Foundations of Group Behavior
9-1
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LO 1 Define Group, and Differentiate
Between 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.
Formal groups – those defined by the
organization’s structure.
Informal groups – alliances that are neither
formally structured nor organizationally
determined. 9-2
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LO 1 Define Group, and Differentiate
Between Different Types of Groups
Social identity theory – considers when and why
individuals consider themselves members of groups.
People have emotional reactions to the failure or
success of their group because their self-esteem
gets tied into the performance of the group.
Social identities help us understand who we are
and where we fit in with people.
Ingroup favoritism
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LO 1 Define Group, and Differentiate
Between Different Types of Groups
Several characteristics make a social identity
important to a person
Similarity
Distinctiveness
Status
Uncertainty reduction
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LO 2 Identify the Five Stages of
Group Development
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LO 2 Identify the Five Stages of
Group Development
Group Effectiveness
Groups proceed through the stages of group
development at different rates.
Those with a strong sense of purpose and strategy
rapidly achieve high performance and improve over
time.
Similarly, groups that begin with a positive social
focus appear to achieve the “performing” stage
more rapidly.
Groups don’t always proceed clearly from one stage
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to the next.
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LO 2 Identify the Five Stages of
Group Development
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LO 3 Show How Role Requirements
Change In Different Situations
Role – a 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 – situation in which an individual
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faces divergent role expectations.
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LO 4
Demonstrate How Norms and Status
Exert Influence On an Individual’s Behavior
Norms – acceptable standards of behavior within a
group that are shared by the group’s members.
Performance norms
Appearance norms
Social arrangement norms
Resource allocation norms
The Hawthorne Studies
9-9
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LO 4
Demonstrate How Norms and Status
Exert Influence On an Individual’s Behavior
Status – a socially defined position or rank given to
groups or group members by others.
Status characteristics theory – differences in
status characteristics create status hierarchies
within groups.
Status is derived from one of three sources:
The power a person wields over others.
A person’s ability to contribute to a group’s
goals.
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An individual’s personal characteristics.
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LO 4
Demonstrate How Norms and Status
Exert Influence On an Individual’s Behavior
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.
Status and Stigmatization
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Stigma by association.
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LO 5 Show How Group Size Affects
Group Performance
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.
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LO 6 Contrast The Benefits And
Disadvantages Of Cohesive Groups
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LO 7 Explain the Implications of
Diversity For Group Effectiveness
Diversity – the degree to which members of the
group are similar to, or different from, one another.
Increases group conflict especially in the short term.
Culturally and demographically diverse groups may
perform better over time.
Over time, diversity may help them be more open-minded
and creative.
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LO 8Contrast the Strengths and
Weaknesses of Group Decision Making
Strengths of group decision making:
More complete information and knowledge
Increased diversity of views
Increased acceptance of solutions
Weaknesses of group decision making:
Time consuming
Conformity pressures
Dominance of a few members
Ambiguous responsibility 9-15
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LO 8Contrast the Strengths and
Weaknesses of Group Decision Making
Effectiveness and efficiency of group decisions:
Accuracy
Speed
Creativity
Acceptance
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LO 8Contrast the Strengths and
Weaknesses of Group Decision Making
Groupthink – situations in which group pressures for
conformity deter the group from critically appraising unusual,
minority, or unpopular views.
Related to norms
Groupshift – 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 is generally toward a more extreme version of the
group’s original position.
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LO 9
Compare the Effectiveness of Interacting,
Brainstorming, and the Nominal Group Technique
Most group decision making takes place in
interacting groups.
Members meet face-to-face and rely on both verbal and
nonverbal interaction to communicate with each other.
Interacting groups often censor themselves and
pressure individual members toward conformity of
opinion.
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LO 9
Compare the Effectiveness of Interacting,
Brainstorming, and the Nominal Group Technique
Brainstorming can overcome pressures for
conformity.
In a brainstorming session:
The group leader states the problem clearly.
Members then “free-wheel” as many
alternatives as they can.
No criticism is allowed.
One idea stimulates others, and group members
are encouraged to “think the unusual.” 9-19
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LO 9
Compare the Effectiveness of Interacting,
Brainstorming, and the Nominal Group Technique
The nominal group technique - restricts discussion
or interpersonal communication during the decision
making process.
Group members are all physically present, but members
operate independently.
The main advantage is that it permits the group to meet
formally but does not restrict independent thinking, as
does the interacting group.
Research shows that nominal groups outperform
brainstorming groups. 9-20
Copyright © 2017 Pearson India Education Services Pvt. Ltd
LO 9
Compare the Effectiveness of Interacting,
Brainstorming, and the Nominal Group Technique
In a nominal group, a problem is presented, then…
Each member independently writes down his/her
ideas on the problem.
After this silent period, each member presents one
idea to the group.
The ideas are discussed for clarity.
Each group member rank-orders the ideas.
The idea with the highest aggregate ranking
determines the final decision. 9-21
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LO 9
Compare the Effectiveness of Interacting,
Brainstorming, and the Nominal Group Technique
9-22
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Implications for Managers
Consider that the degree of congruence between
the employee’s and the manager’s perception of the
employee’s job influences the degree to which the
manager will judge that employee effective.
Be certain your employees fully understand their roles so
you can accurately assess their performance.
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Implications for Managers
In group situations where the norms support high
output, you can expect markedly higher individual
performance than when the norms restrict output.
Group norms that support antisocial behavior increase the
likelihood that individuals will engage in deviant workplace
activities.
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Implications for Managers
Pay attention to the organizational status levels of the
employee groups you create.
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.
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Implications for Managers
When forming employee groups, use larger groups
for fact-finding activities and smaller groups for
action-taking tasks.
When creating larger groups, you should also provide
measures of individual performance.
To increase employee satisfaction, work on making
certain your employees perceive their job roles the
same way you perceive their roles.
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