9 1 Copyright 2015 Pearson Education Inc Chapter

9 -1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Chapter 9: Foundations of Group Behavior 9 -2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Learning Objectives After studying this chapter, you should be able to: Ø Define group, and distinguish the different types of groups. Ø Identify the five stages of group development. Ø Show role requirements change in different situations. Ø Demonstrate how norms and status exert influence on an individual’s behavior. Ø Show group size affects group performance. Ø Contrast the benefits and disadvantages of cohesive groups. Ø Explain the implications of diversity for group effectiveness. Ø Contrast the strengths and weaknesses of group decision making. Ø Compare the effectiveness of interacting, brainstorming, and the nominal group technique. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. 9 -3

Define Group, and Differentiate Between Different Types of Groups LO 1 ØA group is defined as two or more individuals, interacting and interdependent, who have come together to achieve particular objectives. ØGroups can be either formal or informal. Ø Formal groups – those defined by the organization’s structure. Ø Informal groups – alliances that are neither formally structured nor organizationally determined. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. 9 -4

LO 1 Define Group, and Differentiate Between Different Types of Groups ØSocial identity theory – considers when and why individuals consider themselves members of groups. Ø People have emotional reactions to the failure or success of their group because their self-esteem gets tied into the performance of the group. Ø Social identities help us understand who we are and where we fit in with people. ØIngroup favoritism 9 -5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

LO 1 Define Group, and Differentiate Between Different Types of Groups ØSeveral characteristics make a social identity important to a person Ø Similarity Ø Distinctiveness Ø Status Ø Uncertainty reduction 9 -6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

LO 2 Identify the Five Stages of Group Development 9 -7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

LO 2 Identify the Five Stages of Group Development ØGroup Effectiveness Ø Groups proceed through the stages of group development at different rates. ØThose with a strong sense of purpose and strategy rapidly achieve high performance and improve over time. ØSimilarly, groups that begin with a positive social focus appear to achieve the “performing” stage more rapidly. Ø Groups don’t always proceed clearly from one stage to the next. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. 9 -8

LO 2 Identify the Five Stages of Group Development 9 -9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

LO 3 Show How Role Requirements Change In Different Situations ØRole – a set of expected behavior patterns attributed to someone occupying a given position in a social unit. Ø Role perception – one’s perception of how to act in a given situation. Ø Role expectations – how others believe one should act in a given situation. ØPsychological contract Ø Role conflict – situation in which an individual faces divergent role expectations. Ø Zimbardo’s prison experiment Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. 9 -10

LO 4 Demonstrate How Norms and Status Exert Influence On an Individual’s Behavior ØNorms – acceptable standards of behavior within a group that are shared by the group’s members. Ø Performance norms Ø Appearance norms Ø Social arrangement norms Ø Resource allocation norms ØThe Hawthorne Studies 9 -11 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

LO 4 Demonstrate How Norms and Status Exert Influence On an Individual’s Behavior 9 -12 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

LO 4 Demonstrate How Norms and Status Exert Influence On an Individual’s Behavior 9 -13 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

LO 4 Demonstrate How Norms and Status Exert Influence On an Individual’s Behavior ØStatus – a socially defined position or rank given to groups or group members by others. Ø Status characteristics theory – differences in status characteristics create status hierarchies within groups. ØStatus is derived from one of three sources: ØThe power a person wields over others. ØA person’s ability to contribute to a group’s goals. ØAn individual’s personal characteristics. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. 9 -14

LO 4 Demonstrate How Norms and Status Exert Influence On an Individual’s Behavior ØStatus and Norms Ø High status individuals often have more freedom to deviate from norms. ØStatus and Group Interaction Ø High status people are often more assertive. ØStatus Inequity Ø Perceived inequity creates disequilibrium and can lead to resentment and corrective behavior. ØStatus and Stigmatization Ø Stigma by association. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. 9 -15

LO 5 Show How Group Size Affects Group Performance ØGroup size affects the group’s overall behavior. Ø Large groups are good for gaining diverse input. Ø Smaller groups are better doing something with input. ØSocial loafing – the tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working collectively than alone. 9 -16 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Contrast The Benefits And Disadvantages Of Cohesive Groups LO 6 9 -17 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

LO 7 Explain the Implications of Diversity For Group Effectiveness ØDiversity – the degree to which members of the group are similar to, or different from, one another. ØIncreases group conflict especially in the short term. ØCulturally and demographically diverse groups may perform better over time. Ø Over time, diversity may help them be more openminded and creative. ØFaultlines 9 -18 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Contrast the Strengths and Weaknesses of Group Decision Making LO 8 ØStrengths of group decision making: Ø More complete information and knowledge Ø Increased diversity of views Ø Increased acceptance of solutions ØWeaknesses of group decision making: Ø Time consuming Ø Conformity pressures Ø Dominance of a few members Ø Ambiguous responsibility Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. 9 -19

Contrast the Strengths and Weaknesses of Group Decision Making LO 8 ØEffectiveness and efficiency of group decisions: Ø Accuracy Ø Speed Ø Creativity Ø Acceptance 9 -20 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Contrast the Strengths and Weaknesses of Group Decision Making LO 8 ØGroupthink – situations in which group pressures for conformity deter the group from critically appraising unusual, minority, or unpopular views. Ø Related to norms ØGroupshift – a change between a group’s decision and an individual decision that a member within the group would make. Ø The shift can be toward either conservatism or greater risk, but is generally toward a more extreme version of the group’s original position. 9 -21 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

LO 9 Compare the Effectiveness of Interacting, Brainstorming, and the Nominal Group Technique ØMost group decision making takes place in interacting groups. Ø Members meet face-to-face and rely on both verbal and nonverbal interaction to communicate with each other. ØInteracting groups often censor themselves and pressure individual members toward conformity of opinion. 9 -22 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

LO 9 Compare the Effectiveness of Interacting, Brainstorming, and the Nominal Group Technique ØBrainstorming can overcome pressures for conformity. Ø In a brainstorming session: ØThe group leader states the problem clearly. ØMembers then “free-wheel” as many alternatives as they can. ØNo criticism is allowed. ØOne idea stimulates others, and group members are encouraged to “think the unusual. ” Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. 9 -23

LO 9 Compare the Effectiveness of Interacting, Brainstorming, and the Nominal Group Technique ØThe nominal group technique - restricts discussion or interpersonal communication during the decision making process. Ø Group members are all physically present, but members operate independently. Ø The main advantage is that it permits the group to meet formally but does not restrict independent thinking, as does the interacting group. ØResearch shows that nominal groups outperform brainstorming groups. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. 9 -24

LO 9 Compare the Effectiveness of Interacting, Brainstorming, and the Nominal Group Technique ØIn a nominal group, a problem is presented, then… Ø Each member independently writes down his/her ideas on the problem. Ø After this silent period, each member presents one idea to the group. Ø The ideas are discussed for clarity. Ø Each group member rank-orders the ideas. Ø The idea with the highest aggregate ranking determines the final decision. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. 9 -25

LO 9 Compare the Effectiveness of Interacting, Brainstorming, and the Nominal Group Technique 9 -26 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Implications for Managers ØConsider 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. Ø Be certain your employees fully understand their roles so you can accurately assess their performance. 9 -27 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Implications for Managers ØIn group situations where the norms support high output, you can expect markedly higher individual performance than when the norms restrict output. Ø Group norms that support antisocial behavior increase the likelihood that individuals will engage in deviant workplace activities. 9 -28 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Implications for Managers ØPay attention to the organizational status levels of the employee groups you create. Ø Because lower-status people tend to participate less in group discussions, groups with high status differences are likely to inhibit input from lowerstatus members and reduce their potential. 9 -29 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Implications for Managers ØWhen forming employee groups, use larger groups for fact-finding activities and smaller groups for action -taking tasks. Ø When creating larger groups, you should also provide measures of individual performance. ØTo increase employee satisfaction, work on making certain your employees perceive their job roles the same way you perceive their roles. 9 -30 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

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