Studies on Stiffening Processes of Groups

1. 新提出了“群体年龄”的概念，用群体形成后的时间长度来定义。从理论上讨论了群体硬化过程的可能性，关注每个群体固有的标准化、统一化和组织功能的推进，并随着时间的推移（即群体年龄）进行。参考这个新概念，这五十年来提出的主要领导理论，成功地相互关联和整合。为了检验这个新概念的有效性，进行了三项实验研究。第一个是实验性的。五人小组完成一项需要合作的任务。过了一段时间，这个任务被有意地换成了另一个。分析了群体面对这些情境变化的反应。结果表明：(1)为了有效地执行任务，群体结构容易产生和发展；(2)任务变化导致群体效率明显下降。(2)这不仅在发展了适合前一任务的结构的群体中是显性的，而且在有指定领导者的群体中也是显性的。第二项研究是一项调查研究，旨在研究决定工作组创新取向的组织因素（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）。3 .创新取向与“群体年龄”负相关，与群体成员间沟通网络激活水平正相关。三是利用小组进行商业游戏。研究发现，群体绩效优先性的丧失会使群体成员的视野变得狭窄，导致群体决策的不恰当和无效。这些损伤使小组表现更差。基于这些发现，得出的结论是，除非外部代理人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僵化。未来的研究需要处理群体重组的过程。本研究的发现和讨论对这一目的是有用的。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