Group Dynamics Course | IIT Roorkee | Prof. Pooja Garg | Organizational Behavior

Course Details

Mastering Group Dynamics: An 8-Week Course by IIT Roorkee's Prof. Pooja Garg

Understanding how individuals function within groups is a critical skill for any aspiring leader, manager, or team member. Whether you're a student, a professional in the corporate world, or in a service-oriented field, the principles of group dynamics are fundamental to success. We are excited to introduce a detailed online course on Group Dynamics, meticulously designed and delivered by Prof. Pooja Garg from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee.

About the Instructor: Prof. Pooja Garg

Prof. Pooja Garg is an accomplished Associate Professor in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at IIT Roorkee. With a Ph.D. in Psychology from IIT Roorkee itself, she specializes in Organizational Behaviour and Positive Psychology. Boasting over twelve years of teaching and research experience, her expertise is recognized globally.

Her accolades include the prestigious Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies Fellowship (CIAS) and the Emerald Highly Commended Award (2018). She has a prolific publication record in top-tier international journals, ensuring that this course is grounded in cutting-edge research and practical insights.

Course Overview: What You Will Learn

This 8-week undergraduate-level course is designed to provide a deep dive into the functioning of individuals in group settings. It moves beyond traditional management theories to focus on leveraging human strengths for performance improvement and creating positive work environments.

Key Course Objectives:

• To familiarize students with the core concepts of group behavior and development.
• To provide tools for effectively integrating human and organizational resources.
• To explore positively oriented human resource strengths and psychological capacities.
• To devise pathways for improving quality of work-life and managing group situations.
• To understand how managers can act as catalysts for positive organizational change.

Who Should Enroll?

This course is perfectly suited for:

• University, College, and Technical Institution Students from any discipline.
• Managers and Professionals seeking to expand their leadership and team management expertise.
• Individuals in Banking, IT, Manufacturing, HR, Police Training, Medical Practice, and the Armed Forces.

Prerequisite: A graduation degree in any discipline. No prior specialized knowledge is required.

Detailed 8-Week Course Layout

Week 1: Introduction to Groups

Foundational concepts including definitions, types of groups, their functions, stages of group development (forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning), and the psychological reasons individuals join groups.

Week 2: Group Processes

Delve into the mechanics of group interaction: conformity, deviance, group cohesiveness, social loafing vs. social facilitation, and the dynamics of cooperation and competition.

Week 3: Interpersonal Attraction and Social Relationships

Explore the factors that drive attraction and liking within groups, including similarity, and learn about measurement tools like Sociometry to map social relationships.

Week 4: Group Communication

Understand formal and informal communication channels, verbal and non-verbal patterns, the role of social networks, and how to manage rumors and the grapevine.

Week 5: Interactive Behavior

Master conflict resolution strategies, learn Transactional Analysis for better interpersonal transactions, and use the JOHARI window model for enhancing self-awareness and mutual understanding within teams.

Week 6: Group Leadership

A comprehensive module covering classic leadership styles (Autocratic, Democratic, Laissez-faire), contingency models (Fiedler, Path-Goal), and contemporary models like Leader-Member Exchange (LMX), Situational, and Transformational Leadership.

Week 7: Organizational Justice, Ethics, and CSR

Examine the meaning and forms of organizational justice, ethical behavior, factors influencing ethics, and the crucial role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in modern business.

Week 8: Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS)

Conclude with a forward-looking module on POS, focusing on building organizational resilience, finding meaning in work, fostering virtuousness, engagement, Appreciative Inquiry, mindfulness, and overall well-being at work.

Recommended Textbooks & Resources

The course curriculum is supported by seminal texts in the field, including:

• Robbins, Judge, & Vohra – “Organizational Behavior” (18th Ed.)
• Parek & Khanna – “Understanding Organizational Behavior” (4th Ed.)
• Cameron & Spreitzer – “The Oxford Handbook of Positive Organizational Scholarship”
• Greenberg & Baron – “Behavior in Organizations” (10th Ed.)
• Baron & Byrne – “Social Psychology” (10th Ed.)

Why This Course is Essential for Your Growth

In today's collaborative world, technical skills are only half the battle. The ability to navigate group dynamics, motivate teams, resolve conflicts, and foster a positive work culture is what distinguishes good professionals from great leaders. This course, backed by IIT Roorkee's academic excellence and Prof. Garg's renowned expertise, offers a unique blend of theoretical knowledge and practical application.

You will gain not just an understanding of why groups behave the way they do, but also actionable tools to influence that behavior positively, driving performance, satisfaction, and ethical excellence in any organization.

Enroll today to unlock the secrets of effective group functioning and take a significant step toward becoming a more impactful and insightful professional.

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