Human social systems, and groups in partlcular, are conceived as units which, as a whole, actively strive towards the achievement of external and internal goals. This 'group action' consists of simultaneous integrated processes on various individual and social levels. Our theory comprises four groups of constructs, which refer to task structure, group structure, information processing and execution. In an ongoing group action, the task structure is projected on the group structure; according to the resulting pattern, the group processes its action related information and executes the act. The latter two processes proceed on two levels, on an individual and on a group level. There are cognition, emotion and volition on the individual, and communicahon on the group level of information processing; execution proceeds in individual action and in cooperation. A specific part of the theory concerns analogies between individual cognition and intragroup communication. AIMS AND DEPARTUREIn this paper we aim to develop the contours of a theory of group action which corresponds to our present knowledge of the directed behaviour of self-active systems, and particularly of human goal-directed action. We conceive the group as a system composed of active sub-systems, sub-groups or individual actors; group action therefore constitutes at least a two-level process. This viewpoint makes a proper analysis of group action possible, which, we believe, will in turn lead to an improved understanding of the structure and function of groups, will give a more 'We are grateful to the students of our seminars on group action and mass psychology for their discussions and criticism. meaningful order to other concepts and findings and thus may lead group psychology out of its present stagnation. Our theory should also particularly help to analyse leadership as a specific process of group action; and, although it has been primarily designed for the description and explanation of small group processes, it should further a better understanding of the action of organizations and of mass action.Why have we engaged in this ambitious enterprise? Beyond the immediate instigation, a symposium about problems of leadership2, we were impressed by the finding that current small group theory hardly analyses behaviour on the group level. As textbooks, manuals and review articles document, it mainly deals with the behaviour, cognitions and feelings, be they interactive or not, of individuals in groups or with aspects of group structure, group norms and their impact on individuals. There is one line of research (discussed by Moscovici and Paicheler 1973) which is relevant to our problem: the study of group efficiency. Let us shortly outline those ideas mainly developed in French social psychology which are of major interest for us. The first of these is the introduction of two factors beyond the capability of the individual member, namely the structure of the group and the the structure of the task as important co-producers of group efficiency (e.g. Ro...
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.