Group Cohesiveness

Group cohesiveness refers to the extent to which a given group feels attracted to each other and feels the need to remain in the group. Often, this bond has a significant impact on the performance of the team, since it affects their ability to work together even when the going gets tough. Unfortunately, this closeness varies with every group, according to the several factors which determine how cohesive a set of individuals will be. Communication is a crucial factor in ensuring that people can understand each other to work together (Kukreja, 2019). However, when the size of the group is too large for people to communicate at an individual level, it restricts a deeper level of interaction, which may explain low levels of cohesiveness.

Lack of success in achieving the primary objectives of the group may also cause a lack of sense of pride within the group. Here, individuals may often find someone to blame for the failure resulting in a weaker group without a united team spirit. Additionally, if the group is considerably large, small groups within the parent group may emerge, thus amplifying the differences in the team rather than the similarities.

Extensive research suggests that the difficulty of entry in a group increases the sense of pride within members, thereby enhancing internal cohesion (Kukreja, 2019). The understanding that they share certain rare qualities, and that others did not make it influences them to develop a degree of liking toward each other. However, if there is no systematic and strict selection of members, the club loses its exclusivity. Therefore, it is more likely than groups with low levels of cohesiveness do not have selection criteria for members joining the group. Thus, members may have a difficult time aligning their principles, attitudes, and working styles.

References

Kukreja, S. (2019). Factors Contributing to Group Cohesiveness | Management Study HQ. Available at: https://www.managementstudyhq.com/group-cohesiveness.html [Accessed 16 Jan. 2020].