Formal and informal groups in management. Summary: Formal and informal groups Groups of formal and informal associations of people

Control work on discipline

"Management".

Topic 15. Formal and informal groups.

1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………..page2

2. Formal groups…………………………………………………………………...page 2

3. Informal groups ………………………………………………………………..p4

4. Leadership of formal and informal groups………………………………..p7

5. Conclusion………………………………………………………………………… page 18

6. List of literature used…………………………………………………..page 19

Introduction

Organization is a social category and at the same time a means to achieve goals. It is a place where people build relationships and interact. Therefore, in every formal organization there is a complex interweaving of informal groups and organizations that have been formed without the intervention of management. These informal associations often have a strong impact on performance and organizational effectiveness.

Although informal organizations are not created by the will of management, they are a factor that every leader must reckon with, because such organizations and other groups can have a strong influence on the behavior of individuals and on the work behavior of employees. In addition, no matter how well the leader performs his functions, it is impossible to determine what actions and attitudes will be required to achieve the goals in an organization moving forward. The manager and subordinate often have to interact with people outside the organization and with units outside their subordination. People will not be able to carry out their tasks successfully if they do not achieve the official interaction of individuals and groups on which their activities depend. To cope with such situations, the manager must understand what role this or that group plays in a particular situation, and what place the leadership process occupies in it.

One of the prerequisites for effective management is the ability to work in small groups, such as committees or commissions created by the leaders themselves, and the ability to build relationships with their direct reports.

formal groups.

Based on the definition of Marvin Shaw: “a group is two or more persons that interact with each other in such a way that each person influences the others and is simultaneously influenced by other persons”, we can assume that an organization of any size consists of several groups. Management creates groups of its own accord when it divides labor horizontally (divisions) and vertically (management levels). In each of the numerous departments of a large organization, there may be a dozen levels of management. For example, production in a factory can be divided into smaller divisions - machining, painting, assembly. These productions, in turn, can be further divided. For example, production personnel involved in mechanical processing can be divided into 3 different teams of 10 - 16 people, including foremen. Thus, a large organization can literally consist of hundreds or even thousands of small groups.

These groups, created at the behest of management to organize the production process, are called formal groups. However small they may be, these are formal organizations whose primary function in relation to the organization as a whole is to perform specific tasks and achieve certain, specific goals.

There are three main types of formal groups in an organization: leadership groups; production groups; committees.

Command (subordinate) group The manager's team consists of the manager and his immediate subordinates, who, in turn, can also be managers. The company president and senior vice presidents are a typical team group. Another example of a command subordinate group is the captain of an airliner, co-pilot and flight engineer.

The second type of formal group is working (target) group . It usually consists of individuals working together on the same task. Although they have a common leader, these groups differ from the command group in that they have much more autonomy in planning and carrying out their work. Working (target) groups are included in such well-known companies as Hewlett-Packard, Motorola, Texas Instruments and General Motors. More than two-thirds of Texas Instruments' total workforce (89,000+) are members of target groups. For improving the overall efficiency of the company, they can receive a 15 percent bonus to their budget. In this company, management believes that the target groups are breaking down barriers of distrust between managers and workers. In addition, by giving workers the opportunity to think about and solve their own production problems, they can meet the needs of higher-level workers.

The third type of formal group is Committee . This is a group within an organization that has been delegated authority to perform a task or set of tasks. Committees are sometimes referred to as councils, task forces, commissions, or teams.

All team and working groups, as well as committees, must work effectively - as a single well-coordinated team. It is no longer necessary to argue that the effective management of every formal group within an organization is critical. These interdependent groups are the building blocks that make up the organization as a system. The organization as a whole will be able to effectively fulfill its global tasks only if the tasks of each of its structural units are defined in such a way as to support the activities of each other. In addition, the group as a whole influences the behavior of the individual. Thus, the better the manager understands what the group is and the factors of its effectiveness, and the better he knows the art of effective group management, the more likely he will be able to increase the productivity of this unit and the organization as a whole.

informal groups.

Despite the fact that informal organizations are not created by the will of the leadership, they are a powerful force that, under certain conditions, can actually become dominant in the organization and nullify the efforts of the leadership. Moreover, informal organizations tend to interpenetrate. Some leaders are often unaware that they themselves are affiliated with one or more of these informal organizations.

Under production conditions, protection is also often required, for example, from harmful production conditions, wage cuts, and layoffs. This protection can be found in an informal organized group.

Often, informal organizations use informal information, the so-called rumors, which are the subject of satisfaction of the vanity of individuals. In the group, you can also express your sympathies and get satisfaction from communicating with other employees. Informal groups develop their own norms of behavior, and require their members to comply with these norms.

An informal organization is a spontaneously formed group of people who interact regularly to achieve a specific goal. Like a formal organization, these goals are the reason for the existence of such an informal organization. It is important to understand that in a large organization there is more than one informal organization. Most of them are freely networked. Therefore, some believe that an informal organization is essentially a network of informal organizations. The working environment is especially favorable for the formation of such groups. Due to the formal structure of the organization and its objectives, the same people usually come together every day, sometimes for many years. People who otherwise would hardly even meet are often forced to spend more time in the company of their colleagues than in their own family. Moreover, the nature of the tasks they perform in many cases forces them to communicate and interact with each other frequently. Members of the same organization depend on each other in many respects. The natural result of this intense social interaction is the spontaneous emergence of informal organizations.

Informal organizations have a lot in common with the formal ones, in which they are inscribed. They are in some ways organized in the same way as formal organizations - they have a hierarchy, leaders and tasks. Spontaneous (emergent) organizations also have written rules, called norms, which serve as standards of behavior for members of the organization. These norms are reinforced by a system of encouragement and sanctions. The specificity is that the formal organization was created according to a premeditated plan. Informal organization is rather a spontaneous response to unmet individual needs.

The difference in the mechanism of formation of formal and informal organizations is shown in the Figure:

Informal groups tend to resist industrial changes that may threaten the existence of the group. In the form of threatening factors may be the expansion of production, the introduction of new technology, reorganization. The consequence of these factors is the arrival of new people who can encroach on established relationships in an informal organization.

Leadership of formal and informal groups.

Leadership has a great influence on management as a whole. A manager is a person who, as a leader, effectively manages his subordinates in order to fulfill their permanent tasks. A leader is a person who effectively exercises formal and informal leadership.

Formal and informal

The importance of the harmonious functioning of the organization is constantly emphasized in management writings. According to many authors, if the right formula is found, the organization will act like a well-oiled machine.

Speaking about the role played by the "human resources" management system in the development of the company, one of the leaders of the American company 3M noted that the effective management of "human resources" is being put forward among the critical factors of economic success. In the recent past, competition was concentrated in the field of technical progress, technology improvement, organizational structures, marketing, after-sales service. But the essence of business is determined primarily by people.

Each employee of our company performs its function and joins efforts with others in achieving common results. A key component of our business today is personnel management. It provides a favorable environment in which labor potential is realized, personal abilities develop, people get satisfaction from the work performed and public recognition of their achievements.

Leaders of the organization are satisfied if the organization continues to exist as a single organism. However, almost always the real stereotypes of the behavior and attitudes of the members of the organization deviate slightly or very far from the formal plan of the organization's management.

Informal groups that form in organizations are a powerful force that, under certain conditions, can actually become dominant in the organization and nullify the efforts of management. Informal groups can also carry a positive influence on the activities of a formal organization.

Middle managers need to reconcile the demands of the organization's informal groups with the demands of the top management. This need encourages managers to look for non-standard methods of managing people or to use existing methods more effectively in order to use the potential benefits and reduce the negative impact of informal groups.

An unambiguous definition of a group does not exist, since it is a rather flexible and subject to the influence of circumstances phenomenon, however, a fairly general, well-established view of the group as a relatively isolated phenomenon of two or more persons who are in a fairly stable interaction and carry out joint actions for a sufficiently long period of time is widely accepted. . The interaction of group members is based on a certain common interest and may be associated with the achievement of a common goal. At the same time, the group has a certain group potential, or group capabilities that allow it to enter into relationships with the outside world and adapt to changes taking place in the environment.

The characteristic features of the group are as follows:

· Members of the group identify themselves and their actions with the group as a whole and thus act as if on behalf of the group in external interactions. A person speaks not about himself, but about the group as a whole, using the pronouns "we".

· Interaction between members of the group is in the nature of direct contacts, personal conversation, observation of each other's behavior, etc. In a group, people communicate directly with each other, giving formal interactions a "human form".

· In a group, along with the formal distribution of roles, if any, there is necessarily an informal distribution of roles, usually recognized by the group. Individual members of the group take on the role of generators of ideas, others tend to coordinate the efforts of group members, others take care of relationships in the group, maintain a good climate in the team, fourth make sure that there is order in work, everything is done on time and brought to end. There are people who act as structurizers, they set goals for the group, monitor the influence of the environment on the tasks solved by the group.

There are two types of groups: formal and informal. These types of groups matter to the organization and have a great impact on the members of the organization.

Formal groups usually stand out as structural units in an organization. They have a formally appointed leader, a formally defined structure of roles, positions and positions within the company, as well as functions and tasks formally assigned to them.

A formal group has the following features:

1. It is rational, i.e. it is based on the principle of expediency, conscious movement towards a known goal;

2. She is impersonal, i.e. It is designed for individuals, relations between which are established according to a compiled program.

In a formal group, only official connections between individuals are provided, and it is subject only to functional goals.

The formal groups are:

· A vertical (linear) organization that unites a number of bodies and a subdivision in such a way that each of them is located between the other two - higher and lower, and the leadership of each of the bodies and subdivisions is concentrated in one person.

· Functional organization, in accordance with which management is distributed among a number of persons specializing in the performance of certain functions and jobs.

· Staff organization, characterized by the presence of a staff of advisers, experts, assistants, not included in the vertical organization system.

Formal groups may be formed to perform a regular function, such as accounting, or they may be created to solve a specific task, such as a commission for the development of a project.

informal groups are created not by orders of the management of the organization and formal regulations, but by members of this organization in accordance with their mutual sympathies, common interests, identical hobbies and habits. These groups exist in all companies, although they are not represented in the diagrams that reflect the structure of the organization, its structure.

Informal groups usually have their own unwritten rules and norms of behavior, people know well who is in their informal group and who is not. In informal groups, a certain distribution of roles and positions is formed. Usually these groups have an explicit or implicit leader. In many cases, informal groups can exert equal or even greater influence over their members than formal structures.

Informal groups are a spontaneously (spontaneously) established system of social ties, norms, actions that are the product of more or less long-term interpersonal communication.

The informal group manifests itself in two varieties:

1. It is a non-formal organization in which non-formalized service relations have a functional (production) content and exist in parallel with the formal organization. For example, the optimal system of business connections that spontaneously develops between employees, some forms of rationalization and invention, methods of decision making, etc.

2. It is a socio-psychological organization, acting in the form of interpersonal relationships that arise on the basis of the mutual interest of individuals in each other, out of connection with functional needs, i.e. a direct, spontaneously emerging community of people based on a personal choice of connections and associations between them (comradeship, amateur groups, relations of prestige, leadership, sympathy, etc.).

The picture of an informal group is extremely varied and variable in the direction of interests, the nature of activity, age and social composition, and so on.

Depending on the ideological and moral orientation, style of behavior, informal groups can be classified as follows:

Prosocial, i.e. socially positive groups. These are socio-political clubs of international friendship, social initiative funds, groups for environmental protection and the rescue of cultural monuments, amateur club associations, etc. They, as a rule, have a positive orientation.

· Asocial, i.e. groups standing apart from social problems.

· Antisocial. These groups are the most unfavorable part of society, causing him anxiety. On the one hand, moral deafness, inability to understand others, a different point of view, on the other hand, often their own pain and suffering that befell this category of people contribute to the development of extreme views among its individual representatives.

Control work on discipline

"Management".

Topic 15. Formal and informal groups.

1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………..page2

2. Formal groups…………………………………………………………………...page 2

3. Informal groups ………………………………………………………………..p4

4. Leadership of formal and informal groups………………………………..p7

5. Conclusion………………………………………………………………………… page 18

6. List of literature used…………………………………………………..page 19

Introduction

formal groups.

There are three main types of formal groups in an organization: leadership groups; production groups; committees.

informal groups.

Under production conditions, protection is also often required, for example, from harmful production conditions, wage cuts, and layoffs. This protection can be found in an informal organized group.

The difference in the mechanism of formation of formal and informal organizations is shown in the Figure:

Leadership of formal and informal groups.

Leadership is based on influence. Influence is “any behavior of one individual that makes a change in behavior, attitudes, feelings, etc. another individual."

One person can also influence another through ideas alone. Karl Marx, who never had any official authority in any political organization and never personally used violence, had an unintended influence on the course of events in the twentieth century. Leaders must influence in a way that is easy to predict and that leads not just to the adoption of a given idea, but to action - the actual work required to achieve the goals of the organization. In order to make his leadership and influence effective, the leader must develop and apply power. In other words, power is used - the ability to influence the behavior of others. Possessing authority, but not having power, the leader cannot effectively manage.

The leader has power over his subordinates as a result of their dependence on him in wages, meeting social needs, presenting work, etc. But subordinates also have a certain degree of power over the leader: obtaining information, informal contacts, the desire to do work.

An effective leader must use his power within reasonable limits so that subordinates do not have a desire to exercise their power, which could reduce the effectiveness of management, i.e. it is necessary to maintain a balance of power, to achieve the set goals and not to cause recalcitrance of subordinates.

A certain share of power in relation to other leaders is also possessed by leaders on whom the receipt of information, raw materials, and equipment depends. If the leader controls what the subordinate is interested in, he has power over him, which makes the subordinate act in the right direction. In fact, power rests on the needs of the performer.

University of Michigan professor R. French and B. Raven proposed the following classification of power.

1. Power based on coercion. It is based on the subordinate's belief that a leader who has power can interfere with the satisfaction of any need or perform other undesirable actions.

2. Power based on reward. The subordinate believes that the leader has the ability to satisfy his needs.

3. Expert power. The subordinate is convinced that the special knowledge of the leader will satisfy his need.

4.Reference power. The leader has properties that make the performer want to imitate him.

5. Legal authority. The subordinate believes that the manager has the right to order, as he is at a higher level of the managerial hierarchy. The legitimacy of power is based on the delegation of authority to manage.

In formally organized structures, legal authority is predominantly used. Traditionally, people report to bosses who hold certain positions. Tradition is impersonal. The subordinate reacts not to the person, but to the position. In this case, there is subordination to the system as a whole.

In management theory, three approaches are used to determine the effectiveness of leadership: from the standpoint of personal qualities, behavioral and situational approaches. The personal qualities of a leader that determine the effective influence on subordinates include: a high level of intelligence and knowledge, honesty, truthfulness, initiative, legal and economic education, self-confidence. However, one cannot talk about the sum of specific qualities that will necessarily give an effective result in management. Studies have shown that in different situations, the leader needs to use his different qualities, and therefore, to influence his subordinates in different ways. This allows us to talk about the different behavior of the leader in different conditions. Supporters of the behavioral approach believe that the effectiveness of influence is determined not by the personal qualities of the leader, but by the generalized types of behavior of the leader in relations with subordinates in the process of achieving the set goals, i.e. leadership style.

But we must not forget about other factors. The personal qualities of the leader and his behavior determine success, taking into account the needs and personal qualities of subordinates, the nature of the task, and the impact of the environment. A situational approach to the definition of leadership is necessary, the personal qualities of the leader and the style of behavior must correspond to a specific situation.

It is essential that leaders understand that informal organizations interact dynamically with formal ones. One of the first to pay attention to this factor, as well as the formation of informal organizations, was George Homans, a theorist in the field of group studies. In the Homans Model, activities are understood as tasks performed by people. In the process of performing these tasks, people enter into interaction, which, in turn, contributes to the emergence of feelings - positive and negative emotions in relation to each other and superiors. These emotions influence how people will carry out their activities and interact in the future.

In addition to the fact that the model demonstrates how from the management process
(delegation of tasks that cause interaction) informal organizations arise, it shows the need to manage an informal organization. Because group emotions affect both tasks and interactions, they can also affect the effectiveness of formal organization. Depending on the nature of emotions (favorable or unfavorable), they can lead either to an increase or decrease in efficiency, absenteeism, staff turnover, complaints and other phenomena that are important for assessing the performance of an organization. Therefore, even if a formal organization is not created by the will of the management and is not under its complete control, it always needs to be effectively managed so that it can achieve its goals.

One of the biggest and most common difficulties that hinder the effective management of groups and informal organizations is the initially low opinion of their leaders. Some managers stubbornly continue to believe that the informal organization is the result of poor management. In essence, the emergence of informal organizations is a natural and very common phenomenon - they exist in every organization. Like many other factors operating in the field of management, they carry both negative and positive aspects.

Indeed, some informal groups may behave in an unproductive way that interferes with the achievement of formal goals. False rumors can spread through informal channels, leading to negative attitudes towards management. The norms adopted by the group can lead to the fact that the productivity of the organization will be lower than that determined by the management. The tendency to resist all change and the tendency to maintain ingrained stereotypes can delay the necessary modernization of production. However, such counterproductive behavior is often a reaction to the attitude of superiors towards this group. Right or wrong, the members of the group feel that they are being treated unfairly and respond in the same way that any person would respond to something that seems unfair to him.

Such instances of backlash sometimes make it difficult for leaders to see the many potential benefits of informal organizations. Since in order to be a member of a group, one must work in the organization, loyalty to the group can translate into loyalty to the organization. Many people turn down higher-paying jobs at other companies because they don't want to disrupt the social bonds they've made with that company. The goals of the group may coincide with those of the formal organization, and the performance standards of the informal organization may exceed those of the formal organization. For example, the strong team spirit that characterizes some organizations and generates a strong desire for success often grows out of informal relationships, involuntary actions of management. Even informal communication channels can sometimes help a formal organization by complementing the formal communication system.

By failing to find ways to effectively engage with informal organizations, or by trying to suppress them, leaders often miss out on these potential benefits. In any case, whether the informal organization is harmful or beneficial, it exists and must be reckoned with. Even if the leadership destroys some group, another group will certainly arise in its place, which, perhaps, will develop a deliberately negative attitude towards the leadership.

Earlier writers thought they knew how to deal with informal organization—just destroy it. Today's theorists believe that the informal organization can help the formal organization achieve its goals. Scott and Davis propose to address this issue as follows:
1. Recognize the existence of the informal organization and realize that its destruction will entail the destruction of the formal organization. Therefore, management should recognize the informal organization, work with it and not threaten its existence.

2. Listen to the views of members and leaders of informal groups. Developing this idea, Davis writes: “Every leader should know who is the leader in each informal group and work with him, encouraging those who do not interfere, but contribute to the achievement of the goals of the organization. When the informal leader opposes his employer, his widespread influence can undermine the motivation and job satisfaction of the employees of the formal organization.
3. Before taking any action, calculate the possible negative impact on the informal organization.
4. To reduce resistance to change on the part of the informal organization, allow the group to participate in decision making.
5. Give out accurate information quickly, thereby preventing the spread of rumors.

In addition to the task of managing informal organizations in order to use their potential benefits and reduce negative impacts, management must also improve the effectiveness of command groups and committees. Since these groups are a deliberately created component of the formal organization, most of what is true for running an organization is also true for them. Like the entire organization as a whole, in order to achieve effective functioning, groups require planning, organization, motivation and control of activities.

The Group will be able to more or less effectively achieve its goals, depending on the influence of the following factors: size, composition, group norms, cohesion, conflict, status and functional role of its members.

The size. Management theorists have devoted much time to determining the ideal group size. The authors of the school of administrative management believed that the formal group should be relatively small. According to Ralph K. Davis, the ideal group should consist of 3-9 people. Keith Davis, a modern theorist who has devoted many years to the study of groups, tends to share his opinion. He believes that the preferred number of group members is 5 people. Studies show that actually 5 to 8 people come to meetings in a group.

Some studies suggest that groups with 5 to 11 members tend to make better decisions than those with more than that size. Research has also shown that in groups of 5, members tend to be more satisfied than in larger or smaller groups. The explanation for this seems to be that in groups of 2 or 3, members may be concerned that their personal responsibility for decisions is too obvious. On the other hand, in groups consisting of more than 5 people, its members may experience difficulty, timidity in expressing their opinions in front of others.
In general, as the size of a group increases, communication between its members becomes more difficult, and it becomes more difficult to reach agreement on issues related to the activities of the group and the fulfillment of its tasks. An increase in group size also reinforces the tendency for groups to be divided into sub-groups informally, which can lead to conflicting goals and clique formation.

Compound . The composition here refers to the degree of similarity of personalities and points of view, the approaches that they show when solving problems. An important reason for putting a question to the group's decision is the use of different positions to find the optimal solution. Therefore, it is not surprising that on the basis of research it is recommended that the group be composed of dissimilar personalities, since this promises to be more effective than if the members of the group had similar points of view. Some people pay more attention to the important details of projects and problems, while others want to look at the whole picture, some want to approach the problem from a systemic perspective and consider the relationship of various aspects. According to Miner, when “groups are matched to either very similar or very different people, groups with different points of view produce more high-quality solutions. Multiple viewpoints and perceptual perspectives are bearing fruit.”

Group norms . As it was revealed by the first researchers of groups, in labor collectives, the norms adopted by the group have a strong influence on the behavior of the individual and on the direction in which the group will work: to achieve the goals of the organization or to resist them. Norms are designed to tell group members what behavior and work is expected of them. Norms have such a strong influence because only by conforming their actions to these norms can an individual count on belonging to a group, its recognition and support.
This applies to both informal and formal organizations.

Cohesion. Group cohesion is a measure of the attraction of group members to each other and to the group. A highly cohesive group is a group whose members are strongly attracted to each other and see themselves as similar.
Since a cohesive group works well as a team, a high level of cohesion can increase the effectiveness of the entire organization if the goals of both are consistent with each other. Highly cohesive groups tend to have fewer communication problems, and those that do are less severe than others. They have less misunderstandings, tensions, hostility and distrust, and their productivity is higher than in non-cohesive groups.
But if the goals of the group and the entire organization are not consistent, then a high degree of cohesion will adversely affect the productivity of the entire organization.

Leadership may find it possible to increase the positive effect of cohesion by meeting periodically and emphasizing the group's global goals, and by allowing each member to see his or her contribution to these goals. Leadership can also build cohesion by allowing periodic meetings of subordinates to discuss potential or ongoing problems, the impact of upcoming changes on operations, and new projects and priorities for the future.

A potential negative consequence of a high degree of cohesion is group like-mindedness.

Group unanimity is the tendency of an individual to suppress his real views on some phenomenon in order not to disturb the harmony of the group. Group members feel that disagreement undermines their sense of belonging and therefore disagreement should be avoided. In order to preserve what is understood as agreement and harmony among the members of the group, the group member decides that it is better not to express his opinion. In an atmosphere of group unanimity, the primary task for the individual is to stick to a common line in the discussion, even if he or she has different information or belief. This tendency is self-reinforcing. Since no one expresses opinions different from others, and does not offer different, opposing information or point of view, everyone assumes that everyone else thinks the same way. Since no one speaks out, no one knows that other members may also be skeptical or concerned. As a result, the problem is solved with less efficiency, since all the necessary information and alternative solutions are not discussed and evaluated. When there is group consensus, the likelihood of a mediocre solution that will not hurt anyone increases.

Conflict. It was previously mentioned that differences of opinion usually lead to more efficient group work. However, it also increases the likelihood of conflict. While an active exchange of opinions is beneficial, it can also lead to intra-group disputes and other manifestations of open conflict, which are always harmful.

Status of group members . An individual's status in an organization or group can be determined by a number of factors, including seniority in the job hierarchy, job title, office location, education, social talents, awareness, and experience. These factors can raise or lower status depending on the values and norms of the group. Studies have shown that high-status group members are able to influence group decisions more than low-status group members. However, this does not always lead to increased efficiency.

A person who has worked for a company for a short time may have more valuable ideas and better experience in relation to a project than a person with high status acquired through years of work in the management of this company. The same applies to the head of department, whose status may be lower than vice president. In order to make effective decisions, it is necessary to take into account all the information relevant to a given issue and weigh all ideas objectively. To function effectively, a group may need to work together to ensure that the opinions of higher-ranking members do not dominate it.

Roles of group members. A critical factor in determining the effectiveness of the group is the behavior of each of its members. For a group to function effectively, its members must behave in a way that promotes its goals and social interaction. There are two main focus of roles to create a well-functioning group
- target and supporting roles.

Target roles are distributed in such a way as to be able to select group tasks and perform them. For employees performing target roles, the following functions are characteristic:

1. Initiation of activity. Suggest solutions, new ideas, new problem statements, new approaches to solving them, or a new organization of material.
2. Search for information. Seek clarification of the proposed proposal, additional information or facts.

3. Collecting opinions. Ask group members to express their attitude to the issues discussed, to clarify their values or ideas.

4. Providing information. Provide the group with facts or generalizations, apply your own experience in solving the problems of the group or to illustrate any points.

5. Expressing opinions. Expressing opinions or beliefs regarding any proposal is obligatory with its evaluation, and not just reporting facts.
6. Study. Explain, give examples, develop the idea, try to predict the future fate of the proposal, if it is accepted.
7. Coordination. Explain relationships between ideas, try to summarize sentences, try to integrate the activities of different subgroups or group members.
8. Generalization. Re-list the proposals after the end of the discussion.

Supporting roles are behaviors that support and energize the life and activities of the group. Employees performing support roles perform the following functions:

1. Encouragement. Be friendly, sincere, sympathetic towards others.
Praise others for their ideas, agree with others, and appreciate their contribution to solving a problem.

2. Ensuring participation. Try to create an environment where every member of the group can make a suggestion. Encourage this, for example, by saying:
“We haven't heard anything from Jim yet” or to offer everyone a certain time limit for speaking so that everyone has a chance to speak.
3. Establish criteria. Establish criteria by which the group should be guided when choosing substantive or procedural points, or evaluating the group's decision. Remind the group to avoid making decisions that are inconsistent with group criteria.

4. Performance. Follow the decisions of the group by being thoughtful about the ideas of other people who make up the audience during group discussions.
5. Expressing the feelings of the group. Generalize what is formed as a feeling of the group. Describe the reactions of group members to ideas and solutions to problems.

Conclusion.

Group management is very important in modern management. Since organizations of any size are made up of groups, a manager needs to be well versed in the emergence and development of formal and informal groups. The modern manager must understand the importance of the existence of informal groups. He should strive to ensure close interaction between formal and informal organizations, since informal organizations interact dynamically with formal organizations, influence the quality of work performance and people's attitudes towards work and superiors.

Problems associated with informal organizations include: inefficiency, the spread of false rumors, and a tendency to resist change. Potential benefits include greater organizational commitment, greater team spirit, and higher productivity when group norms exceed official ones. In order to cope with the potential problems and capture the potential benefits of the informal organization, management must recognize the informal organization and work with it, listen to the opinions of the informal leaders and group members, take into account the effectiveness of the decision of the informal organizations, allow informal groups to participate in decision-making and extinguish rumors by promptly providing official information.

Knowing group dynamics well, management will be able to effectively manage formal groups, it is reasonable to use such structures as committees in the activities of their enterprise.

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A community that communicates regularly and constantly interacts with each other is called a group. There is no place on earth where this phenomenon does not exist. People everywhere create a certain plan of community, which can be divided into formal and informal groups. Within each such community there should be two or more people, and the influence of all of them on each other should be mutual.

Definition

A formal group is a small separate team created specifically by management and purposefully within a common team, which is aimed at organizing the production process. That is, it is an organization with certain functions, specific tasks and clearly defined goals. Unlike formal groups, informal groups arise spontaneously and have no status.

The organization itself and each of its divisions are also groups whose members have common values, attitudes, rules, standards of behavior. If employees value their organization, they behave appropriately. This means that a formal group is a community, held together by an understanding of a behavioral norm. The internal communications of each organization are also formed into groups - both formal, that is, created by the head and documented, and informal, which have developed spontaneously through interpersonal relations and are not officially designated anywhere.

Main differences

According to the criteria of difference, the following analysis can be carried out. A formal group is one that was created by an organization purely for its needs, its behavioral traits can be influenced by a certain position of the job description, and the influence itself extends only from top to bottom. The characteristics of the group are clearly defined by the use of official channels, even interpersonal relationships are prescribed by the organization, and the leader is appointed by the will of the superiors.

Informal groups arise spontaneously, goals satisfy needs purely within the group, individuals influence each other, and not from top to bottom, but more often vice versa. Characteristics are unstable, variable, relationships arise spontaneously, the leader, if he appears, is only by the will of the group itself. That is, formal and informal groups differ from each other in almost all respects.

Types

Before determining the type of group, it is necessary to find out on what foundation this community is built: friendly relations or production. In any case, the basis for the creation of any group is the organization. A formal group can belong to one of three types:

Leadership group: the main leader and his closest subordinates, also leaders. For example, the president and vice presidents.
Working group (or production or target group): people who perform the same task, planning it independently rather than collectively.
Committee or public organization: an intra-organizational group that makes decisions by a general meeting, since it was created to coordinate the actions of various departments. There are committees that work on a permanent basis and are created to perform a specific task, that is, temporary

Interaction

A formal organization created by the will of the authorities is also for all kinds of interaction between people, and not always in accordance with the instructions of the leadership. Such social relationships sometimes give rise to numerous friendly groups within the general one, but on the whole they represent one organization. Formal and informal social groups also have their similarities and differences.

Each person in the community necessarily influences others and, in the process of communication, is influenced, both positively and negatively. This is how the personality traits of each member of the group and the behavioral norms within this community are formed. An individual can influence the entire group as much as he wants, it depends on the authority, which is determined by both the informal part of the team and the official one.

Purposes of creation

A community formed within an organization is people interacting spontaneously for certain common goals, and a community created for production is based on a well-thought-out plan. However, formal and informal groups in an organization are similar in many ways. And there, and there can be tasks, leaders appear and a hierarchy can be built.

The difference is that informal groups are an unintended reaction to some individual needs that are not satisfied by the organization, while formal ones are created according to a certain plan.

The purpose of the formal group is also clear and understandable: people join it for the sake of professional interest, prestige or income. The reason for the emergence of an informal group is usually more "spiritual": it is close communication and interest, common interests, mutual protection, mutual assistance, and so on.

Reasons for joining

First of all, the reason for joining formal and informal groups is the social need to belong to it. This is how self-knowledge, self-affirmation, self-determination is acquired, needs are activated, and an environment for their satisfaction is created. In second place is the reason for seeking trust and mutual assistance. In case of any difficulties, people turn to colleagues rather than to managers. With such relationships, group interaction appears. The goal of a formal group is a healthy, efficient team, and therefore the creation of informal groups is usually monitored by the leader, and if necessary, relations in them are regulated.

To protect personal or group interests, for example, harmful conditions, problems with wages, and so on, they also most often turn to the group. in a formal group, they usually contribute to the cohesion of the team. Often the basis of communication in groups is a common interest, the same hobbies, shared spiritual values, as well as obtaining information of various kinds, not necessarily only industrial. And, of course, a huge role in the creation of the group is played by friendly communication, mutual sympathy. So people can avoid loneliness, feelings of uselessness, loss, and also receive moral help in cases of personal dramas.

Characteristics

In informal organizations there is always over all members of the group. First of all, it is the strengthening of behavioral norms. If changes in the team threaten a peaceful existence, that is, common interests, positive emotions or common communication experience suffer, then the informal group will actively resist all formal formations of the organization.

Any formal group structure and any unstructured informal group can have a leader. The formal leader will have official powers, while the informal leader will have authority in the team. In the case of a struggle of priorities, it is difficult to predict the winner, since the stake on people and the presence of good relationships is almost more expensive than any official status. Smart leaders understand this and direct the energy of the informal group in the right direction, usually production.

Informal group management

All group formations within the team necessarily interact, and dynamically. The general emotional mood greatly affects both the interaction and the fulfillment of the tasks facing the team. The effectiveness of a formal group depends entirely on the mood of informal groups. Therefore, their rapprochement is the main goal of any leader, so negative manifestations in the relations of team members to each other will disappear, "informals" will be positively oriented, they will easily fit into the social production space.

The cohesion of the team is the result of the coincidence of the interests of formal and informal groups, it is in such conditions that labor productivity is highest. On the contrary, if interests, rules and norms do not coincide, even an authoritative leader will find himself in a difficult position, the struggle between the structures of the team always hinders the growth of productivity. Informal relations can help here, for this purpose personnel management techniques are created.

Formation mechanisms

If formal groups are created according to plan, then informal ones always organize themselves. Sometimes it also happens that an informal group receives the status of an amateur collective or public organization. In each team there are contacting formal and informal groups, and the interaction has both positive and negative aspects. A smart leader will always be able to dispose of informal groups competently so that they help achieve the goals set by the company.

The problems associated with the emergence of informal groups in the team most often relate to the spread of false rumors, resistance to change, and a decrease in labor efficiency. But the benefits are much more interesting: this is the appearance of devotion to this enterprise, the spirit of collectivism. Performance increases significantly if they begin to exceed the officially established ones. Negative manifestations must certainly be fought by listening to the opinions of informal leaders, dispelling rumors with official full information, and positive beginnings must be supported by allowing members of informal groups to participate in decision-making.

Small formal group

This is too flexible a phenomenon to have a standard definition. But formal small groups, of course, have characteristic features. A separate association of people, which is a small group, is characterized by frequent interaction with each other, the obligatory definition of oneself as members of one group, the division of almost all interests as common. All members of a small group take part in the distribution of roles, they identify themselves in the same objects and ideals. A small group cooperates with all its members in interdependence in order to experience the most complete unity. Regarding the environment, the small group coordinates its actions.

In a small formal group, the number of members rarely reaches ten people, which helps to coordinate joint actions for quite a long time. These groups are incredibly resilient. They will not only do the work for which they have united, but they will also receive a result, coupled with a reward. In addition to performing a certain task, it is positive here that an environment arises for self-affirmation and self-knowledge, which is a completely objective need of any person.

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So, there are two types of groups: formal and informal. These types of groups matter to the organization and have a great impact on the members of the organization.

Formal groups are groups created at the behest of management.

Allocate groups of leaders, working (target) groups and committees.

· The group of leaders consists of the leader and his immediate subordinates who are in the zone of his control (president and vice presidents).

· Working (target) group - employees working on the implementation of one task.

· Committee - a group within the organization, which is delegated authority to perform any task or set of tasks. Sometimes committees are called councils, commissions, task forces. Allocate permanent and special committees.

An informal group is a spontaneously formed group of people who interact regularly to achieve a specific goal. The reasons for joining are a sense of belonging, help, protection, communication.

Informal organizations exercise social control over their members. There are usually certain norms that each member of the group must comply with. In informal organizations, there is a tendency to resist change. Usually an informal organization is led by an informal leader. The informal leader should help the group achieve its goals and keep it alive.

The same factors affect the effectiveness of the work of formal and informal groups:

1. Group size. As the group grows, communication between members becomes more difficult. In addition, informal groups with their own goals may arise within the group. In small groups (of 2 - 3 people) people feel personally responsible for making a certain decision. It is believed that the optimal group size is 5 - 11 people.

2. Composition (or the degree of similarity of personalities, points of view, approaches). It is believed that the most optimal decision can be made by groups consisting of people who are in different positions (i.e., dissimilar people).

3. Group norms. A person who wants to be accepted by a group must comply with certain group norms. (Positive norms are norms that support behavior aimed at achieving goals. Negative norms are norms that encourage behavior that is not conducive to achieving goals, such as stealing, being late, absenteeism, drinking in the workplace, etc.).

4. Cohesion. It is considered as a measure of the attraction of group members to each other and to the group. A high level of group cohesion can improve the performance of the entire organization.

5. Group consensus. This is the tendency of an individual to suppress his views on some phenomenon in order not to disturb the harmony of the group.

6. Conflict. Differences in opinion increase the likelihood of conflict. The consequences of the conflict can be positive, as they allow you to identify different points of view (this leads to an increase in the effectiveness of the group). The negative consequences are to reduce the effectiveness of the group: a bad state of mind, a low degree of cooperation, a shift in emphasis (giving more attention to one's "winning" in the conflict, rather than solving the real problem).

7. Status of group members. It is determined by seniority in the job hierarchy, job title, education, experience, awareness, etc. Usually, members of a group with a high status have a greater influence on other members of the group. It is desirable that the opinion of high-status group members is not dominant in the group.

Formal groups are usually distinguished as structural divisions in an organization. They have a formally appointed leader, a formally defined structure of roles, positions and positions within the company, as well as functions and tasks formally assigned to them.

A formal group has the following features:

1. it is rational, i.e. it is based on the principle of expediency, conscious movement towards a known goal;

2. it is impersonal, i.e. It is designed for individuals, relations between which are established according to a compiled program.

In a formal group, only official connections between individuals are provided, and it is subject only to functional goals.

The formal groups are:

· A vertical organization that unites a number of bodies and a subdivision in such a way that each of them is located between the other two - higher and lower, and the leadership of each of the bodies and subdivisions is concentrated in one person.

· Functional organization, in accordance with which management is distributed among a number of persons specializing in the performance of certain functions and jobs.

· Staff organization, characterized by the presence of a staff of advisers, experts, assistants, not included in the vertical organization system.

Formal groups may be formed to perform a regular function, such as accounting, or they may be created to solve a specific task, such as a commission for the development of a project.

Informal groups are created not by orders of the organization's management and formal resolutions, but by members of this organization in accordance with their mutual sympathies, common interests, the same hobbies and habits. These groups exist in all companies, although they are not represented in the diagrams that reflect the structure of the organization, its structure.

Informal groups are a spontaneously (spontaneously) established system of social ties, norms, actions that are the product of more or less long-term interpersonal communication.

Depending on the style of behavior, informal groups can be classified as follows:

· Asocial, i.e. groups standing apart from social problems.

The life of the group, its functioning is influenced by three factors:

1. characteristics of group members;

2. structural characteristics of the group;

3. situational characteristics.

The characteristics of group members that affect its functioning include the personal characteristics of a person, as well as abilities, education and life experience.

Structural characteristics of the group include:

communication in the group and norms of behavior (who communicates with whom and how);

status and roles (who takes what position in the group and what they do);

Personal likes and dislikes between group members (who likes whom and who dislikes whom);

strength and conformism (who influences whom, who is ready to listen and obey whom).

The first two structural characteristics relate more to the analysis of formal organization, the rest - to the question of informal groups.

There are several factors that influence the establishment of friendly relations between people:

1. Personal characteristics of the interacting. People love those who like the same phenomena, things, processes that they like, i.e. people love those who are similar to them, who are close to them in spirit, taste and preferences. People are attracted to those who have the same or close race, nationality, education, system of views on life, and so on. Potentially, people with similar personality characteristics are more likely to form friendships than those with significantly different personality characteristics.

2. The presence of territorial proximity in the location of these people. The closer the workplaces of group members are, the higher the likelihood that they will establish friendly relations. The same applies to the proximity of their places of residence.

3. The frequency of meetings, as well as the expectation that these meetings will occur often enough in the future.

4. How successful is the functioning of the group. In general, success leads to the development of positive attitudes among people towards each other to a greater extent than the unsuccessful functioning of the group.

5. The presence of one goal, which is subject to the actions of all members of the group. If group members are separated by solving individual problems, mutual sympathy and friendliness develop less often than if they work on solving a common problem for all.

6. Wide participation of all members of the group in decision making. The opportunity to influence group-wide processes stimulates the development of a positive perception of the team among group members.

The presence of sympathy in relations between people, the presence of friendly relations between members of the group has a huge impact on the mood of people, on their satisfaction with their work, their membership in the group. However, it cannot be unequivocally said that friendly relations between group members have only a positive impact on the results of work and the functioning of the organization as a whole. If people who have friendly relations with each other have a high motivation for work, then the presence of mutual sympathy and friendship contributes to a significant increase in the results of their work and thus positively affects the functioning of the group as a whole. If people are poorly motivated to work, then the result will be completely opposite. They will spend a lot of time in useless conversations, smoke breaks, tea parties, etc., constantly distracted from work, sharply reducing the effectiveness of their work. At the same time, they can distract others from the work, creating an atmosphere of idleness and relaxation.

The situational characteristics of the group depend little on the behavior of the members of the group and the group as a whole. These characteristics are related to its size and its spatial arrangement.

In small groups, it is more difficult to reach agreement, and a lot of time is spent on clarifying relationships and points of view. Finding information is difficult in large groups, as group members tend to be more reserved.

The spatial arrangement of group members has a noticeable effect on their behavior. There are three important characteristics of the spatial arrangement of the individual, on which the relationship between the individual and the group depends. First, it is the presence of a permanent or definite place or territory. The lack of clarity in this matter gives rise to many problems and conflicts in interpersonal relationships. Secondly, this is a personal space, that is, the space in which the body of only this person is located. Spatial proximity in the placement of people can give rise to many problems. Thirdly, this is the mutual arrangement of places. If a person takes a workplace at the head of the table, then this in the eyes of other members of the group automatically puts him in a leadership position. Management, knowing these and other questions of the location of group members, can achieve a significant effect only through the correct placement of jobs.