I am involved in many groups, some very broad ones (student at Cornell) some more specific ones (member of the ISSA). However, the group that I am most active in right now is my sorority. The dynamics of my sorority follow right along side the input, processes and outputs model, which is primarily the reason that our group still exists today.
The personnel, also known as the “sisters”, bring their pride, expansive knowledge, and diverse experiences to the group, making it more cohesive and powerful. Although our group is on the larger side (~140 people) and is quite diverse, we all have the same goals and share the history involved with our sisterhood. Furthermore, the interactions that occur are the main reason we can communicate to each other and work towards our common goals. People in the sorority conform to each other in certain ways that make our bond stronger. We wear the same letters, go to the same parties, and share the same sisterhood values, amongst other things. If we didn’t conform to each other to a certain extent, the diversity in our sisterhood would weaken our bond. Furthermore, some of sisters in the sorority take various roles and join the executive board. This group of 10 people makes sure that that everything in the sorority is in order. Because of all of these inputs and interactions, we are able to actually accomplish our goals and make sure that every sister is happy. The results we get in our group definitely come from all the effort and pride that goes into everything we do and we try our best to make sure we are all able to accomplish all of our endeavors.
Even though we are a strong sisterhood and usually accomplish most of our goals, proximity and distance definitely affects the cohesiveness of our group. The effect that the distance of the sisters in the sorority has on our bond definitely agrees with Sara Kiesler and Jonathon N. Cummings findings. When we are all together face to face, the group identity is much stronger and it is easier for people to cooperate with each other. For example, when we rely on e-mail to communicate amongst the group, we tend to get few replies and get very little accomplished. Because of this we have a mandatory chapter meeting every Sunday as a way to assure that everyone is on the same page. By meeting in face to face, we are able to exchange observations, make more efficient decisions as well as give everyone the chance to see each other and bond.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
Proximity affects my sorority in very similar ways. I'm part of the PR team and over break we were trying to work on the website for the house, but needed information from other officers about access, facts, etc. I only managed to get responses from 2 out of 6 girls that I needed information from, and therefore couldn't really do anything at all.
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely true that "people who are proximate have more impact" (Kiesler and Cummings 62) because the first time I saw the girls that never responded to my emails they gave me the information right away. As you said, having chapter greatly increases participation from everyone, as well as efficiency. Sending emails is simply not efficient in this context because everyone either thinks other people will respond, or think they will get away with not doing whatever the email says. This also includes the "mere exposure effect" that is mentioned in the article, because it does allow us to bond as well (which ultimately leads to stronger ties and more efficiency!)
I definitely agree with you on your” If we didn’t conform to each other to a certain extent, the diversity in our sisterhood would weaken our bond.” point. As much as people tout diversity as a cornerstone of a strong organization, it is totally necessary for members to take on or share at least a few attributes whether that be wearing your letters or using group-specific slang (ex: one fraternity favoring the use of ‘bro’ over ‘dude’). Without this your brother/sisterhood/team falls apart into a loosely coupled group of people who all happen to live/eat in the same place, making sure that people understand/adjust to the culture of the organization is imperative for effective communication.
ReplyDelete