FOUNDATIONS OF GROUP BEHAVIOR

TYPES OF GROUPS

DEFINITION

2 or more individuals, interacting and interdependent, who have come together to achieve particular objectives

Types of groups

Formal groups: defined by organization's structure

Informal groups: alliances that are neither formally structured nor organizationally determined

Social identity theory: considers when and why individuals consider themselves members of groups

Relational identification

Collective identification

Ingroup

Outgroups

ROLE REQUIREMENTS CHANGE

ROLE: set of expected behavior patterns attributed to someone occupying a given position in a social unit

ROLE PERCEPTION: one's perception of how to act in a given situation

ROLE EXPECTATIONS: how others believe one should act in a given situation

Psychological contract

ROLE CONFLICT: divergent role expectations

Interrole conflict: when the expectations of our different, separate groups are in opposition

HOW NORMS EXERT INFLUENCE ON AN INDIVIDUAL'S BEHAVIOR

NORMS

Acceptable standards of behavior within a group that are shared by the group's members

NORMS AND EMOTIONS

Norms can dictate the experience of emotions for the individuals and for the groups (peope grow to interpret their shared emotions in the same way)

NORMS AND BEHAVIOR

Hawthorne studies

POSITIVE NORMS AND GROUP OUTCOMES

NORMS AND CULTURE

HOW STATUS AND SIZE DIFFERENCES AFFECT GROUP PERFORMANCE

STATUS: a socially defined position or rank given to groups or group members by others

Status characteristics theory

The power a person wields over others

A person's ability to contribute to a group's goals

An individual's personal characteristics

Status and norms

High status individuals often have more freedom to deviate from norms

Status and group interaction

High status people are often more assertive

Status inequity

Perceived inequity creates disequilibrium and can lead to resentment and corrective behavior

Group size affects the group's overall behavior

Large groups are good for gaining diverse input

Smaller groups are better doing something with input

Social loafing

The tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working collectively than alone

COHESION AND GROUP EFFECTIVENESS

GROUP DECISION MAKING

Strengths of group decision making

More complete information and knowledge

Increased diversity of views

Increases acceptance of solutions

Weaknesses of group decision making

Time consuming

Conformity pressures

Dominance of a few members

Ambiguous reponsibility

Effectiveness and efficiency of group decisions

Accuracy

Speed

Creativity

Acceptance

Groupthink

Group pressures for conformity deter the group from critically appraising unusual, minority, or unpopular views

Groupshift

A change between a group's decision and an individual decision that a member within the group would make

Interacting groups

Members meet face-to-face and rely on both verbal and nonverbal interaction to communicate with each other

BRAINSTORMING

Group leader states the problem

Members then "free-wheel" as many alternatives as they can

No critism is allowed

One idea stimulates other, and group members are encouraged to "think the unusual"

NOMINAL GROUP TECHNIQUE