+

Chapter 6
Foundations of
Group Behavior
+ Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter you should be able to:
1. Define group and differentiate between different types of
groups.
2. Identify the five stages of group development.
3. Show how role requirements change in different situations.
4. Demonstrate how group norms and status exert influence
on an individual’s behavior.
5. Show how size affects group performance.
6. Contrast the benefits and disadvantages of cohesive
groups.
7. Understand the implications of diversity for group
effectiveness.
8. Contrast the strengths and weaknesses of group decision-
making.
9. Compare the effectiveness of interacting, brainstorming,
nominal, and electronic meeting groups.
+ 1. Define group and different types of groups

A group is defined as two or more individuals,

interacting and interdependent, who have come
together to achieve particular objectives.

Groups can be either formal or informal.

n Formal groups—those defined by the
organization’s structure
n Informal groups—alliances that are neither
formally structured nor organizationally
determined
+ Why Do People Form Groups?
n Social identity theory proposes that people have
emotional reactions to the failure or success of their
group because their self-esteem gets tied into the
performance of the group.

n Several characteristics make a social identity

important to a person
n Similarity
n Distinctiveness
n Status
n Uncertainty reduction

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+ 2. Five stages of group development
+ 2. Five stages of group development

n Group Effectiveness
n Groups proceed through the stages of group
development at different rates.
n Those with a strong sense of purpose and strategy
rapidly achieve high performance and improve
over time.
n Similarly, groups that begin with a positive social
focus appear to achieve the “performing” stage
more rapidly.
+
3. Group Properties

n Role

n Norm

n Status

n Size

n Cohesive

n Diversity

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+ Role

• certain attitudes and actual

Role Identity
behaviors consistent with a role

Role
• One’s view of how one is supposed
Perception
to act in a given situation

Role • how others believe you should act

Expectations in a given situation

Role Conflict • When an individual is confronted

by divergent role expectations
+ Norm

Performance Norms

Appearance Norms

Social Arrangement Norms

Resource Allocation Norms

+
Status

n Statuscharacteristics theory – differences in

status characteristics create status hierarchies
within groups.
n Status derived from one of three sources:
n The power a person wields over others;
n A person’s ability to contribute to group’s goals;
n Individual’s personal characteristics.

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+ Influence of norms and status on an individual’s
behavior

n Status and Norms

n High status individuals in groups are accorded
different consideration
n Statusand group interaction is influenced both
positively and negatively
n Culturaldifferences in status perception influences
differently
+ Group Size

n Smaller groups are faster at completing tasks than

larger ones.
n Large groups in problem solving do better.
n Large groups are good at gaining input.
n Smaller groups are better doing something with
input.
+
Cohesive groups
+
Group diversification

n The degree to which members of the group

are similar to, or different from, one another.

n Research finds
n More difference in values and option, the greater
its conflict
n Diversity can be bad for groups, unless managed
effectively
+
Group diversification

n The impact of diversity on groups is mixed.

n It is difficult to be in a diverse group in the short
term.
n Over time diversity may help them be more open-
minded and creative.
n Even positive effects are unlikely to be especially
strong.
+
Group decision-making

n Strengths
n More Complete knowledge
n Diversity of views
n Almost always out performs individuals
n Increase acceptance of solutions

n Weaknesses
n Time
n Conformity pressures
+
Group decision-making

n Groupscan be used as an excellent decision-

making processes
n Source of breath and depth of input
n More people to support decisions made
n Group decisions
n Consume time
n Create conflict
n Generate conformity pressures
+
Group decision-making

n Groupthink is related to norms

n It describes situations in which group pressures for
conformity deter the group from critically appraising
unusual, minority, or unpopular views.

n Groupshift
n A change between a group’s decision and an individual
decision that a member within the group would make;
the shift can be toward either conservatism or greater
risk but it generally is toward a more extreme version of
the group’s original position.
+
Group decision-making

n Interacting Groups
n Most group decision-making takes place in
interacting groups.
n In these groups, members meet face to face and
rely on both verbal and nonverbal interaction to
communicate with each other.
n Interacting groups often censor themselves and
pressure individual members toward conformity
of opinion.
+
Group decision making

n Interacting

n Brainstorming

n Nominal meeting group

n Electronic meeting group

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+ Group Decision-Making Techniques

n Brainstorming
n Overcome pressures for conformity
n The process:
n The group leader states the problem clearly.
n Members then “free-wheel” as many
alternatives as they can.
n No criticism is allowed.
n One idea stimulates others, and group members
are encouraged to “think the unusual.”

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+
Group Decision-Making Techniques

n The nominal group technique:

n Restricts
discussion or interpersonal
communication during the decision-making
process.
n Group
members are all physically present, but
members operate independently.
n Thechief advantage of the nominal group
technique is that it permits the group to meet
formally but does not restrict independent
thinking, as does the interacting group.
+
Group Decision-Making Techniques

n Nominal begins when a problem is presented, then

the following steps take place:
n Members meet as a group but each member
writes down his or her ideas on the problem.
n After this silent period, each member presents
one idea to the group.
n The ideas are discussed for clarity.
n Each group member rank-orders the ideas.
n The idea with the highest aggregate ranking
determines the final decision.
+
Group Decision-Making Techniques

n Thecomputer-assisted group or electronic meeting

blends the nominal group technique with
sophisticated computer technology.
n Earlyevidence, suggests electronic meetings don’t
achieve most of their proposed benefits.
n Lead to decreased group effectiveness,
n Require more time to complete tasks,
n Result in reduced member satisfaction compared
with face-to-face groups.
+ Group Decision-Making Techniques
+ Summary and Implications for Managers

n Roleperception and an employee’s performance

evaluation are positively related.
n The degree of congruence between the
employee’s and the boss’s perception of the
employee’s job influences the degree to which
the boss will judge that employee effective.
n Anemployee whose role perception fulfills the
boss’s role expectations will receive a higher
performance evaluation.
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+ Summary and Implications for Managers

n Norms control behavior by establishing standards of

right and wrong.
n The norms of a given group can help explain
members’ behaviors for managers.
n When norms support high output, managers can
expect markedly higher individual performance
than when they aim to restrict output.
n Norms that support antisocial behavior increase
the likelihood that individuals will engage in deviant
workplace activities.
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+
Summary and Implications for
Managers
n Status inequities create frustration and can
adversely influence productivity and willingness to
remain with an organization.
n Incongruence is likely to reduce motivation and
motivate a search for ways to bring about fairness.
n Because lower-status people tend to participate
less in group discussions, groups with high status
differences are likely to inhibit input from lower-
status members and reduce their potential.
+ Summary and Implications for Managers

n The impact of size on a group’s performance

depends on the type of task.
n Larger groups are more effective at fact-finding
activities, smaller groups at action-taking tasks.
n Our knowledge of social loafing suggests that
managers using larger groups should also provide
measures of individual performance.
+ Summary and Implications for Managers

n Cohesiveness can influence a group’s level of

productivity or not, depending on the group’s
performance-related norms.
n Diversityappears to have a mixed impact on group
performance, with some studies suggesting that
diversity can help performance and others
suggesting it can hurt it.
+ Summary and Implications for Managers

n The group size–satisfaction relationship is what we

would intuitively expect:
n Larger groups are associated with lower
satisfaction.
n As size increases, opportunities for participation
and social interaction decrease.
n Having more members also prompts dissension,
conflict, and the formation of subgroups.