The Intragroup Dynamics of Maintaining a Successful Grassroots Organization: A Case Study

We suggest that key components of intragroup dynamics, including coordination, motivation, and group identification, are important for determining whether a grassroots group will function well, maintain itself over time, and regularly achieve “successes” as defined by the group. These processes were examined in a case study of a grassroots peace organization. The evaluation was carried out via an interview with the director and a survey of the group's volunteers. The director's perceptions of the quality of intragroup dynamics within this group are discussed in conjunction with the responses of the surveyed volunteers. This study showed that the group puts considerable effort into coordinating their activities and implementing strategies to motivate their volunteers. Nevertheless, it appeared that the group was more purposeful in their efforts toward coordination than toward motivating members. Future research will need to involve other groups, as well as identify which specific intragroup components are most important for grassroots success.