QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION Assignment 5 1. Doing group work in an a
ID: 3467112 • Letter: Q
Question
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION Assignment 5 1. Doing group work in an agency or institution entails being familiar with the realities imposed by the system. What problems do you anticipate you would have to deal with in implementing your group program? Can you think of ways to work within the system and avoid the hopelessness that sometimes results from frustration with the system? 2. What are a few methods you might use in recruiting members for one of your groups? According to the Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW), ethical practice entails conducting a pre-group interview with each prospective member for purposes of screening, orientation, and selection. If you found it was either highly impractical or impossible to intervievw people individually, what alternajtives might you consider? 3. Although the composition of a group depends on the type of group, what are some practical matters you would consider in forming a group? 4. 5. List some basic ground rules you might establish in a group you would lead. GLOSSARY: KEY TERMS Pre-group stage: Working through all the factors involved in the formation of a group such as screening. selection, and orientation of members. Initial stage: Characterized by an orientation to how the group works, getting acquainted, establishingExplanation / Answer
1) Some problems in doing a group program could be:
a) Group work is more time consuming than individual work as it requires scheduling, arranging, meeting, making collective decisions, etc.
In order to address this, group sizes could be kept small, tasks could be divided, communication and conflict resolution skills could be built, etc
b) Working in groups may reduce individual motivation due to free riding and social loafing.
In order to address this, clear expectations should be set, individual accountability could be increased, group processes could be assessed, etc.
c) Creativity and productivity might decrease as a result of group work. This is due to groupthink, escalation of commitment, transparency illusion, etc.
In order to address this, individual brainstorming could be done before group brainstorming, roles could be assigned to each member, structured opportunities could be created etc.
2) Methods to be adopted while recruiting members to a group :
a) The recruiter can reach out to people for potential candidates.
b) Participation in recruitment events and social media could be helpful as well as they give exposure to people looking for an opportunity.
c) A membership network could be created for the group so that the targetted candidates could be shortlisted and their area of interests could be understood.
d) Certain specialized benefits, tailormade for the right candidate could be made in order to attract more resumes and retain the best candidate.
3) Certain alternatives to interview could be group discussions, written rounds or even simulation exercises.
4) Some practical matters to be considered while forming a group are:
a) Collaborative nature of the group members.
b) Transparent communication among members.
c) Conflict resolution skills.
d) Understanding the core beliefs of the group members and aligning them accordingly.