Introduction

This section concentrates on the behaviour and functions of groups in organisations. The kinds of groups which appear in the cases include small, face-to-face, work or primary groups, as well as reference and formal groups to some extent. The cases illustrate a variety of ways in which groups behave. The processes of interest here include group formation, the socialisation of the individual to the group, deviance, leadership and control, group maintenance through time, the influence exerted by groups on their members and on their organisational environments and vice versa, the relations between groups, and the influence of groups on organisational objectives.