Explain A group formation passes through various stages?

Answer 1

Groups generally pass through a standardized sequence in their evolution. This sequence is known as the five-stage model of group development.

The five-stage model:

The five-stage group development model characterizes group as processing through five distinct stages: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning.

Forming: The first stage, forming, is characterized by a great deal of uncertainty about the group's purpose, structure, and leadership. Members are "testing the waters" to determine what types of behavior are acceptable. This stage is complete when members have begun to think of themselves as part of a group.

Storming: The storming stage is one of intra-group conflicts. Members accept the existence of the group, but there is resistance to the constraints that the group imposes on individuality over who will control the group. When this stage is complete, there will be a relatively clear hierarchy of leadership within the group.

Norming: The third stage, norming, is one in which close relationships develop and the group demonstrate cohesiveness. There is now a strong sense of group identity and camaraderie. This norming stage is complete when the group structured solidifies and the group has assimilated a common set of expectations of what defines correct member behavior.

Performing: The fourth stage is performing. The structure at this point is fully functional and accepted. Group energy has moved from getting to know and understand each other to performing the task at hand.

Adjourning: For permanent work groups, performing is the last stage in their development. However, for temporary committees, teams, tasks, forces, and similar groups that have a limited task to perform, there is an adjourning stage. In this stage, the group prepares for its disbandment. High task performance is no longer the group's priority. Instead, attention is directed towards wrapping up activities. Responses of group members vary in this stage. Some are upbeat, basking in the group's accomplishments. Others may be depressed over the loss of camaraderie and friendship gained during the work group's life.

Many interpreters of the five-stage model have assumed that a group becomes more effective as it progress through the first four stages. Although this assumption may be generally true, what makes a group effective is more complex than this model acknowledges. Under some conditions, high levels of conflict are conducive to high group performance and thus groups in stage II may outperform those in stage III & stage IV. Similarly groups do not always proceed clearly from one stage to the next and several stages go on simultaneously such as when groups are storming and performing at the same time. Groups may even occasionally regress to previous stages. Therefore, even the strongest proponents of this model do not assume that all groups follow its five-stage process precisely or that stage IV is always the most preferable.

Another problem with the five-stage model is that it ignores organizational context. For instance, a study of a cockpit crew in an airliner found that within ten minutes three strangers assigned to fly together for the first time had become high-performing group. The rigid organization context provides the rules, task, definitions, information, and resources required for the group to perform effectively.