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Group Theory: The Four Stages Of Group Development

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The four stages of group development also known as ‘life cycle’ has been developed by the respected psychologist Bruce W. Tuckman in 1965. He observed the behavior of small groups in different working environments and concluded that individuals need to pass through the four stages of group development in order to achieve their best results (Chimaera Consulting, 2001). He is well known for his article “Developmental Sequence in small groups”. The four phrases of group development are forming, storming, norming and performing. Later in 1977, a fifth stage known as adjourning was added by Bruce Tuckman and Mary-Ann Jensen (Hingst and Raymond, 2006).
During the forming stage some group members are polite and positive. Some members are nervous as they have not …show more content…

It involves the termination of the works and completion of roles. Some observers have described this stage as mourning (Smith, 2005). There is a moment of sadness and anxiety because the members are leaving the group (Mulder, 2014). They might feel some degree of insecurity about their future responsibilities. At the same time, if the project’s objectives have been accomplished successfully group members feel satisfied. It is important for the manager to celebrate the achievements of the group (Study.com, 2003). Some managers may also encourage group members to keep in touch after the dissolution of the group (Welch, 2013).

The theory of Tuckman describes how group members come together for the first time. Each individual are polite and want to be accepted by the group. Then it shows how the group members descends into conflicts while discussing their duties and responsibilities. Conflicts are over as soon as the roles and objectives have been clarified to members. Then, the group starts to perform its tasks. Finally, if members achieve the goal of the project they celebrate their success and they move to different

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