The Power of Groups
In the book of Ecclesiastes it says “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not easily broken” Ecc. 4:9-12 (NKJV Study Bible, 2007). Basically, a group is better than an individual, the group can help each other but an individual is all alone. However, being in a group is not as easy as it sounds. So in order to have an effective group, one must ...
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of individuals who come together for some purpose.
We are all part of some group; family, work, church, neighborhoods, cities, are all examples of groups and understanding group dynamics is essential to having an effective group whether it is the family or the work environment. Johnson and Johnson state that “knowledge of group dynamics is a tool that can make our lives better and more meaningful” (Johnson & Johnson, 2009, p. 13) in
1. Maintaining a viable family
2. Effective businesses and industries
3. Education
4. Long term psychological health
In order to have an effective group and accomplish group goals, the group must have cohesion, that is a desire to see the group and individuals in the group succeed. Cohesion is important because all members are working together toward the same goal. It also increases the performance of individual members, reduces absenteeism and turnover and increases the commitment of the individual members to the group. Cohesiveness ...
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to the researchers, “as long as the task is relatively a simple, well learned one, having others around facilitates performance, but when the task is difficult, complex or new, the presence of others tends to impair performance” (Johnson & Johnson, 2009, p. 273). What does that mean to the decision making process in groups? It means that people are uncertain in groups, they do not want to “look stupid” or say the wrong thing so that hampers the process.
Another possibility is group polarization. Group polarization is when the group makes a decision that is more extreme than the inclination of the members (Johnson & Johnson, 2009). So, if the inclination of the group is risky, ...
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"The Power of Groups." Essayworld.com. May 2, 2011. Accessed November 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Power-of-Groups/98764.
"The Power of Groups." Essayworld.com. May 2, 2011. Accessed November 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Power-of-Groups/98764.
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