As I read through chapter three, the concept cohesiveness stood out to me. It “is the extent to which members are loyal and committed to the group” (Griffin, 2005, p. 629) “creating a force that binds group members together” (Keton & Springstone, 1990, p. 234). Although there is usually a set structure on how the group is to get work done, interaction and communication within the group determines the strength of cohesiveness. This is not to say that everyone has to be friends or even get along in order for there to be cohesiveness. As long as each member of the group is willing to participate and contribute, there will be no problem.
A few semesters ago I was assigned to a group project where two of the members did not get along. At first they would not even speak to each other which negatively affected the cohesiveness of our group. We did not feel like they were loyal and committed to our group. Once I stressed the importance of the assignment and how it was going to impact our grades, they put their problems to the side and willingly put effort and input into our assignment.
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Cohesiveness is a very interesting concept. It is also very essential for a particular group to be successful. I enjoyed reading your post, but I really think members of a group need to get along for cohesiveness to exist in the first place. The text talks about how groups are not doomed if they don’t get along, but for group to be cohesive, getting along is the starting point. The book also discusses cohesiveness to be “a set of influence and reasons that keep member in a group.” If the members do not enjoy being with one another, most likely it would be very difficult for them to be attracted to the group.
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