Group Culture

To understand the culture of a group, one might think of it as the group's personality. One could also say that the individual personalities of the group members combine to make one distinct individual. There are several aspects of my group's personality that are constructive, but there are others that prevent us from working toward our fullest potential.

One of the most distinctive and important characteristics of my group is the informality of our interpersonal interactions. We do not see the need to conduct our group meetings formally. Because of this, I view the Clipper team as a laid-back individual.

Although my group defined roles in our learning contract at the beginning of the semester, we typically refer to each member as a wild card. We believe that each individual should have the freedom to assume the role that he/she feels most comfortable with based on the task at hand. However, this freedom can sometimes create role confusion in that more than one group member tries to lead the group. Perhaps instituting more formality and explicitly stating who will act as the expert would help clarify this role confusion. At times it can feel that the Clipper team has many alter egos.

Unfortunately, a great deal of tension exists in many of our meetings. Many group members, including myself, feel that they must carefully watch what they say in order to maintain a calm working environment. However, this only creates more tension. In terms of participation, it is difficult to get each member to participate equally. From an outsider's perspective, the Clippers may seem that they are led by a couple individuals with others following behind.

I believe the Clippers are still working toward becoming a team. Some aspects of group culture are present, but much of the group's personality has not been formalized. At this point in the semester, I am uncertain if this group will materialize into a close team. The group understands its goals and accomplishes them, however, it could be achieved in a much more organized and enjoyable manner.