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Group Dynamics, Donelson R. Forsyth
Group Dynamics, Donelson R. Forsyth
Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications
Group dynamics are the influential actions, processes, and changes that take place in groups. Individuals often seek personal objectives independently of others, but across a wide range of settings and situations, they join with others in groups. The processes that take place within these groups--such as pressures to conform, the development of norms and roles, differentiation of leaders from followers, collective goal-strivings, and conflict-substantially influence members' emotions, actions, and thoughts. Kurt Lewin, widely recognized as the founding theorist of the field, used the term group dynamics to describe these group processes, as well as the scientific discipline devoted to their …
Exploring Group Behavior, Donelson R. Forsyth
Exploring Group Behavior, Donelson R. Forsyth
Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications
When I migrated from the world of constructions and took a position as a college professor and social psychologist, I found myself on the right side of the "good work if you can get it" divide. Granted, professoring is still work. There are politics of the office, bosses who make demands, and duties that must be fulfilled. Nor is it a glamorous occupation, as Hollywood's depictions of Indiana Jones-like professorial types would suggest. But depending on one's goals and perspectives, it is a personally fulfilling pursuit. It is an elite profession that requires special training and skill, and for much …
The Functions Of Groups: A Psychometric Analysis Of The Group Resources Inventory, Donelson R. Forsyth, Timothy R. Elliott, Josephine A. Welsh
The Functions Of Groups: A Psychometric Analysis Of The Group Resources Inventory, Donelson R. Forsyth, Timothy R. Elliott, Josephine A. Welsh
Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications
What do groups do for their members? A functional model that assumes groups satisfy a number of basic survival, psychological, informational, interpersonal, and collective needs is offered. The authors examined the comprehensiveness of the model by asking members of various types of naturally occurring groups to describe the benefits they gained through membership. Analysis of those descriptions identified 16 key interpersonal functions of groups (such as social comparison, social exchange, social control, social esteem, social identity, and social learning), and individuals' evaluations of the quality of their group were systematically related to their ratings of the group's functionality. The authors …