A community that regularly communicates and constantly interacts with each other is called a group. There is no place on earth where this phenomenon is absent. People everywhere create a specific community plan, which can be divided into formal and informal groups. Within each such community there should be two or more people, and the influence of all of them on each other should be mutual.
Definition
A formal group is a purely created separate leadership and purposefully small separate team in the general team, which is aimed at organizing the production process. That is, it is an organization with certain functions, specific tasks and clearly defined goals. Unlike formal, informal groups arise spontaneously and have no status.
The organization itself and each of its units are also groups whose members have common values, attitudes, rules, standards of behavior. If employees value their organization, they behave appropriately. This means that a formal group is a community held together by an understanding of behavioral norms. The internal relations of each organization also form groups - formal, that is, created by the head and documented, and informal, which developed spontaneously through interpersonal relationships and are not officially identified anywhere.
Main differences
According to the difference criteria, the following analysis can be carried out. A formal group is one that is created by the organization purely for its needs, a certain position of the job description may influence its behavioral characteristics, and the influence itself spreads only from top to bottom. The characteristics of the group are clearly defined using official channels, even interpersonal relationships are prescribed by the organization, and the leader is also appointed by the will of the authorities.
Informal groups arise spontaneously, goals satisfy the needs of the purely within the group, separate individuals influence each other, and not from top to bottom, but more often the other way around. Characteristics are unstable, variables, relationships arise spontaneously, a leader, if it appears, is only the will of the group itself. That is, formal and informal groups differ from each other in almost all respects.
Types
Before determining the type of group, it is necessary to find out on what foundation this community is built: are these relations friendly or industrial. In any case, the foundation of any group is organization. A formal group can belong to one of three types:
- Steering group: the main leader and his immediate subordinates, also leaders. For example, the president and vice presidents.
- Working group (either production or target): people who carry out the same task, planning it, rather, independently, and not collegially.
- Committee or non-governmental organization: an intra-organizational group that makes decisions by a general meeting, since it is created to coordinate the actions of various departments. There are committees working on an ongoing basis, and created to carry out a specific task, that is, temporary
Interaction
The formal organization created by the will of the authorities is also a social environment for all kinds of interaction between people, and not always according to the instructions of the leadership. Such social relationships sometimes give rise to numerous friendly groups within the common, but in general they represent one organization. Formal and informal social groups also have their similarities and differences.
Each person in the community, necessarily has an impact on others and himself in the process of communication is influenced - both positive and negative. Thus, personality traits of each member of the group and behavioral norms within this community are formed. An individual person can influence the whole group as much as desired, it depends on the authority, which is determined by both the unofficial part of the team and the official.
Creation goals
The community formed within the organization is people who spontaneously interact for certain common goals, and the one created for production is based on a well-thought-out plan. Nevertheless, formal and informal groups in an organization are very similar. Both there and there may be tasks, leaders appear and a hierarchy is built.
The difference is that informal groups are an unintentional reaction to any individual needs that are not satisfied by the organization, while formal ones are created according to a certain plan.
The purpose of the formal group is also clear and understandable: people enter it for the sake of professional interest, prestige or income. The reason for the appearance of an informal group is usually more “spiritual”: it is close communication and interest, common interests, mutual protection, mutual assistance, and so on.
Reasons for joining
First of all, the reason for joining formal and informal groups is the social need for belonging to it. In this way self-knowledge, self-affirmation, self-determination are acquired, needs are activated, and an environment for their satisfaction is created. In second place is the reason for the search for trust and mutual assistance. With any difficulties, people turn to colleagues rather than managers. With such relationships, a synergistic effect of group interaction appears. The purpose of the formal group is a healthy, efficient team, and therefore the creation of informal groups is usually monitored by the leader, and if necessary, relations in them are regulated.
To protect personal or group interests, for example, harmful conditions, problems with wages and so on, they also most often turn to the group. Informal relationships in a formal group usually contribute to team cohesion. Often the basis of communication in groups is a common interest, the same hobbies, joint spiritual values, as well as obtaining various kinds of information, not only production. And, of course, friendly communication and mutual sympathy play a huge role in creating a group. So people can avoid loneliness, feelings of uselessness, lostness, as well as receive moral assistance in cases of personal dramas.
Specifications
In informal organizations, there is always social control over all group members. First of all, it is the strengthening of behavioral norms. If changes in the team threaten a quiet existence, that is, common interests, positive emotions or a common experience of communication will suffer, then the informal group will actively resist all formal formations of the organization.
Any structure of a formal group and any unstructured informal can have a leader. The formal leader will have official authority, while the informal leader will have authority in the team. In the case of a struggle of priorities, it is difficult to predict the winner, since betting on people and having good relationships is almost more expensive than any official status. Smart leaders understand this and channel the energy of the informal group in the right direction, usually production.
Informal Group Management
All group formations within the team necessarily interact, and dynamically. The overall emotional attitude greatly affects both the interaction and the fulfillment of the tasks facing the team. The effectiveness of the formal group in all depends on the mood of informal groups. Therefore, their rapprochement is the main goal of any leader, so the negative manifestations in the relations of team members to each other will disappear, the “informals” will be oriented positively, they will easily fit into the public production space.
The cohesion of the team is the result of the coincidence of the interests of the formal and informal groups, it is in such conditions that labor productivity is the highest. On the contrary, if interests, rules and norms do not coincide, even an authoritative leader will find himself in a difficult position, the struggle between collective structures always hinders productivity growth. Unofficial relationships can help here; for this, personnel management techniques are created.
Formation mechanisms
If formal groups are created as planned, then informal groups always self-organize. Sometimes it happens that an informal group receives the status of an amateur group or public organization. Each team has contacting formal and informal groups, and the interaction has both positive and negative points. A smart leader will always be able to dispose of informal groups competently so that they help achieve the goals set by the company.
The problems associated with the emergence of informal groups in a team most often relate to the spread of false rumors, resistance to change, and a decrease in labor efficiency. But the benefits are much more interesting: this is the appearance of devotion to this enterprise, the spirit of collectivism. Productivity grows significantly if group norms begin to exceed officially established ones. Negative manifestations must be dealt with by listening to the opinions of informal leaders, dispelling rumors with official full information, and positive principles must be supported by allowing members of informal groups to participate in decision-making.
Small formal group
This is too flexible to have a standard definition. But formal small groups, of course, possess characteristic features. A separate association of people, which is a small group, is characterized by frequent interaction with each other, the obligatory identification of themselves as members of one group, the separation of almost all interests as common. All those in a small group take part in the role distribution system, and they identify themselves in the same objects and ideals. A small group co-operates all its members in interdependence to feel the most complete unity. With regard to the environment, a small group coordinates its activities.
In a small formal group, the number of members rarely reaches ten, which helps coordinate joint activities for quite some time. Such groups are incredibly tenacious. They will not only do the work for which they are united, but they will also receive the result, together with a reward. In addition to the fulfillment of a specific task, it is positive that an environment for self-affirmation and self-knowledge arises, which is a completely objective need of any person.