Group Dynamics: Structure

Summary

This transcript explores the structure of groups, emphasizing the role of norms, roles, and social networks in shaping group dynamics. It explains how norms regulate behavior, roles assign expected behaviors, and networks influence communication and status. The summary also touches on the challenges of role ambiguity and conflict, and how social structures can be measured through social network analysis. It concludes by discussing the impact of status and attraction networks on group participation and communication.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Group structure is not a random collection of individuals but an organized system of interactions and relationships, regulated by norms, roles, and networks.
• 📜 Norms are implicit, self-generating, and stable standards for group behavior, including prescriptive, descriptive, and injunctive norms.
• 🕴️ Roles in a group specify expected behaviors for individuals in certain positions, influencing how members interact and contribute to group goals.
• 🤔 Role ambiguity and conflict arise when role expectations are unclear or when they demand incompatible behaviors.
• 🔍 Social Network Analysis (SNA) is a method to measure the social structure of a group using indexes like density, centrality, and closeness.
• 🏆 Status networks reflect the hierarchy of authority and power within a group, often leading to competition and a dominance order.
• 🤝 Attraction networks are formed based on social metric differentiation, favoring individuals with socially attractive qualities or a good fit with group values.
• 📡 Communication networks define who communicates with whom within a group, influencing group outcomes like performance and satisfaction.
• 📊 Centralized networks are efficient but can lead to lower satisfaction due to information saturation and a lack of balanced communication.
• 🌐 Systematic Multiple Level Observation of Groups (SYMLOG) is a model that assesses group structure based on dominance, friendliness, acceptance of authority, and task orientation.

Q & A

What is group structure?

Group structure refers to the organized systems of interactions and relationships within a group, regulated by norms, roles, and networks of connections among the members.

Why do norms develop to regulate group behavior?

Norms develop to regulate group behavior as they are implicit, self-generating, and stable standards that guide expected conduct within the group.

What are the different types of norms?

There are prescriptive norms, descriptive norms, and injunctive norms. Prescriptive norms identify behaviors that should be performed, descriptive norms define what most people do, and injunctive norms differentiate between acceptable and unacceptable actions.

How do norms influence group members?

Norms influence group members by aligning their actions with those displayed by others, often through a process of internalization of consensual standards.

What are roles in a group and how do they influence members?

Roles in a group specify the types of behaviors expected of individuals in particular positions. They influence members by creating patterns of role differentiation related to task goals and relationship rules.

What is role ambiguity and how does it occur?

Role ambiguity occurs when the behaviors associated with a role are poorly defined, leading to confusion about what is expected of an individual in that role.

What is role conflict and how does it manifest?

Role conflict occurs when group members occupy two or more roles that call for incompatible behaviors, or when the demands of a single role are contradictory.

How can the social structure of a group be measured?

The social structure of a group can be measured using social network analysis (SNA), which includes indexes such as density, degree centrality, betweenness, and closeness.

What is a status network and how does it develop?

A status network is a stable pattern of variations in authority and power within a group. It develops through a status differentiation process where people compete for status, resulting in a hierarchy that determines dominance and submission.

What is an attraction network and how does it form?

An attraction network forms through social metric differentiation, ordering group members from least to most attractive. Attraction relations tend to be reciprocal and transitive, often forming clusters or coalitions within the group.

How does a communication network affect group dynamics?

A communication network influences group dynamics by structuring who speaks to whom and how frequently. Centralized networks can be efficient but may lead to lower member satisfaction due to information saturation and hierarchical information flow.

What is the Systematic Multiple Level Observation of Groups (SYMLOG) and how does it model group interaction?

SYMLOG is a model of interaction and structure that assumes structure is based on three dimensions: dominance and submissiveness, friendliness and unfriendliness, and acceptance or non-acceptance of task orientation of authority.