Final answer:
The coalescence stage of group development is most commonly associated with conflict, as this is the phase where group members actively organize, leading to potential clashes over differences in beliefs and strategies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Conflict is most commonly observed during the coalescence stage of group development. This stage follows the preliminary stage when individuals become aware of an issue and leaders emerge. During the coalescence stage, members join together to organize and raise awareness about the cause, which can lead to conflict as different opinions and strategies clash.
Social movements often go through a lifecycle of four stages: preliminary, coalescence, institutionalization, and decline. During the coalescence, heightened interactions and the formation of group identity can bring disagreements and conflicts to the forefront, making it a common phase for such issues to arise. While conflict can be disruptive, it can also foster innovation and growth within the group if handled constructively.
Sociological theories such as conflict theory also spotlight the inevitability of conflicts in social groups, emphasizing how social inequalities and power differences are instrumental in fostering group conflict.