![]() When members perceive active competition with another group, they become more aware of members’ similarity within their group and see their group as a means to overcome the external threat or competition they are facing. Think how it feels to be part of a winning basketball team! External Competition and Threats Group success, like exclusive entry, increases the value of group membership to its members and influences members to identify more strongly with the team and to want to be actively associated with it. This is why alumni of prestigious universities tend to keep in touch for many years after they graduate. The more elite the group is perceived to be, the more prestigious it is to be a member in that group, and consequently, the more motivated members are to belong and stay in it. Entry Difficultyĭifficult entry criteria or procedures to a group tend to present it in more exclusive light. ![]() Task cohesion may suffer, though, if the group lacks enough members to perform its tasks well enough. Group Sizeīecause it is easier for fewer people to agree on goals and to coordinate their work, smaller groups are more cohesive than larger groups. In general, higher agreement among members on group rules and norms results in greater trust and less dysfunctional conflict, which, in turn, strengthen both emotional and task cohesion. In addition, similar background makes it more likely that members share similar views on various issues, including group objectives, communication styles, and the type of desired leadership. Through social identity theory, it has been found that people feel closer to those whom they perceive as similar to themselves in external characteristics (age, ethnicity) or internal ones (values, attitudes). The more group members are similar to each other on various characteristics, the easier it is to reach cohesion. Often, these factors work through enhancing the identification of the individual with the group he or she belongs to as well as the individual’s beliefs of how the group can fulfill his or her personal needs. The main factors that influence group cohesion are members’ similarity, group size, entry difficulty, group success, and external competition and threats. The forces that push group members together can be positive (group-based rewards) or negative (things lost upon leaving the group). Group (or team) cohesion was studied extensively and has received a great deal of attention in the social sciences, as evidenced by the hundreds of articles published in the past 50 years in various domains, including sports, education, and work (a quick Google search revealed that there are more than 278,000 hits for “group cohesion” and nearly 120,000 hits for “group cohesiveness”). That is, is there a feeling that the group works smoothly as one unit, or do different people pull in different directions? That is, how much do members like to spend time with other group members? Do they look forward to the next group meeting? Task cohesion refers to the degree to which group members share group goals and work together to meet these goals. The emotional aspect of cohesion, which was studied more often, is derived from the connection that members feel to other group members and to their group as a whole. Cohesion has two dimensions: emotional (or personal) and task-related. One important element that influences one’s group work experience is cohesion. Most people have had both good and bad experiences from participating in such group work. A lot of work these days is accomplished in groups. Group cohesion is a social process that characterizes groups whose members interact with each other and refers to the forces that push group members closer together.
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