Twelve families in a housing society in Lucknow formed a residents' group when the society kept running short of water. Members meet in the society hall once a month, and on other days they share plans on a phone messaging app. Within months, families who used hoses to wash their cars switched to buckets, as their neighbours on the group did. In March, Rakesh, a member, forgot to send the society's letter to the municipal office, and every family went without tanker water for a week. Meera, another member, built a rainwater harvesting pit, and two nearby societies copied her plan. Last year, when a pipe burst near the gate, passers-by stopped and stood around watching.
Rakesh forgot to send the society's letter, and every family went without tanker water for a week. Which characteristic of a group does this event show?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → A collection of individuals who are interdependent
Option (1) A gathering of individuals who interact with one another either directly or indirectly — Incorrect. Interaction, face to face or through a medium, is a real feature of groups. But the event is about one member's lapse hurting everyone.
Option (2) A collection of individuals who have common motives and goals — Incorrect. Common motives and goals explain why the families came together. They do not explain why one member's mistake left all of them without water.
Option (3) A collection of individuals who are interdependent — Correct. Members are interdependent when what one does has consequences for others. Rakesh's single lapse cost every family its water, like a fielder's dropped catch hurting the whole team.
Option (4) A collection of individuals whose interactions are structured by a set of roles and norms — Incorrect. Roles and norms mean members perform the same functions each time and follow group rules. The event shows the cost of one lapse.
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