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Abstract

Boëthius, S.B.: Autonomy and behaviour in small work groups. Nordisk Psykologi, 1985, 37 (1), 14–26. Four mainly female staff groups working at day-care centers for children were analyzed. The groups worked with authentic planning tasks. Their discussions were videotaped and the subjects were interviewed before and after the group discussions. Data were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively in terms of autonomy, coping and defense. The results indicate that most subjects use only a limited part of their intellectual and emotional capacity, and that their self-reported strategies focuse on social relations rather than on task activity. The main strategies were to avoid confrontation, criticism, taking initiatives and responsibility. The observed behaviour, however, was more approach oriented; the participants were active, took initiatives and tried to assume leading functions, but very few pursued this behaviour for long periods of time. The general avoidance tendency affected the work of the groups and there was a clear tendency to adapt the work to the least experienced and trained member.