valuing diversity

I do not think that valuing diversity in groups comes to easy. It is something that most groups have to work at and sometimes is passed by. I think the main reason for lack of valuing diversity in group work is a lack of trust. You start a group and just because someone looks different does not mean they come from any different background than you. Diversity is a key component and a big add on to any group. To have a different perspective on a topic brings a new element of critical thinking to your group. This is why it is important to enhance a group’s ability to value diversity. ways to enhance a group ability to value diversity is to maybe step out of your shoes and try to understand how other cultures of people see it by thinking about their religion, social norms, ect. And by thinking of it this way you could respect and value the diversity others bring to your group.

post # 3 cohesion

Something I found interesting in chapter 3 was the part about cohesion. Cohesion in a group is “the degree which an individual member feels an attraction to the group” (pg. 48) Cohesion in a group shows how much a member feels important in the group. If a member feels like an important part of the team they will contribute more to the cause and put forth a better effort. A group that does not have cohesive group members will not exactly fail but the results do not tend to be as good as a group with solid cohesion. I agree with this because when I am in a group and feel like my position is something only I can do and I am bringing something to the group then I am more motivated to giving my best input for the group. I usually tend to give more effort and spend more time on the task. It is the opposite when I am in a group that does not really need me. I feel left and do not care much about the group.

chapter 3 + 9 post #2

Every group has norms and every norm serves a specific function that is beneficial to the group. These norms and function make a group run more efficient. Functions of norms in groups are decisions made to better the group. Table 9.3 on page 155 shows a clear example of the thought processes that is goes into group members mind as they are making the decisions that will become norms in the group.

A violation of a norm happens when a group member does not fully “understand what the group norms are, identify with the groups goals, plan to belong to the group for a long period of time, feel a high level of cohesiveness in the group, or decide what they are lesser power or status than other group members”. (pg. 44) I have experienced group members violating the norms within groups I have been in. The group that I am in the most has many norms. Most the time when people violate these norms it is because they do not fully understand the norm. Every year we have a whole class of freshmen come in and they have to learn a lot of rules and norms fast. These are the kids who usually violate the norms but only because they fully do not understand them.

Chapter 3 group norms

Yes, I believe there are group norms at SJSU. Norms of being a student here are doing the homework for all the classes, especially classes that have a lot of group work because if you do not do the homework then you cannot participate in the group part. I think most of the norms of being a SJSU student are kind of things you know you should do to be successful at school. On the other hand, the group that I am associated with has countless norms. Some norms to point out are if you are not 5 minutes early to a scheduled meeting then you are late. No talking on the bus before games because if you are then it shows coaches that you are not concentrated on the task before you and you are just screwing around. Another norm in my group is not being late or missing any classes because if you are caught doing this the entire team is punished. There are many norms associated with the football team and these ones that I mentioned really only scratch the surface. I think that the difference between the two groups is with being a student are things you should do but you are on your own and its ultimately up to you to do it. but with football they are more hold your hand you must do this and you must do this and if you don’t you will be punished. There is only one way to do it and you either do it their way or leave. I think I have adapted to these norms. First adapting to school was easy because I want to succeed. Getting used to football norms was a little harder but I think I have finally come around to their ways and have adapted to their norms.

chapter 2

The interrealationship that group members form is really what makes a group what it is. Without openness and good communication you cannot have a group that will function well. I have one recent example of this happing in a group that I was involved with. Last semester we had to make a business plan for a class and I had formed a group with some members on my team. We had one outsider that we had just met that was in our group. The guys on my team I saw every day and spent a good amount of time with them so I already knew them. Working with them was not the problem. The one person that we did not know was a different story. We did not know him and had already formed a solid relationship with each other so it was hard for him to get to know us. I thought this hurt his ability to be open with us because he did not feel as if he knew us as well as everyone else in the group knew each other. This lead to him being shy and not putting much into the group. In addition, throughout the year his communication was poor because I think he was timid to be a part of our group. It was always hard to get on the same page with the kid because it was hard to get a hold of. The group did not fail though because we picked up his slack. I thought this was a good example because it shows how important communication is and getting on the same page. If there had been more than this one kid that was not good at communicating in the group then im not sure how well the group would have done.

Chapter 2 wholeness and synergy

I thought an interesting concept the book provides is its look on wholeness and synergy. It explains that “Whole is greater than the sum of its parts” (p.28). This means that the sum of peoples work in isolation is less than the sum of the same amount of people working together. This is important because this is what a group is really all about. If you got the same work done with no help there would be no need for groups at all. The book then explains that the interaction between each other then produces more work in turn, and it is called synergy. This synergy is a result of the interaction between its group members. Their thoughts and ideas are mixed together in discussion and in turn create a larger and more complete thought. Synergy is one reason that makes small groups effective at solving problems and is another reason why groups are widely used to get better work done.

Chapter 2 post 1 (Explain how entropy and equifinality impact small groups)

Entropy is a word used to describe the tendency that Small living systems usually have to be disorganized and chaotic. Entropy usually happens to groups when the input of information or task is low causing the group members to lose focus and thus becoming disorganized. The lack of energy is not the only thing that can lead to entropy. When facing too much information a group can also become disorganized. Entropy impact on small groups is significant and knowing how to keep away for disorganization can lead to small group success.

Equifinality describes how there are different routes to get to the same destination. This has an impact on small groups because one strength of one group may be a weakness for anther and if there was only one way to do something than one of these groups would be a t a disadvantage. Because there are different ways to get the same result groups can figure out what their strengths are and then achieve their goal by using them.