A group of diploma students is assigned a project. One member often takes…
2026
A group of diploma students is assigned a project. One member often takes initiative, another prefers to observe and support, while a third frequently mediates disputes. What does this scenario demonstrate about group behaviour?
Answer: A. Group members naturally adopt different roles to enhance group functioning — ConceptIn any small working group the members do not behave alike; they differentiate into complementary roles. Benne and Sheats classified these into task…
- A.
Group members naturally adopt different roles to enhance group functioning
- B.
Group members ignore individual strengths in group work
- C.
Group members focus primarily on resolving conflicts
- D.
Group members struggle to cooperate due to role confusion
Attempted by 4 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Concept
In any small working group the members do not behave alike; they differentiate into complementary roles. Benne and Sheats classified these into task roles, which move the work forward (initiator-contributor, information-seeker, coordinator), and group-building or maintenance roles, which hold the members together (encourager, follower, harmoniser). This differentiation appears spontaneously, without formal allocation, and it raises a group's effectiveness because the task needs of the group and its socio-emotional needs are met at the same time.
Application
Map each described behaviour onto the role it represents.
Behaviour described | Role category | Function it serves |
|---|---|---|
Often takes initiative | Task role (initiator-contributor) | Proposes ideas and gets the project moving |
Prefers to observe and support | Maintenance role (follower / encourager) | Accepts others’ contributions and gives steady backing |
Frequently mediates disputes | Maintenance role (harmoniser) | Reconciles differences and lowers tension |
The three behaviours are distinct yet interlocking: one member drives the task, one sustains it with support, one repairs relationships. Both dimensions of group life — completing the work and keeping the group intact — are therefore covered, which is why such differentiation improves the way the group functions rather than hampering it.
Cross-check
Test the scenario against the other readings offered.
“Group members ignore individual strengths in group work” would require each member’s distinctive tendency to go unused; here every member is contributing precisely through the tendency that suits them.
“Group members focus primarily on resolving conflicts” would make dispute handling the group’s dominant activity; mediation is only one of the three behaviours described, alongside initiating and supporting.
“Group members struggle to cooperate due to role confusion” would require unclear or overlapping expectations that generate friction; the roles here are clearly separated, complementary, and disputes are actively settled.
Result
The scenario demonstrates that group members naturally adopt different roles, and that this role differentiation enhances group functioning.