A group is a unit of two or more persons who work together to achieve a goal. The members of a group interact with one another in face to face relationships over a period of time.
Thus a group may be defined as a collection of two or more persons who have a common goal and interact with each other to accomplish the goal.
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As every individual has a personality of his/her own so also a group acquires a personality over a period of time. Group personality is characterised by the following features:
1. Spirit of conformity:
Every group establishes certain norms of behavior. The members of the group tend to comply with these norms in order to gain recognition. They adjust themselves by conforming to the accepted standards of their group relationships.
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2. Respect for group values:
Every group develops and tries to maintain certain values and ideals making it different from other groups. In order to deal with the group effectively it is essential to understand the group values.
3. Collective power:
An individual alone is powerless. A group is always more powerful than individuals. The group as a whole rule over individuals. An odd member can never have a say in the group. A group is a collective power.
4. Group prejudice:
Just as individuals have their prejudices so also groups have their own prejudices. A person’s prejudices tend to become stronger when he interacts with other members of the group with similar prejudices.
5. Resistance to change:
A group may bring about its own changes. However a group opposes changes which are likely to threaten its unity and norms. The interactions and relationships between members of a group is called group Dynamics.
Interaction among the group members is the core of group dynamics. A group becomes defunct without communication. Group dynamics is thus concerned with the interactions between members of a group in face to face relationships.