Answer by Researcher leader on Tue 25 Nov 2008 - 11:26 am UTC:

Hello fcc_guy:
 
Listed are some good sources of information related to group dynamics.
Notice that I have divided the content in three sections.
 
Section 1 highlights resources on the web which provide an in depth but
simple explanation of the group dynamics, without complexities. These
websites should be able to answer your questions, in brief. 

Section 2 constitutes supplemental material that may be useful in
explaining various other questions in your query. 

Section 3 proposes articles with in-depth research into the multiple
answers that you seek. 

SECTION 1 

1. Websites 
(i) Organizational Behavior 

Comments: Comprehensive notes on the dynamics of organizational group will
answer most questions. 

URL: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/1650/htmlobtoc02.html 

(ii) Group Dynamics Resource Page 

Comments: A lucid explanation on the working of a group. The study will
answer most questions.
 
URL: http://facultystaff.richmond.edu/~dforsyth/gd/index.htm#4 

(iii) Small Group Communication 

Comments: Question & Answer Style 

URL: http://www.abacon.com/commstudies/groups/group.html 

(iv) Informal Group Dynamics 

Comments: Covers topics such as Formation, Leadership, Communications,
Cohesion, Norms and Changing norms 

URL: http://accel-team.com/work_groups/index.html 

(v) Group Dynamics 

Comments: Excerpt from first chapter of a Book covers multiple topics in
group formation and its workings. 

URL: http://www.guilford.com/excerpts/garvin.pdf 

1.2 Basic Academic Theories Explained 

Academic Theories 

Comment: Each link provides a brief overview of different theories and may
answer several related questions. Sub-Links are in question format. Indeed
an extremely helpful resource. 

URL: http://changingminds.org/explanations/theories/theories.htm 

SECTION 2 

2.1 Supplemental Material 

(i) Group Dynamics & Team Building
http://www.wfh.org/2/docs/Publications/Hemo_Org_Resources/Monographs/HOD4_Group_Dynamics.pdf


(ii) How Groups Work: A study of Group Dynamics and its Possible Negative
Implications
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/481 

(iii) Theory of Group Relations
http://www.grouprelations.com/index.php?mode=53765c695b65026857765270 

(iv) Group Dynamics Process & Development
http://wilderdom.com/Group.html 

(v) Groups and group dynamics
http://www.onepine.info/mgrp.htm 

(vi) Group Dynamics
http://www.brianmac.co.uk/group.htm 

(vii) Leadership Development: The Internal Dynamics of Groups
http://www.fldp.org/2008/11/07/the-internal-dynamics-of-groups/ 

(viii) The Dilemma of an Invisible Man Culture 
http://www.weblab.org/lovestories/philosophy.shtml 

(ix) Understanding Group Dynamics
http://www.ursuline.edu/students/activities/leadership/Group%20Dynamics.doc


(x) Leadership
http://www.iscribe.org/lead/index.html

(xi) Informal Group Dynamics at Work
http://www.chrmglobal.com/Replies/1638/1/Informal-Group-Dynamics-at-Work.html


SECTION 3 

3.1 WHY DO PEOPLE JOIN A GROUP? 

(i) Group Dynamics
URL: http://www.ccghe.jhmi.edu/assets/ccghe/documents/s2-group_dynamics.pdf


(ii) Group Dynamics – Leadership Development
URL: http://www.uky.edu/GetInvolved/Leadership/pdf/Group%20Dynamics.pdf 

(iii) Development Dynamics of Small Groups
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=910365
(Please click on Download link on the upper left menu to access full
article) 

3.2 WHY DO THEY GIVE UP THEIR INDIVIDUALITY AND ACCEPT THE GROUP PHIOSOPHY?


(i) Risky Shift Phenomenon
URL: http://changingminds.org/explanations/theories/risky_shift.htm 

(ii) Collective Intelligence
URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_intelligence 

(iii) Continuity & Change
URL: http://wps.ablongman.com/wps/media/objects/594/609233/CC/ch16_CC.pdf
 
3.3 WHY DO THEY DO THE THINGS REQUIRED EVEN WHEN THEY DON’T AGREE WITH
IT? WHY ARE THEY ALWAYS TRYING TO PUT SOMEONE DOWN? 

(i) Cognitive Dissonance in Groups: The Consequences of Disagreement 
URL: http://www.duke.edu/~wwood/Matz.Wood.2005.pdf 

(ii) Group Dynamics
URL: http://home.pacbell.net/stanfeld/groupdynamics.html 

(iii) Group Dynamics
URL: http://www.medhunters.com/articles/groupDynamics.html 

(iv) Group dynamics and learning in an Organization Behavior virtual
learning community: the case of six virtual peer-learning teams.
URL: http://ultibase.rmit.edu.au/Articles/nov03/creese2.htm 

(v) Group Process
URL: http://www.cedanet.com/meta/group_process.htm 

3.4 WHAT PREVENTS THEM FROM LEAVING SUCH A GROUP? WHAT DO THEY GAIN BY
STAYING IN SUCH A GROUP? 

(i) Manipulating Christians through Group Dynamics
URL: http://www.psychoheresy-aware.org/manipulating1_145.html 

(ii) Psychographics and its effects on Group Dynamics 
URL: http://www.northcrossing.com/PsychGroupDynamics.html 

3.5 HOW DOES INFORMATION FLOW WITHIN AND OUTSIDE THE GROUP? 

(i) Information flow in Social Groups
URL: http://www.hpl.hp.com/research/idl/papers/flow/flow.pdf 

(ii) The Impact of Group Size and Social Presence on Small-Group 
Communication: Does Computer-Mediated Communication Make a Difference? 
URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=929324
(Please click on Download link on the upper left menu to access full
article) 

(iii) Improving Group Communication Outcomes with Collaborative Software:
The Impact of Group Size, Media Richness, and Social Presence. 
URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=875985
(Please click on Download link on the upper left menu to access full
article) 

(iv) Whispering in Cyberspace: The Effects of Private Communication on
Decision Processes in Distributed Groups
URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=723961
(Please click on Download link on the upper left menu to access full
article) 

(v) Shared Cognition in Organizations: The Management of Knowledge
URL: http://www.leighthompson.com/books/SharedCognition/introduction.htm 

3.6 HOW IS HIERARCHY DETERMINED IN SUCH A GROUP? HOW ARE INDIVIDUAL TASKS
DETERMINED? 

(i) Values that Shape Hierarchies: Group Culture and Individuals' Status in
Organizations

URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=323663
(Please click on Download link on the upper left menu to access full
article)
 
(ii) The Self- Reinforcing Nature of Social Hierarchy: Origins and
Consequences of Power and Status
URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1298493
(Please click on Download link on the upper left menu to access full
article) 

(iii) Individuals Versus Group? The Moral Conundrum of Blurred Racial
Boundaries
URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1259168
(Please click on Download link on the upper left menu to access full
article) 

(iv) The Nature of the Business Group: Power, Relational Contracts and
Scope
URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=307061
(Please click on Download link on the upper left menu to access full
article) 

(v) Power and Social Preferences: The Role of Hierarchy in Promoting
Selfishness
URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=942907
(Please click on Download link on the upper left menu to access full
article) 

(vi) Inter organizational hierarchies, social networks, and identities in
multi unit organizations
URL:
http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/1/8/3/4/1/p183413_index.html


(vii) Maslow and Alderfer Hierarchy of Needs 
URL: http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/regsys/maslow.html

3.7 HOW IS LOYALTY DETREMINED IN THIS GROUP? HOW DOES ONE GAIN ENTRY INTO
SUCH A CLOSED GROUP

(i) The Trials & Tribulations of becoming a group member
URL: http://www.units.muohio.edu/psybersite/groups/index.shtml 

(ii) Belonging to the group: Help students feel included, connected, and
valued
URL: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0STR/is_/ai_81891233 

(iii) Peer relationship in cultural context
URL:
https://cambridge.org/aus/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521842075&ss=exc


(iv) Necessary social skills related to Peer acceptance
URL: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3614/is_/ai_n9250219 

(v) Social Behavior & Peer Acceptance
URL: http://www.eprints.qut.edu.au/archive/00001236/01/1236_1.pdf 

(vi) Teacher Reports of Social Behavior and Peer Acceptance in Early
Childhood: Sex and Social Status Differences
URL:
http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst;jsessionid=JqsLFmZ19GvDxdnpXXJDcSLlv6F2nLGNpdlDbDhyZ1XKBhln6Nzk!-578787086?docId=5008352760


(vii) Social software and the Politics of Groups
URL: http://shirky.com/writings/group_politics.html 

3.8 HOW DOES ONE GAIN INFLUENCE WIHIN THE GROUP? HOW ARE RULES ENFORCED
WITHIN THE GROUP? 

(i) Group Development 
URL: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/1650/htmlgroups05.html 

(ii) Group Roles & Norms
URL: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/1650/htmlgroups06.html 

(iii) Roles people play: managing group dynamics - Management Issues
URL: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3257/is_n11_v45/ai_11595881 

(iv) Roles People Play in Organizations
URL: http://www.livingskillslibrary.com/html/Leadership%203%20roles.html 

(v) The Role of Expertise and Reputation on Perceptions of Conflict and
Influence within Groups
URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=324263
 
(vi) Behavioral Parameters of Trustworthiness for Countering Insider
Threats 
URL:
http://72.14.235.132/search?q=cache:sCbohBEE-Q0J:www.ischools.org/oc/conference08/pc/PO29_iconf08.pdf+group+dynamics+outside+threats&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=46&gl=pk


3.9 HOW DOES THIS GROUP PROTECT ITS MEMBERS FROM OUTSIDE THREATS? HOW DOES
IT IN TURN TAKE REVENGE AGAINST AN EXTERNAL ENTITY?

(i) Social Identification Processes, Group Dynamics and the Behavior of
Combatants 
URL:
http://72.14.235.132/search?q=cache:Bx9o7DbZT-4J:www.icrc.ch/Web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/htmlall/review-870-p259/%24File/IRC_90_2_Castano.pdf+revenge+of+group+dynamics&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=31&gl=pk

(ii) Developing a Group Strategic Threat and Modus Operandi Analytical
Framework
URL:
http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/0/9/8/0/0/p98005_index.html

(iii) Threat Perception and the Psychology of Constructivism
URL:
http://www.politicalreviewnet.com/polrev/reviews/MISR/R_1521_9488_274_1007900.asp

(iv) The Power of group Dynamics
URL: http://www.kenpage.com/mchnewsletter/1105power_of_dynamics.html

(v) Forgiveness & Revenge
URL: http://ndpr.nd.edu/review.cfm?id=1186

FURTHER RECOMMENDATION

The Journal of Group Dynamics is one of its kind journals on the related
topic. For further information, please visit
http://www.apa.org/journals/gdn/

I hope these references will help answer your query.

Sincerely,

leader