For most people in work organizations, the organization as a whole is a relatively abstract entity. Their day-to-day work experience is shaped far more by the work group, team, department, or work unit than by the organization as a whole. The work group is their direct social environment at work and the most important social influence on how they experience their work. Moreover, organizations are increasingly structuring work to be group or team based, where groups and teams rather than individuals are responsible for production and performance. This requires people to work in close cooperation with their fellow group members; and it makes coordination, cooperation, and communication between group members critical elements of task performance. Read more about Group Dynamics.
Group Dynamics Research Topics
The causes and consequences of group processes are typically understood within an input-process-outcome (IPO) framework, in which group processes (what happens in the group during task performance) are seen as the mechanism through which group inputs (resources internal and external to the group, and the organizational context) are translated into group outcomes (productivity, performance, or some other indicator of group effectiveness). In recent years research has highlighted group processes as critical in this respect, including group information processing; group conflict; group members’ shared understanding of, and shared feelings about, the task situation; and group efficacy.
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