Psychology

Interdependency is one of the most important characteristics of groups. Groups are composed of people who are interdependent and rely on interaction in order to reach a common goal (Wood, 2009). Groups can be found in various situations and have different goals. Examples of groups are committees, health teams, or perhaps, focus groups. Groups are also very prominent in the workplace setting (Wood, 2009).

Groups are necessary because there are tasks which cannot be done by a mere individual. For instance, tasks such as trying out marketing ideas and conducting political campaigns are not easily done alone. Hence, there is a need to form a group of people with a shared goal in order to accomplish the task. People form groups by having a common goal and working towards that common goal (Wood, 2009).

According to Forsyth (2006), group cohesion can be described as the existence of unity, sense of belonging, and shared commitment within a group. While there is no single way to define the concept of group cohesion, it is necessary to state that these three variables are important in keeping a group intact, regardless of its cause.

Apart from these variables, another important factor in maintaining group cohesion is the concept of trust. Groups, though composed of many working minds, are not infallible and may fail from time to time. Members may occasionally disagree with each other, and conflict is inevitable. However, if the members trust each other despite differences and such, it is not difficult to say that at the end of the day, they will be able to mend such differences (Cress, Collier, Reitenauer, and Associates, 2005). Thus, it is undeniable that groups are able to generate more results with lesser probabilities of failurenot because an individuals capabilities are inferior, but because groups are equipped with more resources that allow them to ensure that the results of their work are exemplary (Wood, 2009).