Influencing+Interactions+Part+1


 * The Influence of a Subgroup on the Group**

LinkedIn define a subgroup as a group within an existing main group. The subgroup provides members more highly focused arena for projects among existing members. Subgroups are smaler than the main group and have a focus that is more defined. Members chose to be subgroup. The ultimate responsibilty of the subgroup is the main group. Chris Harper and Annie Clark challenge the Knapely Chapter of WI norms. They wanted to do something different and have meaningful purpose. The production of a calendar was not a new idea, the women of Knapely Chaper had done it 15 times before, what was new it had purpose and it had a new theme that would include some of WI itself, posing nude. Ten of the Knapely Chapter women would be the nude models this created a subgroup called Calendar Girls. Chris who spent time with Annie and John Clark at the hospital where he was being treated for leukemia and later died came up with the idea of a nude calendar for the purpose of raising the money for getting a comfortable sofa to put in the family room in that hospital. Chris then got Annie on board together they initially enlisted the women in Chris yoga class. At the next WI meeting word had gotten out and the Leader, Marie then called them out to tell the rest of the group what they were up too. Marie asked the ladies, "was it something [as she looked at Chris] you want to tell the group?” As Chris and the others had it drawn out of them it was mention they needed two others and that was easily filled right then. Marie opposed the idea and gave two reasons: one that the chapter had never had a blemish on it, and the nude calendar could cause this, and secondly, Chris had great ideas before each time they had failed. Chris felt passionately that this time would be different because they had purpose and it was inspired and sanction by John Clark. John had left a speech that he wrote to present to WI, he never got a chance to deliver. Chris read it at one of there meetings after his death. The part of that speech she emphasis that inspired her was, “The flowers are like the women of Yorkshire every stage of their growth has their beauty but the last stage is always the most glorious.”


 * The Influence of an Individual on a Subgroup**

Johnson and Johnson states that power is defined as the capacity to affect the outcome of oneself, others, and the environment. (p. 221). Chris whose idea it was to produce a nude calendar for the purpose of memorializing Annie's husband and a friend spearheaded the efforts and influenced the other women to join the efforts. She was able to mobilize ten of the women of Knapely Chapter of WI to achieve the goal of producing a nude calendar where they would model to raise the money for the project. Johnson and Johnson note that the achievement of the goals typically requires the mobilization of the combined efforts of all group members. The processes by which group members mobilize their power in order to accomplish their goals consist of five steps (p. 228): 1) Determine the goal - To produce a nude calendar to raise money to buy furniture for the hospital where John was treated. 2) Determining the resources - some of the members of Knapey Chapter of WI would be models. 3) Determining your needed coalitions - the Knapey Chapter of WI approval. 4) Negotiating contract - Being denied locally, seeking out approval from the National Coalition of WI. 5) Implementing the contracts. Chris and Annie produce the calendar and receive international media coverage and exposure.


 * The Influence of the Group on a Subgroup**

According to Johnson and Johnson, groups have norms, or common beliefs regarding group member’s appropriate behavior, attitudes, and perceptions, rules, implicit or explicit, that regulate the behavior of group members (p. 15). Marie, the leader of the Knapely Chapter, felt she must retain ultimate authority over the subgroup, the calendar girls. This method for decision making was decision by authority (p. 286). When Marie opposed the calendar idea initially Chis and Annie went to the National Coalition of WI who sent the decision back for the local chapter, then she reluctantly agreed. Marie as leader enjoys the success of the calendar girls and was one of the media interviews being a part of the success story. The pattern language of process website states, valued work done in small groups can be lost if it is not represented or recorded and integrated back into the experience of the whole group. Marie exemplifies this when ion the final reporting states, "we have made" and "our calendars".