ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the relationships of mutual dependence among sentiment, activity, and interaction in the external system. It examines the nature of the environment and the kinds of influence the environment may exert on the behavior of a group. The chapter focuses on the Bank Wiring Observation Room. It argues that the external system is one solution of the survival problem. The charm of interaction for some sociologists is that it can be observed rather unambiguously, that it can in fact be counted. It may be a good place to start. The definition of the group implies, and is meant to imply, that the group has a boundary and that outside the boundary lies the group's environment. The environment may be broken down into three main aspects: physical, technical, and social, all of which are interrelated, and any one of which may be more important than the others for any particular group.
