
As we’ve mentioned in other blogs, belonging is a basic human need that motivates much of our behaviour. It describes the need of individuals to experience the affection of friends, a partner, children or groups in general[1]. The need to belong is satisfied by feeling integrated into a particular environment[2], this could be when a person feels valued for their involvement in a group or situation, or when their core characteristics complement an environment or system[3]. It is suggested that in order to satisfy the need of belonging an individual must:
- Poses the energy to involve themselves in situations;
- Poses a desire for meaningful involvement;
- Exhibit shared or complementary characteristics of the group they want to belong to[4].
Connectedness is related to participation in organisations, society, as well
as social networks[5].
Individuals that experience high connectedness are generally better equip to use cognitive
processes such as self-evaluation and self-comparison in order to manage
themselves[6].
Connectedness is therefore a vital attribute to constructive interpersonal
functioning[7]
as the effects of low connectedness may include self-estrangement, loneliness,
depression and a loss of meaning[8].
Organisations, in
very broad terms, will have two groups of individuals: there will the group of
collectivists – the people who prioritise and value relationality, and then there
will be the individualists – the people who prioritise and value expertise and
competence[9].
These preferences can influence a person’s responsiveness to a specific management or leadership style.
Literature also suggests that low group connectedness in the workplace
increases resistance to authority[10].
So how can you increase connectedness in your teams? The following points provide you with a few ideas of how to
take control of the connectedness in your team[11]:
- As a manager take note of the values and norms of your team members;
- Take note of the relationships among your team members;
- Keep on communicating a shared purpose;
- Emphasise and foster mutual respect including individuals’ qualities, skills, knowledge and experience;
- Evaluate and foster trust - keep on earning trust and building on existing trust;
- Encourage involvement from all team members;
- Understand and appreciate team members’ goals, and how your goals can support each other;
- Keep on having regular team meetings, discussions and conversations, and keep on bringing the focus back to: why you are a team, why you need each other, and what you expect and need form each other in order to be a high performance team.
Author
Estée Roodt (MCom Industrial Psychology)
Estée is part of our Behavioural Specialist team here at Workpoints. She is our keen researcher, our problem-solver and our number one sports star.
Estée is part of our Behavioural Specialist team here at Workpoints. She is our keen researcher, our problem-solver and our number one sports star.

Workpoints is a fully featured reward, recognition and incentives platform that provides you with the tools to create a high performance organisation. Our easy-to-use application integrates simply into any organisation and instantly encourages staff to do the daily grind with excellence and energy.
Visit www.workpoints.co.za for more info and a free trial!
References
Crisp,
B. R. (2010). Belonging, connectedness and social exclusion. Journal of
Social Inclusion, 1(2), 123–132.
http://doi.org/https://www.pneumonia.org.au/index.php/inclusion/article/view/119/96
Hagerty, B. M.,
Lynch-Sauer, J., Patusky, K. L., Bouwsema, M., & Collier, P. (1992). Sense
of belonging: A vital mental health concept. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing,
6(3), 172–177. http://doi.org/10.1016/0883-9417(92)90028-H
Lee, R. M., &
Robbins, S. B. (1998). The relationship between social connectedness and
anxiety, self-esteem, and social identity. Journal of Counseling Psychology,
45(3), 338–345. http://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.45.3.338
Maslow, a. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological
Review, 50(13), 370–396. http://doi.org/10.1037/h0054346
Shambrook, C. (n.d).
Connectedness in teams. Retrieved form: https://www.theperformanceroom.co.uk/connectedness-in-teams/
Townsend, K. C., &
McWhirter, B. T. (2005). Connectedness: A review of the literature with
implications for counseling, assessment, and research. Journal of Counseling
and Development, 83(3), 191–201.
http://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6678.2005.tb00596.x
Wosinska, W., Cialdini,
R. B., Petrova, P. K., Barrett, D. W., Gornik-Durose, M., Butner, J., &
Griskevicius, V. (2009). Resistance to deficient organizational authority: The
impact of culture and connectedness in the workplace. Journal of Applied
Social Psychology, 39(4), 834–851.
http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2009.00462.x
[1]
(Maslow, 1943)
[2]
(Hagerty, Lysnch-Sauer, Patusky, Bouwsema, &
Collier, 1992)
[3]
(Hagerty et al., 1992)
[4]
(Hagerty et al., 1992)
[5]
(Crisp, 2010)
[6]
(Tesser, 1991, as cited by Lee & Robbins, 1998)
[7]
(Townsend & McWhirter, 2005)
[8]
(Bellingham, Cohen, Jones, & Spaniol, 1989, as cited by Lee & Robbins, 1998)
[9]
(Wosinska et al., 2009)
[10]
(Wosinska et al., 2009)
[11]
(Wosinska et al., 2009) and (Shambrook, n.d)
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