Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the extent to which group members are similar to or different from one another?
What is the extent to which group members are similar to or different from one another?
Diversity
Which statement is true about status and stigmatization?
Which statement is true about status and stigmatization?
Culturally, collectivistic societies prioritize individual goals over group goals.
Culturally, collectivistic societies prioritize individual goals over group goals.
False
Functional diversity involves differences in skills, expertise, and knowledge relevant to team tasks, enhancing the team's capability for __________ and decision-making.
Functional diversity involves differences in skills, expertise, and knowledge relevant to team tasks, enhancing the team's capability for __________ and decision-making.
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What is the term used to describe a phenomenon where the norm for consensus overrides the realistic appraisal of alternative courses of action?
What is the term used to describe a phenomenon where the norm for consensus overrides the realistic appraisal of alternative courses of action?
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Groups are generally faster than individuals in decision-making processes.
Groups are generally faster than individuals in decision-making processes.
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What is the term for a group of two or more individuals who come together to achieve certain objectives?
What is the term for a group of two or more individuals who come together to achieve certain objectives?
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To increase employee satisfaction, ensure people perceive their job roles _______________
To increase employee satisfaction, ensure people perceive their job roles _______________
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Match the following personality dimensions with those identified in the Big Five Personality Model (OCEAN):
Match the following personality dimensions with those identified in the Big Five Personality Model (OCEAN):
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What are norms in a group?
What are norms in a group?
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Role Perception is our view of how we are supposed to act in a given group.
Role Perception is our view of how we are supposed to act in a given group.
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According to the status characteristics theory, status tends to derive from one of three sources: 1. The power a person wields over others, 2. A person's ability to contribute to a group's goals, and 3. An individual's __________ characteristics.
According to the status characteristics theory, status tends to derive from one of three sources: 1. The power a person wields over others, 2. A person's ability to contribute to a group's goals, and 3. An individual's __________ characteristics.
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Match the following group outcomes with the respective norm level: A. High Cohesiveness + High Performance Norms, B. High Cohesiveness + Low Performance Norms, C. Low Cohesiveness + High Performance Norms, D. Low Cohesiveness + Low Performance Norms
Match the following group outcomes with the respective norm level: A. High Cohesiveness + High Performance Norms, B. High Cohesiveness + Low Performance Norms, C. Low Cohesiveness + High Performance Norms, D. Low Cohesiveness + Low Performance Norms
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What is Role Conflict?
What is Role Conflict?
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What are the advantages of oral communication?
What are the advantages of oral communication?
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What is the final link in the communication process that provides a check on the success of message transfer?
What is the final link in the communication process that provides a check on the success of message transfer?
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The grapevine is viewed positively by most people.
The grapevine is viewed positively by most people.
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____ regulation and expression can impact how effectively one can communicate.
____ regulation and expression can impact how effectively one can communicate.
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Match the following factors that affect the interpretation of information:
Match the following factors that affect the interpretation of information:
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What is team composition in an organization?
What is team composition in an organization?
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What are the categories in team composition related to how teams should be staffed?
What are the categories in team composition related to how teams should be staffed?
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Conflict based on interpersonal incompatibility always leads to better team decisions.
Conflict based on interpersonal incompatibility always leads to better team decisions.
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Team cohesion refers to members being emotionally attached and bonded to one another and committed towards the ________.
Team cohesion refers to members being emotionally attached and bonded to one another and committed towards the ________.
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Match the following functions within a group/organization with their descriptions:
Match the following functions within a group/organization with their descriptions:
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What is the role of oral communication in conveying messages?
What is the role of oral communication in conveying messages?
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Study Notes
Group Property 1: Roles
- A role is a function assumed by someone occupying a given position in a group.
- Role perception is our view of how we are supposed to act in a given situation.
- Role expectations are the way others believe we should act in a given context.
- In the workplace, we often look at role expectations through the perspective of the psychological contract: an unwritten agreement between employees and employers that establishes mutual expectations.
Group Property 2: Norms
- Norms are acceptable standards of behavior within a group that are shared by the group's members.
- Norms can cover any aspect of group behavior and significantly influence employee behavior.
- Norms can be formal or informal, and they can be established by leaders or emerge through group interactions.
- Positive group norms can lead to positive outcomes, but only if other factors are present.
- Negative norms can facilitate poor group outcomes and deviant behavior.
Group Property 3: Status
- Status is a socially defined position or rank given to groups or group members by others.
- Status tends to derive from one of three sources: power, ability to contribute to a group's goals, and personal characteristics.
- High-status individuals are more likely to deviate from group norms and resist conformity pressures.
- Introducing high-status members into a group can improve performance to an extent, but may also introduce counterproductive norms.
Group Property 5: Cohesiveness
- Cohesiveness is the shared bond driving group members to work together and stay in the group.
- Factors affecting cohesiveness include time spent together, small group size, external threats, and specific purpose.
- The relationship between cohesiveness and productivity depends on performance-related norms.
- High cohesiveness with high performance norms can lead to high productivity, while low cohesiveness with low performance norms can lead to low productivity.
Group Property 6: Diversity
- Diversity is the extent to which members of a group are similar to or different from one another.
- Types of diversity include surface-level diversity (visible traits), deep-level diversity (values, beliefs, attitudes), diversity in motivational needs, and diversity in trust propensity.
- Diversity can bring unique perspectives and approaches to problem-solving, but it can also lead to conflicts and lower cohesion.
- Effective management and leadership are necessary to integrate diverse perspectives and motivations.
Group Size and Dynamics
- Larger groups (12+ members) are better for gaining diverse input and more effective for fact-finding and idea-generating.
- Smaller groups (around 7 members) are more productive for accomplishing tasks and viewed as more trustworthy.
- Cultural influence can affect group dynamics, with individualistic cultures (e.g., US, Canada) more prone to social loafing than collectivistic societies.
Group Decision-Making
- Group discussion can amplify initial leanings and lead to more extreme decisions.
- Groupthink and groupshift can lead to poor decision-making by preventing groups from considering all available information and perspectives.
- Managers can take steps to mitigate these effects, such as encouraging open discussion and appointing a devil's advocate.### Group Decision Making and Diversity
- Brainstorming and nominal group technique can reduce problems inherent in traditional interacting groups.
- Surface-level diversity (e.g., differences in race and gender) can lead to the formation of faultlines within groups, undermining cohesion and performance.
- Strategies for managing diversity include integrating roles across subgroups, promoting prodiversity beliefs, and recognizing cultural differences in how diversity influences group dynamics.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Group Decision Making
- Advantages:
- More comprehensive information and knowledge
- Increased diversity of views
- Greater acceptance of decisions
- Disadvantages:
- Time-consuming
- Conformity pressures
- Domination by a few members
- Ambiguous responsibility
- Possibility of deviant workplace activities
Types of Teams
- Problem-solving teams: groups of 5-12 employees from the same department who meet to discuss ways of improving quality, efficiency, and work environment.
- Self-managed work teams: groups of 10-15 people who autonomously implement solutions and take responsibility for outcomes.
- Cross-functional teams: employees from different work areas who come together to accomplish a task.
- Virtual teams: teams that use technology to tie together physically dispersed members.
Creating Effective Teams
- Team context:
- Adequate resources
- Leadership and structure
- Culture or climate
- Performance evaluation and reward system
- Crises and extreme contexts
- Team composition:
- Abilities and personalities of team members
- Allocation of roles
- Diversity
- Cultural differences
- Team processes and states:
- Member commitment to a common plan and purpose
- Team efficacy
- Team identity
- Team cohesion
- Conflict
- Social loafing
- Trust
Effective Team Management
- Managers should recognize that groups can have a dramatic impact on individual behavior in organizations, to either a positive or negative effect.
- Managers should ensure that group norms do not support antisocial behavior.
- Managers should pay attention to the status aspect of groups and use larger groups for fact-finding activities and smaller groups for action-taking tasks.
Benefits and Drawbacks of Teams
- Benefits:
- Can make products, provide services, negotiate deals, coordinate projects, offer advice, and make decisions
- Can be more accurate than the average individual
- Can be more creative and lead to more widely accepted decisions
- Drawbacks:
- Can be inefficient due to groupthink and groupshift
- Can be more time-consuming than individual decision-making
- Can be affected by conformity pressures and domination by a few members### Team Dynamics
- Effective teams have members who believe in the team's capabilities, are committed to a common plan and purpose, and have an accurate shared mental model of what is to be accomplished.
- Teams that have been successful raise their beliefs about future success, which motivates them to work harder.
- Selecting individuals with interpersonal skills, providing training to develop teamwork skills, and rewarding cooperative efforts can foster positive team identity and improve team outcomes.
Communication
- Communication is the primary means through which people connect with one another.
- Communication is not only used to transmit a message or impart meaning but also to bond and forge connections with others.
- There are five major functions within a group/organization:
- Managing Behavior
- Feedback
- Emotion Sharing
- Persuasion
- Information Exchange
Team Trust and Conflict
- Trust in teams entails a mutual, positive state of positive expectations between team members.
- Team conflict has a complex relationship with team performance.
- Relationship conflicts are always dysfunctional, while task conflicts can stimulate discussion, promote critical assessment of problems and options, and lead to better team decisions.
Social Loafing and Team Identity
- Social loafing occurs when individuals engage in social loafing and coast on the group's effort when their contributions cannot be identified.
- Recognizing individuals' specific skills and abilities, creating a climate of respect and inclusion, leaders and members can foster positive team identity and realize improved team outcomes.
Turning Individuals into Team Players
- Organizations can cultivate a culture of collaboration that leads to improved performance and increased overall success.
- Selecting team players, investing in team training, and rewarding cooperative efforts can lead to improved team performance.
- Communication is a fundamental mechanism by which members show satisfaction and frustration and can provide for the sharing of feelings to fulfill social needs.
The Communication Process
- The communication process involves the sender, message, channel, receiver, and feedback.
- Before communication can occur, it needs a purpose, a message to be conveyed between a sender and a receiver.
- The result is a transfer of meaning from one person to another.
Types of Communication
- Oral Communication is the primary means of conveying messages and has advantages of speed, feedback, and exchange.
- Written Communication includes letters, e-mail, instant messaging, and any other method that conveys written words or symbols and is suitable for complex and lengthy communications.
- Nonverbal Communication includes body movements, tone of voice, and facial expressions and can convey an unspoken message.
Channel Richness
- Channels differ in their capacity to convey information, with some being rich and able to handle multiple cues simultaneously, facilitate rapid feedback, and be very personal.
- The choice of channel depends on the type of message, with routine messages being straightforward and having minimal ambiguity, and nonroutine communications being complicated and having the potential for misunderstanding.
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Description
This quiz covers the concept of group norms in organizational behavior, including the definition and characteristics of norms in a group setting.
