Determinants of Group Behaviour

Individuals form groups. They live in groups. They move in groups. They work in groups. Groups are important. They influence work and work behaviour. They cannot be ignored. They exert significant influence on the organisation. They are inseparable from organisation. They are useful for the organisation. They form foundation of human resources. The study of group behaviour is important. Individual and group behaviour differs from each other. Group behaviour affects productivity.

The importance of group behaviour has been realized from time to time. Elton Mayo and his associates way back in 1920 conducted the famous Hawthorne experiments and came to know that the group behaviour have major impact on productivity.

Human resources comprise individuals and individuals move in groups. Every manager must possess the knowledge of group behaviour along with individual behaviour. He must understand group psychology. He should understand individual behaviour in the context of group behaviour. Individual behaviour is influenced by the group behaviour.

An individual’s work, job satisfaction and effective performance is influenced by the group in which he moves. At lower level of the organisation it is the small groups of employees work as a team. They have the responsibility to finish a task assigned to them within a stipulated period of time.

If they come across a problem they tackle it by themselves. They get guidance from senior fellow workers in solving the problem and accomplishing it. It is needless to say that groups are important in employee’s life. They spend increasing proportion of time with the group at workplace.

M.E. Shaw defined a group “as two or more people who interact and influence one another.” Viewers in a theatre, passengers in a train are not a group unless they interact for long and exert some influence on each other. Such people’s gatherings are referred to as collection.

They interact at a very low level nor they get influenced with each other but enjoy being in collection. The collection of people may get-converted into a group temporarily if they are caught up in a dangerous situation like fire, robbery etc. They will come over a problem fighting as a group unitedly.

Reasons for Group:

Man is a social animal and he lives in groups, he moves in groups. So, group is inherent to human beings.

Following are the few reasons why group is essential:

1. Management of modern organisations is making concerted efforts to introduce industrial democracy at workplace. They are using task force, project teams, work committees where workers get due representation. They participate very often in decision-making. This takes place in groups.
2. The tasks in modern industries are becoming more complex, tedious and monotonous. To change these conditions and make the environment at workplace more lively, work committees and work groups and teams are formed to monitor the work and change.
3. To make participative management more effective and relieve executives of petty responsibilities employees are given these responsibilities to carry on successfully and effectively. Group of employees are also given joint responsibility to carry on the work.
4. Groups of all kinds and types are used by inviting their cooperation in all matters related to production as well as with human relations to make the organisation effective.
5. There are several works which an individual cannot perform. To complete such tasks, group efforts are required for its completion, e.g. building of a ship, making of a movie, construction of a fly-over, a complex etc.

All these require coordinated and unified efforts of many individuals i.e. groups. A group can do the work which cannot be performed by an individual or beyond his capabilities.

6. A group can make better judgment as compared to an individual.
7. While accomplishing tasks group can use creative instinct and innovative ideas than a single individual.
8. When group is working, all the benefits of division of labour accrue.
9. Individuals in a group communicate with each other and discuss work performance and suggestions to make it better and excellent.
10. Group efforts substantially affect individual, his attitude and behaviour.
11. Group has the ability to satisfy the needs of its members. In a group an individual member feels secured and he can directly get technical and work related assistance. They also get special support when they are emotionally depressed.

There are three major factors that affect OB. The working environment being the base for all three factors, they are also known as the determinants of OB. The three determinants are:

• People
• Structure
• Technology

People

An organization consists of people with different traits, personality, skills, qualities, interests, background, beliefs, values and intelligence. In order to maintain a healthy environment, all the employees should be treated equally and be judged according to their work and other aspects that affects the firm.

Organizational Structure

Structure is the layout design of an organization. It is the construction and arrangement of relationships, strategies according to the organizational goal.

Technology

Technology can be defined as the implementation of scientific knowledge for practical usage. It also provides the resources required by the people that affect their work and task performance in the right direction.

Environment

All companies function within a given internal and external environment. Internal environment can be defined as the conditions, factors, and elements within an enterprise that influences the activities, choices made by the firm, and especially the behavior of the employees. While external environment can be defined as outside factors that affect the company’s ability to operate. Some of them can be manipulated by the company’s marketing, while others require the company to make adjustments.

Some examples of internal environment include employee morale, culture changes, financial changes or issues, and some examples of external environment include political factors, changes to the economy and the company itself.