups are created not by executive orders and formal resolutions, but by members of the organization in accordance with their mutual sympathies, common interests, similar hobbies, habits, etc. These groups exist in all organizations, although they are not represented in the diagrams that reflect the structure of the organization, its structure.
Informal groups usually have their own unwritten rules and norms of behavior, people know well who is in their informal group and who is not. In informal groups, a certain distribution of roles and positions is formed. Usually these groups have an explicit or implicit leader. In many cases, informal groups can exert equal or even greater influence over their members than formal structures.
Informal groups are a spontaneously (spontaneously) established system social connections, norms, actions that are the product of more or less prolonged interpersonal communication.
The informal group manifests itself in two varieties:
1. It is a non-formal organization in which non-formalized service relations have a functional (production) content, and exist in parallel with the formal organization. For example, the optimal system of business connections that spontaneously develops between employees, some forms of rationalization and invention, methods of decision making, etc.
2. Represents a socio-psychological organization, acting in the form of interpersonal relationships that arise on the basis of the mutual interest of individuals in each other, without regard to functional needs, i.e. a direct, spontaneous community of people based on a personal choice of connections and associations between them, for example, companionship, amateur groups, relations of prestige, leadership, sympathy, etc.
The picture of an informal group is extremely varied and variable in the direction of interests, the nature of activity, and in terms of age and social composition. Depending on the ideological and moral orientation, style of behavior informal organizations can be classified into three groups:
1. Prosocial, i.e. socially positive groups. These are socio-political clubs of international friendship, funds for social initiatives, groups for environmental protection and the rescue of cultural monuments, club amateur associations, etc. They, as a rule, have a positive orientation;
2. Asocial, i.e. groups standing apart from social problems;
3. Antisocial. These groups are the most disadvantaged part of society, which causes anxiety in him. On the one hand, moral deafness, inability to understand others, a different point of view, on the other hand, often their own pain and suffering, which befell this category of people, contribute to the development of extreme views among its individual representatives.
4. Synthesis of formal and informal in the organization
Every real organization social system is always a combination of formal and informal elements, it seems to consist of two “halves”, the ratio between which is very mobile and depends on the degree of formalization or legal regulation in environment, the age of the organization itself, its culture and the style of business behavior followed by its management.
The role of groups in the process of functioning of the organization
The formal organization is created by the will of the leadership. But once it is created, it also becomes a social environment where people interact in ways that are not dictated by management. People from different subgroups socialize over coffee, during meetings, at lunch, and after work. From social relationships, many friendly groups, informal groups, are born, which together constitute an informal organization.
An informal organization is a spontaneously formed group of people who interact regularly to achieve a specific goal. As with formal organizations, these goals are the reason for the existence of such an informal organization. It is important to understand that in a large organization there is more than one informal organization. Most of them are loosely connected in a kind of network. Therefore, some authors believe that an informal organization is, in essence, a network of informal organizations. The working environment is especially favorable for the formation of such groups. Due to the formal structure of the organization and its objectives, the same people usually come together every day, sometimes for many years. People who otherwise would hardly even meet are often forced to spend more time in the company of their colleagues than in their own family. Moreover, the nature of the tasks they perform in many cases causes them to communicate and interact with each other frequently. Members of the same organization depend on each other in many respects. The natural result of this intense social interaction is the spontaneous emergence of informal organizations.
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So, there are two types of groups: formal and informal. These types of groups matter to the organization and have a great impact on the members of the organization.
Formal groups are groups created at the behest of management.
Allocate groups of leaders, working (target) groups and committees.
· The group of leaders consists of the leader and his immediate subordinates who are in the zone of his control (president and vice presidents).
· Working (target) group - employees working on the implementation of one task.
· Committee - a group within the organization, which is delegated authority to perform any task or set of tasks. Sometimes committees are called councils, commissions, task forces. Allocate permanent and special committees.
An informal group is a spontaneously formed group of people who interact regularly to achieve a specific goal. The reasons for joining are a sense of belonging, help, protection, communication.
Informal organizations exercise social control over their members. There are usually certain norms that each member of the group must comply with. In informal organizations, there is a tendency to resist change. Usually an informal organization is led by an informal leader. informal leader must help the group achieve its goals and keep it alive.
The same factors affect the effectiveness of the work of formal and informal groups:
1. Group size. As the group grows, communication between members becomes more difficult. In addition, informal groups with their own goals may arise within the group. In small groups (of 2 - 3 people) people feel personally responsible for making a certain decision. Think that optimal size groups of 5 - 11 people.
2. Composition (or the degree of similarity of personalities, points of view, approaches). It is believed that the most optimal solution can accept groups consisting of people who are in different positions (i.e. dissimilar people).
3. Group norms. A person who wants to be accepted by a group must comply with certain group norms. (Positive norms are norms that support behavior aimed at achieving goals. Negative norms are norms that encourage behavior that is not conducive to achieving goals, such as stealing, being late, absenteeism, drinking in the workplace, etc.).
4. Cohesion. It is considered as a measure of the attraction of group members to each other and to the group. High level group cohesion can improve the performance of the entire organization.
5. Group consensus. This is the tendency of an individual to suppress his views on some phenomenon in order not to disturb the harmony of the group.
6. Conflict. Differences in opinion increase the likelihood of conflict. The consequences of the conflict can be positive, as they allow you to identify different points vision (this leads to an increase in the effectiveness of the group). The negative consequences are to reduce the effectiveness of the group: a bad state of mind, a low degree of cooperation, a shift in emphasis (giving more attention to one's "winning" in the conflict, rather than solving the real problem).
7. Status of group members. It is determined by seniority in the job hierarchy, job title, education, experience, awareness, etc. Usually group members with high status have a greater influence on other members of the group. It is desirable that the opinion of high-status group members is not dominant in the group.
Formal groups are usually distinguished as structural divisions in an organization. They have a formally appointed leader, a formally defined structure of roles, positions and positions within the company, as well as functions and tasks formally assigned to them.
A formal group has the following features:
1. it is rational, i.e. it is based on the principle of expediency, conscious movement towards a known goal;
2. it is impersonal, i.e. It is designed for individuals, relations between which are established according to a compiled program.
In a formal group, only official connections between individuals are provided, and it is subject only to functional goals.
The formal groups are:
· A vertical organization that unites a number of bodies and a subdivision in such a way that each of them is located between the other two - higher and lower, and the leadership of each of the bodies and subdivisions is concentrated in one person.
· Functional organization, in accordance with which management is distributed among a number of persons specializing in the performance of certain functions and jobs.
· Staff organization, characterized by the presence of a staff of advisers, experts, assistants, not included in the vertical organization system.
Formal groups may be formed to perform a regular function, such as accounting, or they may be created to solve a specific task, such as a commission for the development of a project.
Informal groups are created not by orders of the organization's management and formal resolutions, but by members of this organization in accordance with their mutual sympathies, common interests, the same hobbies and habits. These groups exist in all companies, although they are not represented in the diagrams that reflect the structure of the organization, its structure.
Informal groups usually have their own unwritten rules and norms of behavior, people know well who is in their informal group and who is not. In informal groups, a certain distribution of roles and positions is formed. Usually these groups have an explicit or implicit leader. In many cases, informal groups can exert equal or even greater influence over their members than formal structures.
Informal groups are a spontaneously (spontaneously) established system of social ties, norms, actions that are the product of more or less long-term interpersonal communication.
Depending on the style of behavior, informal groups can be classified as follows:
Prosocial, i.e. socially positive groups. it socio-political clubs of international friendship, funds for social initiatives, groups for environmental protection and the rescue of cultural monuments, amateur club associations, etc. As a rule, they have a positive orientation.
· Asocial, i.e. groups standing apart from social problems.
· Antisocial. These groups are the most unfavorable part of society, causing him anxiety. On the one hand, moral deafness, inability to understand others, a different point of view, on the other hand, often their own pain and suffering that befell this category of people contribute to the development of extreme views among its individual representatives.
The life of the group, its functioning is influenced by three factors:
1. characteristics of group members;
2. structural characteristics of the group;
3. situational characteristics.
The characteristics of group members that affect its functioning include personal characteristics person, as well as abilities, education and life experience.
Structural characteristics of the group include:
communication in the group and norms of behavior (who communicates with whom and how);
status and roles (who takes what position in the group and what they do);
Personal likes and dislikes between group members (who likes whom and who dislikes whom);
strength and conformism (who influences whom, who is ready to listen and obey whom).
The first two structural characteristics relate more to the analysis of formal organization, the rest - to the question of informal groups.
There are several factors that influence the establishment of friendly relations between people:
1. Personal characteristics of the interacting. People love those who like the same phenomena, things, processes that they like, i.e. people love those who are similar to them, who are close to them in spirit, taste and preferences. People are attracted to those who have the same or close race, nationality, education, system of views on life, and so on. Potentially, people with similar personality characteristics are more likely to form friendships than those with significantly different personality characteristics.
2. The presence of territorial proximity in the location of these people. The closer the workplaces of group members are, the higher the likelihood that they will establish friendly relations. The same applies to the proximity of their places of residence.
3. The frequency of meetings, as well as the expectation that these meetings will occur often enough in the future.
4. How successful is the functioning of the group. In general, success leads to the development of positive attitudes among people towards each other to a greater extent than the unsuccessful functioning of the group.
5. The presence of one goal, which is subject to the actions of all members of the group. If group members are separated by solving individual problems, mutual sympathy and friendliness develop less often than if they work on solving a common problem for all.
6. Wide participation of all members of the group in decision making. The opportunity to influence group-wide processes stimulates the development of a positive perception of the team among group members.
The presence of sympathy in relations between people, the presence of friendly relations between members of the group has a huge impact on the mood of people, on their satisfaction with their work, their membership in the group. However, it cannot be unequivocally said that friendly relations between group members have only a positive impact on the results of work and the functioning of the organization as a whole. If people who experience friendships with each other are highly motivated to labor activity, then the presence of mutual sympathy and friendship contributes to a significant increase in the results of their work and thus positively affects the functioning of the group as a whole. If people are poorly motivated to work, then the result will be completely opposite. They will spend a lot of time in useless conversations, smoke breaks, tea parties, etc., constantly distracted from work, sharply reducing the effectiveness of their work. At the same time, they can distract others from the work, creating an atmosphere of idleness and relaxation.
The situational characteristics of the group depend little on the behavior of the members of the group and the group as a whole. These characteristics are related to its size and its spatial arrangement.
In small groups, it is more difficult to reach agreement, and a lot of time is spent on clarifying relationships and points of view. AT large groups there are difficulties in finding information, as members of the group usually behave more reservedly.
The spatial arrangement of group members has a noticeable effect on their behavior. Three important characteristics the spatial arrangement of the individual, on which the relationship between the individual and the group depends. First, it is the presence of a permanent or certain place or territory. The lack of clarity on this issue gives rise to many problems and conflicts in interpersonal relationships. Secondly, this is personal space, that is, the space in which the body is only this person. Spatial proximity in the placement of people can give rise to many problems. Thirdly, this mutual arrangement places. If a person takes workplace at the head of the table, then this in the eyes of the other members of the group automatically puts him in a leadership position. Management, knowing these and other questions of the location of group members, can achieve a significant effect only through the correct placement of jobs.
A person performs work in an environment of people, in interaction with them. He is not only a performer, but also a member of the group. The group has a huge impact on him.
There is no standard definition small group, because it is a very flexible phenomenon. But one can describe this phenomenon by considering characteristics small group.
A small group (hereinafter referred to as a group) is a relatively isolated association of people who
- often interact with each other;
- identify themselves as members of the same group;
- share general rules about what interests them;
- participate in unified system separation of roles;
- identify themselves with the same objects and ideals;
- perceive the group as a source of satisfaction;
- are in cooperative interdependence;
- feel themselves as a kind of unity;
- coordinate actions in relation to the environment;
- are able to develop an individualized idea of all the others and be similarly perceived by each of them.
A group is a relatively isolated association of several people (no more than 10) who are in fairly stable interaction and carry out joint actions for a sufficiently long period of time.
So, people unite in groups not only to perform certain work, to obtain a result and reward for it. The group is an environment of self-affirmation and self-knowledge, it is an objective human need for communication.
Depending on the purpose of the association, two types of groups are distinguished:
- formal;
- informal.
Formal groups are created to carry out production activities in accordance with the chosen strategy at the behest of the leaders of the organization. They have a formally appointed leader, a formal structure, a position within the group, their tasks and functions are described and formally fixed in the relevant documents. These groups can be created on a permanent or temporary basis.
There are three main types of groups in an organization: leadership groups, work groups, and community organizations.
Informal groups are formed by members of the organization, often spontaneously, in accordance with their mutual sympathies, common interests, hobbies, habits, etc. In most enterprises, there are many informal groups. There can be as many of them as there are basics for communication. Due to the formal structure, people interact with each other for many years.
The natural result of communication is the spontaneous emergence of informal groups.
Usually these groups have an explicit or implicit leader. In many cases, informal groups have a significant influence on the behavior of group members, sometimes even more than formal ones.
The main reasons for joining an informal group.
1. Belonging.
The social need, the need to belong to a particular group, is one of the strongest. It is in the group that self-knowledge, self-determination, self-assertion takes place. Group dynamics activates existing human needs, creates new ones and at the same time is a source (environment) of their satisfaction.
2. Help.
Subordinates are more willing to turn to colleagues for help than to their immediate supervisor, even if difficulties arose in solving production problems. An atmosphere of trust and mutual assistance is the basis for the synergistic effect of group interaction.
3. Protection.
Association occurs quite often in the event of any threat, danger, for the joint protection of personal or group interests. For example, to protest harmful working conditions, unfair wages, etc. Conflict in a formal group, attempts by a formal leader to destroy the existing informal relationships- all this contributes to the rallying of existing informal groups or leads to the creation of new ones.
4. Communication.
Informal communication is based on interests, values, hobbies, etc. It is for this reason that an enterprise can have as many informal groups as there are common topics for communication. Also, informal communication in a group is an additional informal channel for the receipt of important information for a person, concerning both the situation at the enterprise and outside it.
5. Sympathy, friendly communication.
The group provides a person with the opportunity to spend time in a pleasant environment, to avoid loneliness, a state of loss, uselessness.
The manager cannot but be interested in the state of interaction in the group, because the effectiveness of management depends on it. Since informal relationships often play a greater role than formal ones, the manager must know the laws of group dynamics and how to influence the development of informal interactions. This influence must be targeted.
An effective group is a group in which interactions are characterized by cohesion, mutual respect, mutual understanding.
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