ABSTRACT
The term “group dynamics” was coined and popularized for the first time by Kurt Lewin in the 1930s with the scope to describe the way groups and individuals act and react to changing circumstances. Fundamentally, the dynamics of a group conceptually derives from the continuous interaction between its members. This chapter deals with groups in systems thinking by underlying the system’s properties of groups and their dynamics, and second by exploring the applicative contexts. It offers a metaphorical perspective of groups by using some organizational metaphors typical of the Viable Systems Approach. These metaphors and analogies are important for understanding the dynamics of groups within business firms and other organizations. The term “group dynamics” was coined and popularized for the first time by Kurt Lewin in the 1930s with the scope to describe the way groups and individuals act and react to changing circumstances. The chapter focuses on behavior within organizations; other interesting perspectives are to be taken into consideration.
