Small Groups as Complex Systems

What are groups? How do they behave? Arrow McGrath and Berdahl answer these questions by developing a general theory of small groups as complex systems. Basing their theory on concepts distilled from general systems theory dynamical systems theory and complexity and chaos theory they explore groups as adaptive dynamic systems that are driven by interactions among group members as well as between the group and its embedding contexts. In addition they consider not only the groups members and their distribution of attributes but also the groups tasks and technology in order to understand how those members tasks and tools are intertwined coordinated and adjusted. Throughout the book the authors focus our attention on relationships among people tools and tasks that are activated by a combination of individual and collective purposes and goals that change and evolve as the group interacts over time.