Programme
BBA
Subject ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
Semester III SEMESTER
University MANGALORE UNIVERSITY
Session
32

GROUP DYNAMICS
TYPES OF GROUPS

LEARNING OBJECTIVES/OUTCOME
At the end of the session, students should be able
to
1. Describe the various types of group .
2. Outline the differences between formal and
informal groups.

CLASSIFICATION OF GROUPS
GROUPS
FORMAL
Command
Group
Task
Group
INFORMAL
Interest
Group
Friendship
Group

FORMAL GROUP
• A designated work group created by an
organization’s structure.
• The behaviors that one should engage in are
stipulated by and directed towards organizational
goals.

FEATURES OF FORMAL GROUPS
• Part of the organizational structure.
• Created deliberately and consciously by the
management to perform the assigned duties.
• Pattern of communication is defined
• Rules are laid down to regulate the behavior of
group members.
• May be either permanent or temporary.

TYPES OF FORMAL GROUP
• Command Group : A group composed of individuals
who report directly to a given manager. Ex. A
manager and his supervisors reporting to him form
one command group.
• Task Group : those working together to complete a
task. A task group can cross command relationships.
• Committees: set up for some special projects or to
solve recurring problems. They are created usually
outside the command group structure.

INFORMAL GROUP
• An informal group is one that’s not organizationally
determined or influenced and usually formed by the
members themselves in response to the need for
social contact.
• Natural formations in work environment .

FEATURES OF FORMAL GROUPS
• Arise spontaneously in the organization because of social
interaction between the people.
• Based on common interests, language, taste, caste, religion,
background etc.
• Exist outside the formal authorities system and without any set
rigid rules.
• More flexible than the formal groups.
• They represent the human side of enterprise as compared to
technical side represented by the formal groups.

TYPES OF FORMAL GROUP
• Interest Group: those working together to attain a
specific objective with which each is concerned. For
ex, the employees who group together to lobby for
some fringe benefits.
• Friendship group. These are groups of people who
have come together because they share one or
more common characteristics.
• Reference Groups: It may not be a real association
of individuals; an illusionary or imaginary group to
which an individual relates himself/herself due to
the same profession or other similar attributes

OTHER CLASSIFICATIONS
• Open and Closed Groups
• Membership and Reference Groups.
• In-groups and Out- groups

FORMAL VS INFORMAL GROUPS

References
• Ashwathappa, K., “ Organizational Behaviour”, 3rd Ed., HPH,
Bombay, 1996
• Stephen P. Robbins., “Organizational Behavior”, 10th
Ed.,
Prentice Hall Inc.
• https://courses.lumenlearning.com/

MCQs
1. Groups which are formed as a consequence
of organizational structure and work division
are known as
a) Operational groups
b) Target groups
c) Informal Groups
d) Formal Groups.

2. Which of the following is not a feature of
informal organization?
(a) It originates from within the formal
organization.
(b) The standards of behavior evolve from group
norms.
(c) Scalar chain of command is not followed.
(d) It is deliberately created by the management.

3. Asha gets together with ten other people she
knows each month and discusses a book that a
member of the group has picked for everyone
to read. What kind of group is this?
a)Task Group
b) Friendship group
c) Interest group
d) Command group

4. Employees who come together to seek
improved working conditions form_____ group.
a) Command Group
b) Friendship Group
c) Interest Group
d) Committee

5. Groups based on support for a sports team is
an example of _______.
a) Interest Group
b) Friendship Group.
c) Command Group
d) Sports Group.

5. The ‘in-group’ and ‘out-group’ phenomenon is
characterized by
a) Two groups that have favorable views of each other.
b) Two groups that have polarized and
uncomplimentary views of each other.
c) demoralization in both groups.
d) high morale in one of the groups.