Week 1 September 2-7

Research Site:  ProQuest
Keyword: Group Dynamics
# of results: 426837 (sorted by relevance)

1.Chapman, K. J., Meuter, M., Toy, D., & Wright, L. (2006). Can't we pick our own groups? The influend of group selection method on group dynamics and outcomes. Journal of Management Education, 30(4), 557-569. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/195719369?accountid=9817


Abstract:   In today's business world, the ability to work efficiently and effectively with others in a group is a mandatory skill. Many employers rank "ability to work with a group" as one of the most important attributes for business school graduates to possess. Therefore, it is important for instructors to understand the factors that influence group dynamics and outcomes and students' attitudes toward group experiences. The objective of this research is to test whether the method of group member assignment (i.e., random or self-selected) affects the nature of group dynamics and outcomes, and students' attitudes toward the group experience. The results indicate that the method of group member assignment does influence group dynamics, attitudes toward the group experience, and group outcomes.

Lorie's Annotations: The case is made that working in team's is essential to business students' success. Communication, collaboration, cooperation and compromise are the 4 C's noted from Katzenbach's research.  Most of the research noted is from the 1990's. The strength to this article is the foundational research from that era can be built upon with more current research.
Two means of group selection are explored. Random assignment is more like the "workplace" but some argue groups may not have the skillset needed if selection left to random chance. Self-selection usually  leads to friends choosing to work together and  student sitting in proximity invited to join group. Cronyism often happens, meaning it is hard for  the student that has not been friends with the other members to become part of the group and feel like a part of the group. Experimental research projects were not in abundance. The researchers used marketing students in 16 sections of class. Students worked in teams (2 to 6 members) throughout the semester to complete a project and then were given a survey at the end. Self selected groups communicated more effectively, more enthusiastic about working in groups, took more interest in members, felt more confident with team members abilities and were less likely to do others' work. Whereas, the randomly selected felt their groups used time more effectively and were more task oriented. They suggest further research to compare group types to the quality of work completed.

2.Nicolopoulou, K., Kostomaj, M., & Campos, A. (2006). How to address group dynamics in virtual worlds. AI & Society, 20(3), 351-371. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00146-005-0027-0

Abstract:  The study of group dynamics highlights the activity in the group in terms of its performance and communication. The experience of facilitating virtual communities and teams (Eunice and Kimball in http://www.Tmn.com/~lisa/odn-teams.htm, 1997) suggests that groups go through the same stages either in face-to-face or in online mode. The paper brings together a theoretical framework based on the literature on virtual communities, Gestalt systems and online facilitation in order to address the issue of electronic togetherness, in particular from a group dynamicsperspective. The empirical work on which the paper is based is an observation of a group of students in a training set playing a decision-making game. The model of Tuckman (Tuckman in Psychol Bull 63:384-399, 1965; Tuckman and Jensen in Group Organ Stud 2:419-427, 1977) is used as a framework within which to discuss the findings of the case. The paper finishes with concrete recommendations for facilitators of online communities and designers of the electronic spaces where these communities operate.

Lorie's Annotations:  For this case study the researchers studied three bodies of literature: virtual communities, Gestalt systems, and fascilitation of online group dynamics. Virtual communities literature noted "communities of practice" from Lave and Wenger (1991) and then the additional research by Wenger and Snyder (2000).  The following is listed for the community, "meet regularly in physical or virtual space, may have an agenda that they have to follow more or less closely,share their experience and knowledge in free-flowing, creative ways that foster new approaches to problems, cannot be ‘managed’. The summary of empirical findings "shows that technology in virtual communities has not advanced to a degree where the interactions taking place online could really substitute offline ones in the traditional sense, but can be sustained infrastructurally by management."
A three, five, and six stage models are mentioned to define group forming stages.  An indepth look of Tuckman's  five stages included forming (users introduce themselves), storming (conflict is normal but should be dealt with), norming (how and when group works), performing (depends on activities performed by group),  and adjourning (debriefing or reflection).

3.Rehm, M., & Endrass, B. (2009). Rapid prototyping of social group dynamics in multiagent systems. AI & Society, 24(1), 13-23. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00146-009-0191-8

Abstract:  In this article we present an engineering approach for the integration of social group dynamics in the behavior modeling of multiagent systems. To this end, a toolbox was created that brings together several theories from the social sciences, each focusing on different aspects of group dynamics. Due to its modular approach, the toolbox can either be used as a central control component of an application or it can be employed temporarily to rapidly test the feasibility of the incorporated theories for a given application domain. This is exemplified by applying the toolbox to different applications.

Lorie's Annotations: Key components to teach "coherent social behavior" were noted. Second Life and Beergarden were two examples discussed using the components.The article notes behavior must be taught and an online agent is a means to complete that.