Ob9 foundations of group behavior

Defining and Classifying Groups Group: Two or more individuals interacting and interdependent , who have come together to achieve particular objectives Formal Group: Defined by the organization’s structure with designated work assignments establishing tasks Informal Group: Alliances that are neither formally structured nor organizationally determined Appear naturally in response to the need for social contact Deeply affect behavior and performance 9-

Subclassifications of Groups Formal Groups Command Group A group composed of the individuals who report directly to a given manager Task Group Those working together to complete a job or task in an organization but not limited by hierarchical boundaries Informal Groups Interest Group Members work together to attain a specific objective with which each is concerned Friendship Group Those brought together because they share one or more common characteristics 9-

Why People Join Groups Security Status Self-esteem Affiliation Power Goal Achievement 9-

Five Stages of Group Development Model 9-

The Five Stages of Group Development Forming Members feel much uncertainty Storming Lots of conflict between members of the group Norming Stage Members have developed close relationships and cohesiveness Performing Stage The group is finally fully functional Adjourning Stage In temporary groups, characterized by concern with wrapping up activities rather than performance 9-

Critique of the Five-Stage Model Assumption: the group becomes more effective as it progresses through the first four stages Not always true – group behavior is more complex High levels of conflict may be conducive to high performance The process is not always linear Several stages may occur simultaneously Groups may regress Ignores the organizational context 9-

Temporary groups with deadlines don’t follow the five-stage model Punctuated-Equilibrium Model Temporary groups under deadlines go through transitions between inertia and activity—at the halfway point, they experience an increase in productivity. Sequence of Actions Setting group direction First phase of inertia Half-way point transition Major changes Second phase of inertia Accelerated activity An Alternative Model for Group Formation 9- E X H I B I T 9-3

Group Property 1: Roles Role A set of expected behavior patterns attributed to someone occupying a given position in a social unit Role Identity Certain attitudes and behaviors consistent with a role Role Perception An individual’s view of how he or she is supposed to act in a given situation Role Expectations How others believe a person should act in a given situation Psychological Contract : an unwritten agreement that sets out mutual expectations of management and employees Role Conflict A situation in which an individual is confronted by divergent role expectations 9-

Zimbardo’s Prison Experiment Faked a prison using student volunteers Randomly assigned to guard and prisoner roles Within six days the experiment was halted due to concerns Guards had dehumanized the prisoners Prisoners were subservient Fell into the roles as they understood them No real resistance felt 9- Stanford University

Group Property 2: Norms Norms Acceptable standards of behavior within a group that are shared by the group’s members Classes of Norms Performance norms - level of acceptable work Appearance norms - what to wear Social arrangement norms - friendships and the like Allocation of resources norms - distribution and assignments of jobs and material 9-

Group Norms and the Hawthorne Studies A series of studies undertaken by Elton Mayo at Western Electric Company’s Hawthorne Works in Chicago between 1924 and 1932 Research Conclusions Worker behavior and sentiments were closely related. Group influences (norms) were significant in affecting individual behavior. Group standards (norms) were highly effective in establishing individual worker output. Money was less a factor in determining worker output than were group standards, sentiments, and security. 9- Physical environment and productivity 1.Illumination 2.assembly-test-room Wage incentive plan

Norms and Behavior Conformity Gaining acceptance by adjusting one’s behavior to align with the norms of the group Reference Groups Important groups to which individuals belong or hope to belong and with whose norms individuals are likely to conform Asch Studies Demonstrated the power of conformance Culture-based and declining in importance 9-

Deviant Workplace Behavior Also called antisocial behavior or workplace incivility Voluntary behavior that violates significant organizational norms and, in doing so, threatens the well-being of the organization Typology : Production – working speed Property – damage and stealing Political – favoritism and gossip Personal Aggression – sexual harassment Defying Norms: Deviant Workplace Behavior 9-

Group Influence on Deviant Behavior Group norms can influence the presence of deviant behavior Simply belonging to a group increases the likelihood of deviance Being in a group allows individuals to hide – creates a false sense of confidence that they won’t be caught 9-

Group Property 3: Status A socially defined position or rank given to groups or group members by others – it differentiates group members Important factor in understanding behavior Significant motivator Status Characteristics Theory Status derived from one of three sources: Power a person has over others Ability to contribute to group goals Personal characteristics 9-

Status Effects On Norms and Conformity High-status members are less restrained by norms and pressure to conform Some level of deviance is allowed to high-status members so long as it doesn’t affect group goal achievement On Group Interaction High-status members are more assertive Large status differences limit diversity of ideas and creativity On Equity If status is perceived to be inequitable, it will result in various forms of corrective behavior. 9-

Group Property 4: Size Group size affects behavior Size: Twelve or more members is a “large” group Seven or fewer is a “small” group Best use of a group: 9- Attribute Small Large Speed X Individual Performance X Problem Solving X Diverse Input X Fact-finding Goals X Overall Performance X

Issues with Group Size Social Loafing The tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working collectively than when working individually Ringelmann’s Rope Pull: greater levels of productivity but with diminishing returns as group size increases Caused by either equity concerns or a diffusion of responsibility ( free riders ) Managerial Implications Build in individual accountability Prevent social loafing by: Setting group goals Increase intergroup competition Use peer evaluation Distribute group rewards based on individual effort 9-

Group Property 5: Cohesiveness Degree to which group members are attracted to each other and are motivated to stay in the group Managerial Implication To increase cohesiveness: Make the group smaller. Encourage agreement with group goals. Increase time members spend together. Increase group status and admission difficulty. Stimulate competition with other groups. Give rewards to the group, not individuals. Physically isolate the group. 9-

Group Decision Making vs. Individual Choice Group Strengths: Generate more complete information and knowledge Offer increased diversity of views and greater creativity Increased acceptance of decisions Generally more accurate (but not as accurate as the most accurate group member) Group Weaknesses: Time-consuming activity Conformity pressures in the group Discussions can be dominated by a few members A situation of ambiguous responsibility 9-

Group Decision Making Phenomena Groupthink Situations where group pressures for conformity deter the group from critically appraising unusual, minority, or unpopular views Hinders performance Groupshift When discussing a given set of alternatives and arriving at a solution, group members tend to exaggerate the initial positions that they hold. This causes a shift to more conservative or more risky behavior. 9-

Groupthink Symptoms: Group members rationalize any resistance to the assumptions they have made Members apply direct pressures on those who express doubts about shared views or who question the alternative favored by the majority Members who have doubts or differing points of view keep silent about misgivings There appears to be an illusion of unanimity Minimize Groupthink by: Reduce the size of the group to 10 or less Encourage group leaders to be impartial Appoint a “devil’s advocate” Use exercises on diversity 9-

Group Decision-making Techniques Made in interacting groups where members meet face-to-face and rely on verbal and nonverbal communication. Brainstorming An idea-generating process designed to overcome pressure for conformity Nominal Group Technique (NGT) Works by restricting discussion during the decision-making process Members are physically present but operate independently Electronic Meeting Uses computers to hold large meetings of up to 50 people 9-

Evaluating Group Effectiveness 9- Type of Group Effectiveness Criteria Interacting Brain-storming Nominal Electronic Number and quality of ideas Low Moderate High High Social Pressure High Low Moderate Low Money Costs Low Low Low High Speed Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate Task Orientation Low High High High Potential for Interpersonal Conflict High Low Moderate Moderate Commitment to Solution High N/A Moderate Moderate Development of Group Cohesiveness High High Moderate Low

Global Implications Status and Culture The importance of status varies with culture Managers must understand who and what holds status when interacting with people from another culture Social Loafing Most often in Western (individualistic) cultures Group Diversity Increased diversity leads to increased conflict May cause early withdrawal and lowered morale If the initial difficulties are overcome, diverse groups may perform better 9-

Ob9 foundations of group behavior

More Related Content

What's hot (20)

Similar to Ob9 foundations of group behavior (20)

Ob9 foundations of group behavior

Editor's Notes