Studies on Stiffening Processes of Groups

1.提出了“群体年龄”的新概念，以群体形成后的时间长度来定义群体年龄。从理论上讨论了群体僵化过程的可能性，注意到每个群体固有的标准化、统一和组织功能的进步，并随时间(即群体年龄)而前进。通过引用这一新概念，成功地将这50年来提出的主要领导理论相互联系和整合。为了检验这一新概念的有效性，我们进行了三项实验研究。第一个是试验性的。由五名成员组成的小组从事一项需要合作的任务。过了一会儿，这项任务被故意换成了另一项任务。分析了面对这些情境变化的群体的反应。结果表明：(1)为了更有效地完成任务，群体结构更容易形成和发展；(2)任务改变导致群体效能…显著降低更重要的是，这不仅对发展出适合前一任务的结构的小组，而且对有指定领导的小组，都是显性的。第二项研究是一项调查研究，旨在考察决定工作组创新方向的组织因素(积极的态度或准备进行改进，并将变革和创新引入工作本身和整个车间)。创新取向与群体年龄呈负相关，与群体成员间沟通网络的活跃程度呈正相关。第三种是通过参与商业游戏的小组完成的。研究发现，群体绩效优先权的丧失使群体成员的视野变得狭隘，使群体的决策不合时宜、无效。这些缺陷使团队绩效变差。根据这些发现，得出的结论是，除非外部机构有意干预或内部成员引入或创造变化，否则每个群体都倾向于开始变得僵化。未来的研究需要处理的是群体重组的过程。这项研究的发现和讨论对这一目的是有用的。较少

1. A new concept of "group age", which is defined by the time length after the group is formed, was newly proposed. The possibility of group's stiffening processes was theoretically discussed by paying attention to the advance of standardising, uniforming, and organizing functions inherent in every groups and proceed with time (i. e., group age). By referring to this new concept, major leadership theories which have been presented for these fifty years, was successfully interrelated and integrated.2. To examine the validity of the new concept, three experimential studies was undertaken. The first was experimental one. Groups with five members engaged in a task which requires cooperation. After a while, the task was changed intentionally to another. Responses of groups facing with these situational change was analyzed. Results revealed (1) group structure was emerged and developed easely in order to perform task efficiently, and (2) task change caused obvious decrease in group efficienc … More y. This was dominant not only for the group which developed structure which was suitable for the preceding task but for the group which had a assigned leader.3. The second study was a survey research to examine the organizational factors which determine the innovation orientation of work groups (active attitudes or readiness for making improvements and introducing change and innovation into work itself and whole workshop.) Innovation orientation related to "group age" inversely and to the level of activation in communication networks among group members positively.4. The third was done by using groups engaged in business game. It was revealed that the loss of the priority of group performance got to make the group members' vision narrow and made groups' decision inappropriate and ineffective. These impairments made group performance worse.5. Based on these findings, it was concluded that every group tend to begin stiffening unless intentional intervention by external agents or introduction or creation of change by internal members. Future research needs to deal with the processes of group reorganizing. Findings and discussions of this research is useful for this purpose. Less