Andrea
Armando
Ashley
Danielle
Eliezer
Nick
Band Overview
Small groups are all over. We participate in them, rely on them, and are sometimes
entertained by them. The Jonas Brothers were not only an amazing band, but they were also a
prime example of a fully functioning small group. We know a lot about small groups from our
participation in a small groups communication course, our textbook, and our personal
experiences in small groups. We are also very knowledgeable about The Jonas Brothers because
of the large amounts of research we’ve done as well as our undying love for the band. The
JoBros fall under the category of a small group because there are three members, Nick, Joe and
Kevin, which is between the 3-12 people it takes to make up a small group. They also felt a sense
of belonging, not just because they are Brothers, but because they all had roles in their band.
Kevin was lead guitarist, Joe was the frontman, and Nick was the foundation. They definitely
exerted influence on each other, by working on songs together and making major decisions as a
group. Finally, a small group must have a common purpose and these boys did. They set out to
make music for the world and to give to their fans as much as their fans gave them, and they did.
Now this success didn’t happen overnight, it took some real development. This development
took place through the four phases of OCER: Orientation, Conflict, Emergence, and
Reinforcement. This growth as a group helped them get through failures, successes, girl troubles,
disease, and brotherly spats to become the young adults they are today.
The orientation phase is the first part of group formation. In this phase the group
members are introduced to each other and establish a common basis for functioning. Within the
orientation phase there is a stage where the group must go through. The primary tension stage is
the uncomfortable and awkward moments where the members must figure out why they are
together, what their goal is and what role they play.
Nick Jonas had a solo career before entering into a band with his brothers. His solo career
was not doing well so the label that he had signed with was considering to cut him and not invest
in his career anymore. A producer, Steve Greenberg, found Nick’s old record and also found out
that his brothers were musicians as well and decided to put them together and form a band.
The band consisted of three Jonas Brothers, Kevin (oldest), Joe (2nd oldest) and Nick,
(youngest). Primary Tension was present when Nick was at first uncomfortable with Joe and
Kevin jumping on his dream of becoming a successful artist and musician. Joe and Kevin were
also aware of the situation and did not want to just intervene the dream and success of Nick by
forming their band. This was awkward for them at first but ultimately led to the goal of
becoming the best band possible. Kevin, Joe, and Nick all took the roles of writing, singing, and
playing. Each member had a job to bring their best efforts to the table both musically and
inspirationally. They would go on to sign with Columbia Records and started writing their first
album entitled, “It’s About Time.”
Conflict phase is the 2nd phase in group development stages. Through the 2nd phase of
conflict according to the textbook it states that there is conflict between 2 or more people in a
group. Conflict phase is an attempt to solve the problem the group is going through and not just
avoid. In this phase clarity is is the outcome and the result. This phase is to acknowledge who is
who in the group and what position they will be working on in order to achieve the purpose or
goal. This phase is accompanied by secondary tension where a conflict can emerge abruptly and
distract the group.
The Jonas Brothers went through this phase of conflict where abruptly conflict happened. In
2005 the leader of the band Nick Jonas was diagnosed with Diabetes type 1. This started conflict
and it could not be avoided in order to keep the band in motion for their ultimate goal, success
and recognition. Will this issue stop the band from achieving into the big stages and being well
known? Well Nick decided to follow the doctors instructions on how to live a normal life with
his health problem. He didn't want to stop the band into getting what they always dreamed of.
Diabetes wasn't going to stop them.
His only choice that will benefit the band into keep the goal in motion was that Nick gave up
leadership of the group. This made Joe come out of the back of the keyboard shadows into the
lights and overtook Nick's leadership. He was converted into a monster on stage! He will jump
dance and do crazy things while he sang, the crowd loved it! Nick will just take it slow because
his healthy will not allowed him to do so much. Fortunately the new change in leadership was
very positive transition, it opened new doors to the future career of the band and started to be
well known.
The emergence phase is the third phase of group formation. It occurs when the conflict
still exists but what sets it apart from phase two, conflict, is the way the group handles the
conflict. The way the group handles conflict determines the future for the group. This is a shift in
the group because there is uncertainty but the group then will decide what action needs to be
taken in order to reach a consensus.
A way to make it easier for the group to form a decision is to seek aid from the group
expert. In the Jonas Brothers, it is Nick who is seen as the expert. The reason being is the fact
that he was the first brother to be introduced to the music industry and then his brothers followed
along. It is preferred to seek help from an expert because they have high credibility, they know
what they are talking about, and they have experience. The group will have an easier time to
make a decision because of the experts’ high credibility. In this phase, there is clarity. For
example, the group knows who is the leader, they know the problem, they know they need to
settle their differences and reach a solution. Nick was the first brother to initiate the conversation
and had his brothers sit down and discuss their differences. He knew the were many problems
within the group and he wanted to resolve them as soon as possible.
Although the final phase is brief compared with the stages that came before, it is vital for
creating group harmony. According to our textbook, the reinforcement phase is characterized by
positive feelings toward the group and its decisions (Steven A. Beebe). In this phase the group is
at its most cohesive, individual satisfaction and sense of achievement are high. Group members
surpass their differences and feel a genuine sense of accomplishment. Agreement and
reinforcement is given to the decision with approving opinions. The Jonas Brothers reached the
reinforcement phase when they made the unanimous decision to break up and prioritize their
relationship as family. They decided that it was it was best to close that chapter of their lives and
choose to be brothers first. Since the breakup, Nick and Joe have released their solo albums and
worked independently on other creative projects. In 2015 Joe Jonas debuted his own band called
DNCE while Nick Jonas’s self-titled album topped the Billboard Hot 100 charts. The oldest of
the Jonas Brothers trio, Kevin, has taken a backseat to the entertainment industry and is happily
enjoying parenthood with his wife Danielle.
It was especially important for the group to go through the different phases of group
development so the group would not engage in groupthink.Groupthink “is a psychological
phenomenon that occurs within a group of people in which the desire for harmony or conformity
results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome.”(Boundless) The Jonas
Brothers started a band at such a young age that it was run by executives, they had to accept what
the companies and music labels wanted; that way they keep their imagine “pure” to the public.
The Jonas Brothers had ideas they wanted heard but was kept only to themselves, as they do not
have the power over the executives, in result led to the “Purity Ring.”
The ring that symbolizes a person's vow to practice abstinence until marriage, “The 22
year old singer/actor Nick Jonas admitted that he's not a virgin, despite he and his brothers
wearing purity rings at the start of their careers and vowing to not have premarital sex.” (ET
Online) Something went wrong with the gimmick of having a Purity Ring, Groupthink had
happened. Selected individuals thought it was a great idea, but did not understand how difficult it
would be for these 3 pop-stars. Preventing Groupthink could've prevented the unsuccessful
Purity Ring idea, by “encouraging members to raise objections and concerns.”(oregonstate.edu)
The Purity Ring idea in the long term could have been a great challenge few would accept. But
seeking input from experts outside the group,”(oregonstate.edu) could of made the group think
twice about their goals.