Tuckmans Theory free essay sample

Tuckman hypothesized five stages of behaviors in a group: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning. The forming stage is a period of uncertainty in which members try to determine their place in a group and what the rules are. Conflicts arise during the storming stage as member’s rebel against the task at hand. During the norming stage the group establishes a common ground regarding roles structure and norms in appropriate behavior. In the performing stage, the groups patterns in working together become more flexible and achieve their goals more proficiently. In the adjourning stage the group disbands. Group Dynamics, David W. Johnson and Frank P. Johnson. Page 27 2. List and briefly discuss the three criteria that need to be met so that competition can be constructive. Competition tends to be more constructive when: 1. Winning is relatively unimportant. When winning is relatively unimportant it promotes fun engagement with the other competitors and they find other constructive ways to achieve their goal. We will write a custom essay sample on Tuckmans Theory or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 2. All participants have a reasonable chance to win. Individuals who believe that they will not win typically won’t try and will have less interest and enjoyment in the experience. There are clear and specific rules, procedures, and criteria for winning. When in competition ambiguity interferes with achievement, when energy is directed towards what is fair and unfair. (Group Dynamics page 113 Johnson and Johnson, 1974-2009b) 3. Discuss the relevance of gatekeepers in one-way communication. When you have a classroom full of people and the teacher gives one person (gatekeeper) to pass the message on to the rest of the class it’s up to the gatekeeper to relay the message in an understandable message. Eventually the message will come back to the gatekeeper and it most of the time will come back garbled and usually won’t make sense. Because a lot of the people in the class that are relaying the gatekeeper’s message perceive the message differently and relay it out differently than the gatekeeper. Unfortunately other people in the class room don’t understand and the message tends to get garbled. (Group Dynamics page 153 Johnson and Johnson, 1974-2009b) 4. According to the text, why is individual decision-making lacking? Be sure to support your answer with the text. Individual decision-making is lacking because group decisions tend to make more effective decisions where as an individual normally makes quick and sometimes incorrect decisions, it’s up to an individual to get into a group to compare and formulize new ideas. Also people tend to not follow their own instincts and follow everyone else’s. Everyone these days are always waiting to hear what the other person has to say or feel. (Group Dynamics Chapters 7-8 page 301 Johnson and Johnson, 1974-2009b) Explain how the language we use can affect our credibility with diverse peers. The language we use can affect our credibility with diverse peers, because with diversity comes people who don’t understand your language. For example if I were in a diverse group and I were to use a word or a phrase, someone else in the group may perceive that statement or word in a totally different way. There are words in our vocabulary that mean a totally different thing in someone else’s vocabulary, so people tend to get confused and or insulted.