NORMS DEFINED

NORMS: a group's unspoken rules: generally agreed-on informal rules that guide all members' behavior in the group. Norms represent shared ways of viewing the world.

Norms, if written down, become formal rules of proper conduct. However, in most instances, norms are adopted implicitly as people align their behaviors during the group formation process until consensus in actions emerges.

ROLES: sets of shared expectations about who should do what under a given set of circumstances.

 

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ROLES AND GROUP STRUCTURE

Certain structures are common to virtually all groups. These structures provide an underlying organization for the role, status, attraction, and communication relationships among members, and they influence a variety of group processes. Thus, individuals who occupy specific roles generally perform a specific set of behaviors in their groups.

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ROLE DIFFERENTIATION

A variety of roles can develop as group members interact with one another (role differentiation), however, most fall under one of two categories:

·         task roles and

·         socio-emotional roles

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ACCEPTED ROLES AND GROUP STABILITY

Roles create stable patterns of behavior in groups, so disruptions in role relations can be stressful. Self-orientated patterns behavior often do not contribute to team success.

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ROLES COMMONLY PLAYED BY GROUP MEMBERS

Two types of behavior typically emerge in goal-oriented groups that interact over time. Whether we call it a task behavior, or a goal oriented behavior, the term addresses someone who is highly task oriented, directive, who initiates and coordinates group activity. Socio-emotional behavior, supportive, people-oriented, or social relations behavior nterjects humor, is friendly, complimentary, lowers friction, and generally contributes to a positive group climate. early theorists  believed that both were necessary: the task behaviors to move the group toward goal achievement, and the socio-emotional behaviors to promote interpersonal group cohesion. Self-oriented behaviors,  are generally destructive of emergent group behaviors.

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TASK- ORIENTED ROLES

 

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initiator-contributor:

  • suggests new ideas to solve group problem or new ways for the group to organize the task

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information giver/seeker:

  • deals with information and facts about the group's task

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opinion seeker/giver:

  • deals with the group's values regarding its tasks

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energizers:
  • tries to keep up the group's energy level

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elaborator:

  • goes into detail about how group plans would work

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coordinator:

  • coordinates group activities

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orienteer:

  • keeps the group focused on its goals

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recorder:

  • acts as the memory of the group
                  

                     challenger:
  • questions the quality of the teams methods, logic, and results

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RELATIONS- ORIENTED ROLES (SOCIOEMOTIONAL)

 

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harmonizer:

  • tries to keep relations between group members harmonious

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compromiser:

  • offers to compromise own position to keep the group harmonious

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encourager:

  • praises and encourages group members

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gatekeeper:
  • facilitates the participation of othrers in the group

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group observer/reflector:
  • supplies the group with observations about  its procedures, pointing out the + and - aspects of team dynamics and calling for change if necessary
 

       group consensus tester:

  • attends to the process of consensus building

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SELF-ORIENTED ROLES

 

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blocker:

  • disagrees with the group and revives old issues for discussion

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recognition seeker:

  • seeks personal honor in the group

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dominator:

  • attempts to manipulate the group and dominate others -- persecutor

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avoider:
  • refuses to focus on the task or group relationship problems

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aggressor:
  • attacks the group

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self- confessor:

  • uses the group as a forum for inappropriate talk about self

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help seeker:
  • looks for sympathy from others -- victim

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clown:

  • shows non-involvement in group and engages in distracting communication

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dominator:

  • attempts to manipulate the group and dominate others

Many formal organizations prescribe specific roles to employees...

Whereas the task task-oriented, relations-oriented, and self- oriented roles described above may evolve naturally in groups (although some may in fact be assigned), many formal organizations prescribe specific roles to employees who have been assigned to work groups