•Group+Cohesiveness

**Chowdhury, D. (2007). //High cohesiveness in a group leads to higher group productivity.// Retrieved from**
 * []**

Mr. Chowdhury is an engineer active in product development, project management and research and development. In this article, Chowdhury cites several studies contending that physical proximity, friendship and group cohesiveness all contribute to productivity. When one group agrees on norms, they are more likely to act as a single unit with distinctive goals. He cites Vecchio’s (2006) “effects of group cohesiveness: satisfaction, communication, hostility and productivity, noting that the hostility is not internal, rather it is directed towards competing groups. Chowdhury notes that group members value the group and they implicitly or explicitly presser other members to submit non-normative behavior for the benefit of the group. The author cautions that high group cohesiveness in not necessarily a predictor of high productivity. Unless the group has good leadership and appropriate management, productivity is not assured.

** DeGuire North, J. (2003). Using meetings to create cohesion. In D. Leaming (Ed.), //Managing people: A guide for department chairs and deans//. Bolton, MA: Anker. **

DeGuire North discusses the challenges of academic meetings. She straightforwardly acknowledges that many people have an aversion to spending time in meetings, as they may have had negative experiences with non-productive gatherings and view them as time-wasted. DeGuire North suggests strategies that leaders can adopt to promote a positive group dynamic and yield productive sessions. Two of these strategies are: normal group technique and inventing criteria. She systematically describes the process of each method, both of which necessitate reflection time, egalitarian contribution of all participants and reporting and recording of individual ideas. This approach serves to direct group focus on collective objectives, rather than to fester at the individual/personal level. The author also suggests that leadership of a meeting be apportioned among members with a member assuming the role of organizer, completer, facilitator, and recorder. Rather than a dreaded event, department meetings can and should be unique opportunities to interact and identify collective goals, so that a cohesive group can function for the betterment of the whole.

**Grossman, H. (2004).** **//Classroom behavior management for diverse and inclusive schools//** **//3rdedition//** **(pp. 37-55).** **Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield.**  In chapter two on group cohesiveness, Grossman examines the effect of group cohesion on classroom behavior. He reports that a group, which adheres to norms, is inclined not to harbor prejudices but to act fairly towards individuals within the group. Grossman contends that in a cohesive group, individuals are willing to forgo some personal freedom to further the group goals. The author emphasizes the need to foster a cohesive classroom environment through the increased communication that cooperative learning experiences present. He cautions, however, that cooperative learning will only be effective in terms of promoting a positive environment when students are trained, sensitized, prepared and monitored prior to and during the learning process. Students must be taught how to collaborate. They need to know the boundaries and recognize acceptable from unacceptable behavior during collaborative interactions within the group. Grossman details some of the potential threats to a cohesive environment, but discusses how these factors, when addressed, can become catalysts to learning and can lead to a transformational approach. Grossman concludes that a cohesive classroom environment in which individual needs are met and differences respected, leads to highly motivated students who value both the learning process and the collective rights of the group. In this optimal environment, classroom management becomes a non-issue.

**Jung, D. L., & Sosik, J. J. (2002, June). Transformational leadership in work groups: The role of empowerment, cohesiveness, and collective-efficacy on perceived group performance. //Small Group Research, 33//(3), 313-336. **

Dong L. Jung, a professor at San Diego State University and John J. Sosik, a professor at Pennsylvania State University, examine the impact of transformational leadership on the perceived empowerment, cohesiveness, and efficacy of work groups. The authors explain the distinction between transformational leadership and transactional leadership and point out that research has shown that transformational leadership has been associated with a leader’s ability to move a group past their expected abilities into higher achievement. Looking at forty-seven existing work groups in four South Korean companies, the authors found that the transformational leadership style did positively affect perceived group cohesiveness and efficacy. Also, it did show a positive correlation to overall group production. The findings of this study support the idea that leadership, whether it be in a corporate work group, a teacher based professional learning community or an individual classroom, can greatly impact how groups perceive themselves and by extension, how effective the groups are in their assigned tasks.

**Lee, G. V. (2009, December). From group to team: Skilled facilitation moves a group from a collection of individuals to an effective team. //Journal of Staff Development, 30//(5), 44-49. ** Ginny V. Lee is an associate professor of educational leadership at California State University East Bay. One of the courses she has taught is geared toward helping future school administrators facilitate the growth of effective teams within their schools. In this article, Professor Lee maintains that there is a difference between a group and an effective team. This distinction is key since over the past thirty years a substantial body of evidence has supported the efficacy of teachers working together to improve student learning. With a greater emphasis on professional learning teams, team leaders and administrators have a vested interest in ensuring that these teams are strong and productive. There are fundamental areas which need to be addressed in order for a group to become a team. Professor Lee shares the seven stages of the Team Performance Model but focuses primarily on the first two steps. These two steps, orientation and trust building, lay a foundation for a cohesive group because they help team members to feel comfortable, safe and secure in their roles and goals within the group. This article helps to support the importance of creating a cohesive, cooperative group in order to ensure substantial outcomes.

**Sullo, B. (2009). Build positive relationships with students. In //The motivated student: Unlocking the enthusiasm for learning// (pp. 72-85). Alexandria, VA: ASCD **

Bob Sullo, a former English teacher and school administrator is currently an author and educational consultant. In his book //The Motivated Student: Unlocking the Enthusiasm for Learning//, Sullo focuses on the teacher’s role in motivating students to want to learn. In the chapter entitled “Build Positive Relationships with Students”, Sullo points out that our feelings of connectedness and belonging are directly related to the positive relationships we experience in a situation. In a classroom, students need to feel that they are liked by the teacher, that they are respected and that they can trust the teacher if they are going to produce their best work. The ideas in this chapter help to emphasize the importance of effective leadership in the cohesiveness of a group. The teacher, as leader of the classroom group, takes the primary role in creating a cohesive classroom environment which in turn will lead to increased student learning.