The teambuilding event refers to the structured attempt to improve or develop the effectiveness of a group of people who work together. It is a method used to improve productivity by getting subordinates to work together. It helps to generate teamwork so it enhances lateral and vertical communication where participants develop a sense of interpersonal trust and support. Group dynamics refer to the cause-and-result relationship which exists in a group and the study of its development. This research aims to interpret the group dynamics of a structured teambuilding event. A sample of 40 cabin controllers of a South African airline was used, who were divided in four separate groups. The teambuilding event was requested by the airline and participants were aged between 21-60 years old. The results of this introductory case study indicated that group dynamics can successfully be interpreted in a teambuilding event. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial Psychology)

Aus der Einleitung: "Virtuelle Gemeinschaften sind wie andere Gemeinschaften ein Zusammenschluss von Menschen, charakterisiert durch ein Zusammengehörigkeitsgefühl und eine Abgrenzung nach außen. In diesen Gemeinschaften gelten Regeln der Gruppenbildung, Gruppendynamik und sozialer Interaktion. Um in sozialen Umfeldern erfolgreich zu agieren, ist es wichtig, ein Selbstbild zu besitzen, eine eigene Identität. Diese dient sowohl zur Selbst- als auch zur Fremdwahrnehmung."

Title: Influence of Cooperative Games on Social Atmosphere in the Class Objectives: The goal of the thesis is to detect the importance of influence of a half-day cooperative program on relationships within one class and subsequent perception of social atmosphere in the class. Methods: The standardized questionnaire "Hodnotenie sociálnej atmosféry v triede" was used for data acquisition. 72 respondents of first three years of Jan Neruda Grammar School in Prague participated on the research. Statistic methods like arithmetic average, modus or median were used for data evaluation. Results: The positive shift in evaluation of social atmosphere in the class was visible in all analysed groups. Nevertheless in the control group 1.D. where the cooperative program was not used there was a more significant improvement than in one of experimental groups. We proved that a half-day program of cooperative games is not sufficient for fulfilment of intentions to influence relationships within the class, but it can point out the deficiencies of social atmosphere in the class. Keywords: cooperation, communication, group dynamics, cooperative learning, class environment

Episodes of aggression and violence continue to beset our public spaces. This thesis explores how well we understand the transition to violence—and how aggression and violence in public spaces can be managed or controlled. We begin by arguing that established social psychological approaches to aggression and violence are inadequate for the task. Existing models explain violence through the failure of individuals to inhibit their own impulses or control their own emotions sufficiently. At best the models allow for the importance of dyadic interactions as individuals provoke each other as part of an escalation cycle. We argue that public space aggression and violence involves multiple parties and more complex sets of social dynamics. We suggest that, at the very least, the roles of third-parties and social categories need to be at the heart of theorising about violence in public spaces. To support our arguments, we examined violence directly through detailed behavioural microanalyses of real-life aggressive incidents captured on CCTV footage. We also built agent-based models (ABM) to explore different theoretical approaches to the impact of groups and third-parties on aggression and violence. The thesis contains seven studies. We begin with a CCTV behavioural microanalysis (Study 1) that showed collective group self-regulation of aggressive and violent behaviour in both within- and between-group conflicts. This study demonstrated an ‘intergroup hostility bias’, showing a greater likelihood of aggressive, escalatory acts towards outgroup members in intergroup conflicts than towards ingroup members in intragroup conflicts. Furthermore, this study demonstrated an ‘intragroup de-escalatory bias’, showing a greater likelihood of peace-making, de-escalatory behaviours towards ingroup members in intragroup conflicts than towards outgroup members in intergroup conflicts. Overall, we found that the majority of coded actions were acts of de-escalation performed by third-parties. With evidence stressing the importance of social dynamics, we compared dyadic models of aggression against an alternative social model (which allowed normative influence of others) in a dynamic agent-based modelling environment. We modelled the dynamics of metacontrast group formation (Studies 2 and 3), and found that group processes can produce both escalation of violence and inhibition of violence (Study 4). We found greater polarisation of violent positions in intergroup interactions than in intragroup interactions (Studies 5a and 5b). However, an emergent intergroup hostility bias did not emerge from this polarisation process. In Study 6, we re-examined the intergroup hostility bias present in our CCTV footage. We found an intergroup hostility bias for non-physical escalatory acts but not for physical escalatory acts. We examined the standardised number of actions contributed by third-parties and assessed the relationship between specific third-party conflict management strategies (policers and pacifiers) and conflict violence severity (Study 7). Overall, our results showed that third-parties and groups are integral features of the dynamics of violence. Third-parties largely attempt to de-escalate conflict, and the conflict management strategy they employ has a direct relationship to the violent outcome. Groups have a tendency to de-escalate their own members, and self-policing and collective inhibition take place. These findings have importance for current models of aggression and violence and also for evidence-based violence reduction initiatives.

This poster presentation describes the group dynamics within a collaborative learning setting. In the Parenting class, which is a requirement within the Human Development and Family Science major, students are encouraged to choose their own groups which will then function as family units for the duration of the semester. The learning principle behind these team exercises is twofold: on the one hand the groups have to cover curricular material and access information related to best parenting practices. On the other hand, by being part of a group themselves, they have to reflect on the challenges that may occur within family units, and this entails meta-cognition. The groups have to collaborate to complete tasks similar to the way families deal with real-life challenges. One of the first tasks concerns parenting techniques in the case of disruptive behavior of children. The groups have to access best parenting practices and resources by accessing sites that list and describe evidence based parenting programs. They have to find best outcomes as a family, and outline the appropriate parenting techniques. It becomes apparent to group members that a family unit has a permanence that has to be accepted, respected, and used a as tool. Not exiting from a group necessitates negotiating skills, display of mutual acceptance and collaboration. The instructor of the class has been trained in the basics of group dynamics, and serves as a resource to guide the students; and can comment on the observed process. Theoretically groups are predicted to go through phases of forming, norming, storming, performing and ultimately adjourning, first described by Tuckman (1965). This sequence is illustrated with descriptions of real-life events occurring in the classroom. When students choose their own groups, the underlying learning principle is to make them responsible for their choices and deal with the unanticipated surprises and challenges. This strategy is intentional. Inevitably, during the semester, cracks appear in these happy units, and students complain that they cannot work in this group, or with that person. When there is dissent in the group, it also provides the perfect learning opportunity. Dynamics of dissent can occur in any group, including family groups. Students are reminded that family groups have permanence and in a similar fashion they cannot change their groups once they have chosen them. Hence the focus shifts to finding techniques and ways of restoring the group homeostasis and thereby implied functioning. In doing so, students are encouraged to follow several steps: one is to understand their group’s behavior according to a systems approach and becoming acquainted with systems theory. Subsequently they need to find ways to resolve the conflict in a respectful manner and become productive. Students realize the parallel between their functioning as a group and many parenting situations. As part of the conflict resolution they need to implement structure in combination with the welcoming qualities of nurture. The student working groups find that just like families, they ultimately have to display constructive coping strategies to support group cohesion and functionality.

<p><strong>Aim:</strong> Team spirit is a concept often used in both managerial literature and in other contexts where the efficiency of a group is discussed. Despite the fact that team spirit is used as a selling point for courses, books and seminars, no unambiguous definition of the term is available. The purpose of this thesis is to clarify what team spirit means to individuals within companies and team sports.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Method:</strong> The thesis has been carried out using studies of available literature, which has been compiled into a conceivable model of what team spirit may imply. From this model a poll has been made, and handed out to individuals within companies as well as team sports. After having compiled the 37 replies, correlating answers has been sought after within each group of respondents.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Result & Conclusions:</strong> The result shows us that there are varying opinions of what team spirit is, and generally accepted definitions of closely related ideas like cohesion and group development has to the respondents not been able to form a satisfying description of what team spirit means. Team spirit is therefore a concept being defined by each individual for themselves. Combined with peoples desire for team spirit, this constitutes an opportunity to use the term as a linguistic strategy in order to reach own goals.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Suggestions for future research: </strong>Future research should in order to discern any connections between individuals’ opinions of team spirit, and their environment, consist of qualitative interviews. An increased field of research might comprise the questions how team spirit is achieved, what effects it has, and how a leader influences it.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Contribution of the thesis: </strong>The thesis points out that team spirit is a concept not easily defined, which also can be used in several different ways. Anyone working with the making of team spirit, or discussing team spirit, draws benefit of shaping their own conscious perspective of the concept. In this respect, this thesis constitutes a helpful contribution.</p> / <p><strong>Syfte:</strong> Laganda är ett begrepp som används flitigt inom både managementlitteratur och i andra sammanhang där gruppers effektivitet diskuteras. Trots att laganda används som säljargument för kurser, böcker och föreläsningar finns ingen entydig definition på termen. Studiens syfte är att söka klargöra vad laganda innebär för olika individer inom företag och lagidrott.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Metod: </strong>Studien har utförts genom att befintlig litteratur studerats och sammanställts till en möjlig modell över vad laganda kan innebära. Utifrån den utgångsfiguren har en enkät formats och delats ut till individer inom såväl företag som lagidrott. Efter att ha sammanställt de 37 enkätsvar som inkommit har studien sökt finna korrelerande svar inom respondentgrupperna.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Resultat & slutsats: </strong>Resultatet visar att det råder mycket skiftande meningar om vad laganda är, och vedertagna definitioner av närliggande begrepp som exempelvis sammanhållning och grupputveckling har inte för respondenterna kunnat sägas bilda en tillfredsställande beskrivning av laganda. Laganda är således en term som varje individ definierar för sig själv. I kombination till människors begär efter laganda utgör detta en möjlighet att utnyttja begreppet laganda som språkstrategi för att nå egna syften.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Förslag till fortsatt forskning:</strong> Fortsatt forskning bör för att kunna urskilja samband mellan individers uppfattning om laganda och deras miljö utgöras av kvalitativa intervjuer. Ett utökat forskningsområde kan utgöras av frågeställningarna hur laganda åstadkoms, vilka effekter den har samt ledares påverkan av laganda.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Uppsatsens bidrag:</strong> Uppsatsen pekar på att laganda är ett svårdefinierat begrepp som kan användas på olika sätt. Alla som arbetar med att skapa laganda eller diskuterar laganda har nytta av att för sig själv skapa ett medvetet perspektiv på begreppet. Härvid utgör uppsatsen ett användbart bidrag.</p>

<p>En framgångsfaktor vid internationell tjänst är att samspelet mellan samtliga enheter fungerar friktionsfritt. Detta underlättas om samtliga enheter känner varandra innan rotation till missionsområdet. I framtiden kommer hela förband som har kontraktsanställda soldater rotera ner, dock innehar inteförbanden samtliga funktioner för att lösa alla arbetsuppgifter i missionsområdet. Vid dessa fall lånar man in enheter från andra förband. Inlåningar kan skapa friktioner mellan enheterna. Detta är en fallstudie utav KS14, där man valde att förstärka styrkan med enheter som innehade kompetens inom specialområden. Syftet med denna studie är att skapa en förståelse varför det uppstod friktioner inom KS14 när den förstärktes med en ny enhet. Frågeställningarna är följande: Varför blev det motsättningar mellan KS14 och förstärkningsstyrkan? Hur motsättningar tog sig uttryck? Hur kan dessa motsättningar förklaras? För att besvara frågorna har intervjuer gjorts med tre personer som var med i KS14. Undersökningen visar att det uppstod ett ”vi- och dom” känsla mellan KS14 och den förstärkande enheten. Skälen till detta var dels bristen på kommunikation vad det gäller information om den nya enheten och dels att KS14 hade en historia tillsammans. Dessa motsättningar togs i uttryck genom att man vanhedrade minnestavlan, kom på nedvärderande slogans samt ignorerade förstärkningsstyrkan. Detta berodde på bristen av kommunikation, information och öppenhet mellan de bägge parterna.</p> / <p>A success factor in service abroad is the interplay between all the units work smoothly.This is made easier if all the units know each other before rotating to the area of operation. In future, all units have contracted soldiers rotate down, however, they do not hold all the abilities to solve all tasks in the area of operations. In these cases, it borrows in units from other battalions. These attachments may create frictions between the units. This is a case study out of KS14, which chose to reinforce the contingent with a unit with expertise in specialized areas. The purpose of this study is to create an understanding why there was friction within KS14 when it was reinforced with a new unit. The questions are: Why were there differences between KS14 and reinforcing unit? How the frictions expressed? How do you explain these frictions? To answer these questions interviews have been made with three people who were with the KS14. The study shows that there was an "us and them" feeling between KS14 and the reinforcing unit. The reasons for this were the lack of communication when it comes to information on there inforcing unit and that KS14 already had a history to gether. These frictions were reflected in by disgraced the plaque, came in disparaging slogans and ignored the reinforcing unit. This was due to the lack of communication, information and openness between the two parties.</p>

En framgångsfaktor vid internationell tjänst är att samspelet mellan samtliga enheter fungerar friktionsfritt. Detta underlättas om samtliga enheter känner varandra innan rotation till missionsområdet. I framtiden kommer hela förband som har kontraktsanställda soldater rotera ner, dock innehar inteförbanden samtliga funktioner för att lösa alla arbetsuppgifter i missionsområdet. Vid dessa fall lånar man in enheter från andra förband. Inlåningar kan skapa friktioner mellan enheterna. Detta är en fallstudie utav KS14, där man valde att förstärka styrkan med enheter som innehade kompetens inom specialområden. Syftet med denna studie är att skapa en förståelse varför det uppstod friktioner inom KS14 när den förstärktes med en ny enhet. Frågeställningarna är följande: Varför blev det motsättningar mellan KS14 och förstärkningsstyrkan? Hur motsättningar tog sig uttryck? Hur kan dessa motsättningar förklaras? För att besvara frågorna har intervjuer gjorts med tre personer som var med i KS14. Undersökningen visar att det uppstod ett ”vi- och dom” känsla mellan KS14 och den förstärkande enheten. Skälen till detta var dels bristen på kommunikation vad det gäller information om den nya enheten och dels att KS14 hade en historia tillsammans. Dessa motsättningar togs i uttryck genom att man vanhedrade minnestavlan, kom på nedvärderande slogans samt ignorerade förstärkningsstyrkan. Detta berodde på bristen av kommunikation, information och öppenhet mellan de bägge parterna. / A success factor in service abroad is the interplay between all the units work smoothly.This is made easier if all the units know each other before rotating to the area of operation. In future, all units have contracted soldiers rotate down, however, they do not hold all the abilities to solve all tasks in the area of operations. In these cases, it borrows in units from other battalions. These attachments may create frictions between the units. This is a case study out of KS14, which chose to reinforce the contingent with a unit with expertise in specialized areas. The purpose of this study is to create an understanding why there was friction within KS14 when it was reinforced with a new unit. The questions are: Why were there differences between KS14 and reinforcing unit? How the frictions expressed? How do you explain these frictions? To answer these questions interviews have been made with three people who were with the KS14. The study shows that there was an "us and them" feeling between KS14 and the reinforcing unit. The reasons for this were the lack of communication when it comes to information on there inforcing unit and that KS14 already had a history to gether. These frictions were reflected in by disgraced the plaque, came in disparaging slogans and ignored the reinforcing unit. This was due to the lack of communication, information and openness between the two parties.

Aim: Team spirit is a concept often used in both managerial literature and in other contexts where the efficiency of a group is discussed. Despite the fact that team spirit is used as a selling point for courses, books and seminars, no unambiguous definition of the term is available. The purpose of this thesis is to clarify what team spirit means to individuals within companies and team sports.   Method: The thesis has been carried out using studies of available literature, which has been compiled into a conceivable model of what team spirit may imply. From this model a poll has been made, and handed out to individuals within companies as well as team sports. After having compiled the 37 replies, correlating answers has been sought after within each group of respondents.   Result &amp; Conclusions: The result shows us that there are varying opinions of what team spirit is, and generally accepted definitions of closely related ideas like cohesion and group development has to the respondents not been able to form a satisfying description of what team spirit means. Team spirit is therefore a concept being defined by each individual for themselves. Combined with peoples desire for team spirit, this constitutes an opportunity to use the term as a linguistic strategy in order to reach own goals.   Suggestions for future research: Future research should in order to discern any connections between individuals’ opinions of team spirit, and their environment, consist of qualitative interviews. An increased field of research might comprise the questions how team spirit is achieved, what effects it has, and how a leader influences it.   Contribution of the thesis: The thesis points out that team spirit is a concept not easily defined, which also can be used in several different ways. Anyone working with the making of team spirit, or discussing team spirit, draws benefit of shaping their own conscious perspective of the concept. In this respect, this thesis constitutes a helpful contribution. / Syfte: Laganda är ett begrepp som används flitigt inom både managementlitteratur och i andra sammanhang där gruppers effektivitet diskuteras. Trots att laganda används som säljargument för kurser, böcker och föreläsningar finns ingen entydig definition på termen. Studiens syfte är att söka klargöra vad laganda innebär för olika individer inom företag och lagidrott.   Metod: Studien har utförts genom att befintlig litteratur studerats och sammanställts till en möjlig modell över vad laganda kan innebära. Utifrån den utgångsfiguren har en enkät formats och delats ut till individer inom såväl företag som lagidrott. Efter att ha sammanställt de 37 enkätsvar som inkommit har studien sökt finna korrelerande svar inom respondentgrupperna.   Resultat &amp; slutsats: Resultatet visar att det råder mycket skiftande meningar om vad laganda är, och vedertagna definitioner av närliggande begrepp som exempelvis sammanhållning och grupputveckling har inte för respondenterna kunnat sägas bilda en tillfredsställande beskrivning av laganda. Laganda är således en term som varje individ definierar för sig själv. I kombination till människors begär efter laganda utgör detta en möjlighet att utnyttja begreppet laganda som språkstrategi för att nå egna syften.   Förslag till fortsatt forskning: Fortsatt forskning bör för att kunna urskilja samband mellan individers uppfattning om laganda och deras miljö utgöras av kvalitativa intervjuer. Ett utökat forskningsområde kan utgöras av frågeställningarna hur laganda åstadkoms, vilka effekter den har samt ledares påverkan av laganda.   Uppsatsens bidrag: Uppsatsen pekar på att laganda är ett svårdefinierat begrepp som kan användas på olika sätt. Alla som arbetar med att skapa laganda eller diskuterar laganda har nytta av att för sig själv skapa ett medvetet perspektiv på begreppet. Härvid utgör uppsatsen ett användbart bidrag.

This study examines a case of cooperation between banks, commerce, police and the municipality of Skövde, which in a project has the target to reduce the use of cash by 15 % in the city during 2011. The purpose of this study is to increase the understanding of the importance of cooperation in which different actors come together to reach a common goal, such as speed or interfere with an ongoing change, while they must meet their own interests. In this study the case of cooperation has been studied by using a qualitative approach. The methods used in this study are participant observation and a group interview as well as personal interviews. The theories underlying the study revolve around the concepts of collaboration between organizations with similar interests, changes in society, conflict and resistance to change.