A summary of a report from a behavioral consultant.
Presented by Dr. John Dent

The following is a synopsis of a report submitted to the team dynamics committee at the Ford Motor Company in Detroit, Michigan. It concerns the assembly line personnel team dynamics in the company's factory in Oakville, Ontario. There is a productivity problem in the factory which must be addressed. In the following report, Dr. Dent presents his ideas on group dynamics and management.

Dr. Dent has been working as a freelance consultant for many years. Ever since graduating from Harvard University where he did his PhD in behavioralism, he has been working as a teacher, a researcher and a consultant. He has been living in the Detroit area for the past ten years where he has become a specialist in factory employee behavior.

A Group Dynamics Report
Perhaps one of the biggest factors concerning a group's dynamic is the development of negative cliques. It is important to be aware of their advance in an office and to manage this dynamic at the source.

What is a clique?
A clique is a destructive office group characterized with a behavior that can lead to poor results and reduced company performance. The inspiration in the establishment of cliques is usually personal. Frequently this behavior is not intentional but is the result of dysfunctional office dynamics. They can be the consequence of poor leadership, improper hiring, general corporate malaise, poor results and/or bad management. It is important to have a strategy around these dynamics and to nip the problem in the bud.

A few facts about cliques.
Cliques have been forming in offices since the beginning of time. They usually revolve around one or two central figures in a grouping that have either a conscious or unconscious motivation.

A clique has three elements that are fundamental to its definition. These attributes are the leader, the followers, and the outsiders. The leader usually has substantial power over the clique. The leader's actions are usually copied closely by the followers even if they are destructive in nature. This is what can be counterproductive in a corporate environment but before making a judgment considers the following.

Positive cliques.
Cliques can form positive work environments and produce constructive and dynamic results as long as the leader has this motivation. The supporters typically have to follow the leader's opinion. If the leader of the clique is interested in the corporate culture it can have a constructive influence on the company output.

Negative cliques.
On the other hand if the tendency is in the opposite direction, meaning towards destructive actions, the behavior of the clique can be extremely vicious on the morale of the general group and the overall productivity of the organization. This is a group conduct that has to be monitored.

It is important to consider the impact of this situation when working in an office. It's human nature to think about our position and relationship within the group and how we fit in, so this form of clique dynamics is very common. The best solution in managing group dynamics is preventative strategies.

Dr. John Dent