Important principles for effective cooperative functioning

The Johnson brothers identified five important principles for constructive, cooperative group functioning (Johnson & Johnson, 2017a:286) :

1. Positive interdependence, the perception that you are linked with others in such a way that you cannot succeed unless they do (and vice versa), and that groupmates’ work benefits you and your work benefits them (Deutsch, 1962 ; Johnson and Johnson, 1989) . While Deutsch emphasised goal interdependence, positive interdependence may also be structured through things such as joint rewards, divided resources, complementary roles and a shared identity.
2. Individual accountability, which exists when the effort and performance of each group member are assessed, and the results are given back to the group and the individual so that group members can account for doing their fair share of the work.
3. Promotive interaction, which exists when group members promote each other’s success by helping, assisting, supporting, encouraging and praising each other’s efforts to learn.
4. Appropriate use of social skills, which entails teaching group members the leadership, decision-making, trust-building, communication and conflict management skills they need to work together effectively (Johnson et al., 2014 ; Johnson & Johnson, 2017a ). Asking unskilled individuals to cooperate is somewhat futile.
5. Group processing, the examination of the process members are using to maximise their own and each other’s learning so that they may identify ways to improve their process. To continuously improve the quality of the processes group members use to achieve their goals, group members may be asked to (a) describe what member actions contribute to ensuring that all group members are achieving and that effective working relationships are being maintained, and (b) make decisions about what behaviours to continue or change.

Positive interaction

According to Johnson and Johnson (2017:7b) , “promotive interaction is characterised by individuals:

1. Providing each other with efficient and effective help and assistance.
2. Exchanging needed resources such as information and materials and processing information more efficiently and effectively.
3. Providing each other with feedback in order to improve the subsequent performance of their assigned tasks and responsibilities.
4. Challenging each other’s conclusions and reasoning in order to promote higher-quality decision making and greater insight into the problems being considered.
5. Advocating the exertion of effort to achieve mutual goals.
6. Influencing each other’s efforts to achieve the group’s goals.
7. Acting in trusting and trustworthy ways.
8. Being motivated to strive for mutual benefit.
9. Having a moderate level of arousal characterized by low anxiety and stress."

Apart from these principles described above, Johnson and Johnson (2005b) also highlights and describes the importance of the trust building and constructive conflict management.