Unorganized Group: Meaning and Features

UNORGANIZED GROUP

Meaning of Unorganized Group

Social groups that conspicuously lack the organisation attribute can be called unorganized groups. Unorganized groups come into existence suddenly without any careful planning. They need to be more organized because they do not follow specific norms or objectives. The group members in an unorganized group are not loyal or sympathetic to each other. In most cases, they do not know each other. Such unorganized groups are temporary in nature. For example, Crowd, Mob, audience, spectator’s group, public etc.

Features / Characteristics of Unorganized Groups

1.   Lack of organization: One of the essentials of a group is that it consists of a substantial number of unorganized individuals. The unorganized group consists of such people and needs to be more organized because it has no definite leader, objective, social norms, plan of action, purpose or functions.

2.   Spontaneous in origin: Members of the unorganized group behave more spontaneously than they are not deliberately established. They are not born out of careful planning and systematic work. They may come into being suddenly.

3.   Shorter life span: Unorganised groups are purely temporary in nature. People gathered in a fish market disperse the moment their purpose is served.

4.   Lack of organization in social interaction: People in an unorganized group may behave unpredictably. The self-confidence of individuals increases manifold when they are in a crowd because they have a sense of mass strength.

5.   Flexible and Adaptive: Unorganized groups are highly adaptable and can form and dissolve quickly in response to changing circumstances or needs. They are often characterized by spontaneity and a lack of rigid planning.

6.    Lack of Accountability: Since there is no formal leadership or organizational structure, there often needs to be more accountability within unorganized groups. Members may not be held responsible for their actions to the same degree as in organized groups.

Thus, Unorganized groups play a role in addressing immediate needs within different social contexts, but their transient and flexible nature limits their capacity for sustained actions.