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Group Cohesiveness

Group cohesiveness refers to the interpersonal dynamics that exist among group members. Specifically, cohesiveness describes the general sense of community within the group, including attraction (in the platonic rather than romantic sense) of each group member to the others in the group. This definition may seem rather vague; in fact, experts on cohesiveness cannot agree on exactly how to define the concept, or even if it is a unidimensional or multidimensional construct. Cohesion is ubiquitous, arising in all but the most temporal of groups. Further, while its impact on certain aspects of group life are unclear, on other aspects, cohesion is definitely influential. For these reasons, anyone who is engaged in the leadership of a group, be it in a taskperforming or fraternal sense, needs to be aware of the principles and issues surrounding cohesiveness.

Cohesion: Unidimensional or Multidimensional?

Researchers are unclear as to whether cohesiveness is a unidimensional (i.e., cohesiveness is a concept in and of itself) or multidimensional (i.e., cohesiveness is actually a collection of more specific concepts) construct. The answer to this question is important, not only for theoretical reasons but also because a clearer definition would help practitioners determine the aspects of cohesiveness that need to be altered in order to improve particular aspects of the group experience. Early twenty-first-century evidence suggests it is multidimensional, with the most likely elements of cohesion being, in no particular order, strength of within-group norms, ability to resist externally caused disruptions, extent of member commitment to the group and its members, and degree of member interest in the group's goals and social relationships.

Being committed to a group does not imply that one is committed to its members, and vice versa. One can accept the group's reason for existence yet feel that some or all of its members are not good work partners; one can be attracted to all members of a group yet feel that the reason for the group's existence is bogus. Cohesiveness is strongest when the person is attracted to both the group and its members. There may be some additional factors that are important for some groups but not others. For example, some groups subject new members to initiation rites, and these rites can sometimes involve some degree of unpleasantness, usually connected with physical and/or emotional discomfort. The assumption, and there is some research evidence to back this, is that having to suffer to gain entry into a group will strengthen your commitment to that group. In such groups, then, pre-entry suffering would be yet another factor that influences cohesiveness.

What Affects Cohesion?

That cohesiveness is likely multidimensional implies that no single factor determines its level. Indeed, research evidence shows that cohesiveness is affected by many things: the extent to which group members like each other, the extent to which the group's goals match one's personal goals, satisfaction with how the group is performing, and the existence of outside factors that discourage a member's exiting the group. Group members emphasize different aspects of these factors, explaining why some people will be happy within a group where a particular factor may be undesirable to others. For example, a person might put up with some unpleasant colleagues if the group's reason for existence is consistent with his/her interests and needs, if the group performs this function well, and if there is no other group that provides a similar service.

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