Group Dynamics L2: group structure (roles, norms, and status)

triad of group structure

• every group is being dictated by these 3 pillars:

  • left: status

  • middle: roles

  • right: norms

• important to be able to balance these 3

roles

• expected behaviors associated with a specific position within the group

• who does that?

• focuses on performance

norms

• unwritten rules, codes of conduct and boundaries of acceptance

• what is okay and what is not okay here?

• focuses on behavior

status

• the prestige, weight, and hierarchical value assigned to a member’s voice?

• who has the floor?

• it focuses on who’s being looked up to in the group

3 pillars of group roles

• introduced by Kenneth Benne and Paul Sheats where they believe that people take on 3 types of roles which include:

  • task roles

  • maintenance roles

  • self-oriented dysfunctional roles

task roles

• drive the group toward goal achievement

• it is the engine of the group

• behaviors that get the job done

different types of task roles

1. information seeker

2. information giver

3. opinion seeker

4. opinion giver

5. elaborator

6. coordinator

7. orienter

8. evaluator critic

9. energizer

10. procedural technician

11. recorder

note: these roles are not usually assigned, they come in as natural depending on a person’s skill and preference. but will eventually will be assigned in a more formal level.

information seeker

• asks for clarification, factual data and authoritative evidence

• very important role in a group since without information you wouldn’t be able to work in a task objectively

information giver

• if someone seeks, someone has to give. OBJECTIVELY

• offers authoratative facts, statistics, and personal expertise

• the member who is knowledgeable

opinion seeker

• clarifies values and feelings underlying group suggestions

• it overall values what each one has to say

• you ensure that other people understand

opinion giver

states beliefs or values regarding what the group should do subjectively

elaborator

• expand suggestions with examples, rationale or future implications

• ex: someone provided an information that members don’t understand, the elaborator expands this idea by providing examples to help members understand better

coordinator

• clarifies relationships with ideas, impluse and suggestions together

• his the one who looks ate the common denominator, similarities, etc.

• ex

orienter

• summarizes progress

• questions the direction if the group wanders off topic

• ex

evaluator critic

• measures group decisions against standards of logic and practicality

• ex

energizer

• prompts the group into action or higher level of effort when energy dips

• ensures that the group members are still engage

• ex:

procedural technician

• handles logistics and routine tasks

• ex: submitting paper, creating seating arrangments, handling the materials

recorder

writes down ideas, decisions, and meeting minutes to serve as group memory

maintenance roles

• social emotional behaviors focus on group cohesions, managing relationships and maintaining positive psychological climate

• provide the oil to prevents the engine from overheating

types of maintenance roles

1. encourager

2. harmonizer

3. compromiser

4. gatekeeper / expediter

5. standard setter

6. group observer

7. follower

encourager

praises, agrees with, and accepts contributions of others

harmonizer

• if there are 2 or more people, you expect conflict

• mediate intergroup differences and reconciles interpersonal conflicts

compromiser

• offers to yield status and modify a position to maintain group harmony

• to settle something / differences in a group

gatekeeper / expediter

regulates communication flow as they ensure that members have a turn to speak

standard setter

• expresses idealized standards for a group to achieve or apply

• to keep the group successful and morale, you need someone to remind everyone of the group standard

group observer

tracks the psychosocial dynamics and interprets them constructively to the group

follower

• goes along with the movement of the group

• acts as a passive audience

• “we do as other say”

self oriented dysfunctional roles

• disruptive behaviors that fulfill individual needs at the expense of the group

• a facilitator should be able to identify it as a functional deficit in the group structure. therefore, they should adjust the project to neutralize it

types of self oriented dysfunctional roles

1. aggressor

2. blocker

3. recognition seeker

4. self confessor

5. playboy / playgirl

6. dominator

7. help seeker

8. special interest pleader

aggressor

• deflates others status, attacks ideas or aggresively jokes of others expense

• basically a bully

blocker

• opposes and rejects every idea

• remains stubborn about almost everything and resist any consensus

• would always find something to disagree with

recognition seeker

• poses and acts in unusual ways

• struggles to remain the center of attention

self confessor

• uses group setting to express personal non group related feelings and insights

• someone to emotional and too focus on their own emotions

• making it appear as if it’s the most important thing

playboy / playgirl

• place total lack of involvement through cynicism, course place or nonchalance

• prefers to do other things than the task at hand

denominator

• assorts authority by manipulating members

• monopolizing members and discussion time

help sekeer

looks for sympathy by expressing insecurity and self depreciation

special interest pleader

• speaks for hidden bias agenda

• cloaking all needs in a representative mask

• would use information / circumstances to achieve their hidden agenda

can a member play different roles?

• yes they can

• but it can be difficult if a member play several roles

status hierarchies and expectations states theory

• Status hierarchy

• expectations states theory

• status generalization

status hierarchy

• internal ranking system that dictates influence, deference, and communication priority

• basically unspoken ranking system that decides which people are seen as important or not

• affects who gets listened to, respected, etc.

• this is calculated by these 2 types:

  • specific status characteristics

  • diffuse status characteristics

specific status characteristics

• skills, talents, or attributes directly relevant to the group

• what are you good at that helps the group with the current task

• ex: may group video project and one member is good at editing

diffuse status characteristics

• general social categories that carry widely shared cultural stereotypes regarding competence even when they have zero functional relevance to the task at hand

• ex: gender, race, physical attractiveness, socio economic status

expectations states theory

• groups assign status immediately based on perceived competence to solve the task

• when a group works toward a goal, members look around the room and implicitly / rapidly rank each other

• this ranking dictates who gets to speak, who’s ideas are valued, and who ultimately leads the group.

• explains how status hierarchy emerge organically within a small task oriented group

• developed by Joseph Burger

• ex: during the first week of school, you already notice who has the potential to be the class president

status generalization

• the mistake of assuming someone’s external traits (age, wealth, job title) make them competent at an unrelated group tasks

• ex:

  • ginagawang leader yung oldest member or the one with the highest grade

  • when a high status member talks, they are given attention. pag hindi, no one pays attention

how does expectation states theory (EST) apply to virtual / remote teams where physical cues are hidden?

• it still happens through and can be measure through the migration of diffuse status cues:

  • video call artifacts: high quality

  • demographic surfacing

  • geography and time zones

  •