Abstract

Work is a group-based activity and if the organisation is to function effectively it requires collaboration and co-operation among its members. Groups are an essential feature of any organisation. Individuals seldom work in isolation from others. Although there is no single accepted definition, most people will readily understand what constitutes a group. The essential feature is that its members regard themselves as belonging to the group. A popular definition defines the group in psychological terms as: any number of people who (1) interact with one another; (2) are psychologically aware of one another; and (3) perceive themselves to be a group.1