Understanding groups and managing work teams: A Big Bang

You have probably been a part of many groups: formal or informal.  You have probably experienced many of the stages of group development and have not even been aware of it.  You probably sensed, intuitively, the status of different members, the degree of group cohesiveness, and the roles played by different members.

You could go back in your mind and identify all these concepts in the group setting that you have been a part of – that would be a nice exercise.  But for the sake of consistency, have a look at the group that was formed by a few scientists in California, in a certain popular TV show.

The video starts with the story of how two group members got together as roommates.  Their initial interaction provides background on their personalities and early understandings that they have achieved.  The other two group members join later, and the norms in the group begin to emerge.

The group is not free of conflict (since one member has a particularly difficult personality), and various ways to address these conflicts are shown.  Finally, an acceptance of the group’s norms and rules is reached.

If you need further information on this TV episode, or you would just like to get some clarifications on its content, this website describes the full episode in more detail. In any case, episodes of The Big Bang Theory can be a nice relief after long hours of study.

Some issues to notice and pay particular attention to here are…

• Stages of group development
• Establishing norms in the group
• Status
• Group cohesiveness
• Team member roles

Consider the following questions for discussion…

1. Identify the stages of group development illustrated in this episode.  Can you relate to similar experiences in your life?
2. How were the norms established in this group?  Do you think it is an effective way to establish them?  What are the benefits and the risks of this strategy for establishing group norms in this way?
3. Can you identify different types of status among the different group members?  What contributes to this non-uniform status?
4. What is the degree of the group’s cohesiveness?  What evidence supports your answer?
5. What roles do the different members play in this group?  If you can assume what the group’s goals have been, how effective would you say this group is in achieving its goals?