Organizational Behavior Chapter 9

Organizational Behavior - Chapter 9: Foundations of Group Behavior

• A group is defined as two or more interdependent individuals who interact and work together to achieve specific objectives. These can be formal or informal groups.
  • Formal groups are structured by the organization.
  • Informal groups are not formally structured or organizationally determined.
• Social identity theory highlights how individuals identify with groups and the emotional reactions linked to group success or failure. Self-esteem is often tied to group performance.
• Ingroup favoritism occurs when members perceive their group as superior to other groups or outgroups. A key aspect is that whenever an ingroup exists, an outgroup necessarily coexists.
• Social identity threat can occur due to ingroups/outgroups. It is akin to stereotype threat. Individuals may be negatively evaluated due to group membership, thus potentially decreasing confidence and performance.
• The punctuated equilibrium model describes group development as occurring in phases.
  • Characterized by initial inertia, a transition period, and a burst of activity to achieve the final product.
  • This model shows that the phase one is marked by inertia and low performance until a meeting, and this will then lead to increased activity in the second phase as a transition period before reaching completion.
• Role is a set of expected behavior patterns attributed to someone occupying a given position.
  • Role perception is one's belief of how to act in a given situation.
  • Role expectations are how others believe one should act.
• Role conflict occurs when divergent role expectations exist. Interrole conflict arises when expectations from different groups are conflicting.
• Role play and assimilation, exemplified by Zimbardo's prison experiment, demonstrates how quickly individuals can assume roles distinct from their personalities.
• Norms are shared acceptable standards of behavior within a group.
  • Norms influence emotions within task groups. Individuals’ emotions influence the group’s emotions and vice versa.
  • Norms guide how individuals and groups experience and interpret shared emotions.
  • Positive norms can lead to positive outcomes but other factors are required in order to have a guarantee of success.
• Group size impacts overall behavior.
  • Larger groups are better for diverse inputs.
  • Smaller groups work more effectively for goal-directed work.
• Social loafing is the reduced effort when working in groups compared to working alone.
• Status, a socially defined position or rank, stems from either power dynamics, contribution to group goals, or personal characteristics.
  • High-status individuals often have more freedom to deviate from norms and are more assertive.
  • Perceived status inequity can lead to group conflict and corrective behavior.
• Diversity, in terms of degree to which members are either similar or different, typically leads to increased group conflict in the short term. But diverse groups may perform better over time due to increased openness and creativity.
• Group decision making offers strengths (more information, diverse views, greater acceptance) and weaknesses (time consuming, conformity pressures, dominance by some members, ambiguous responsibility)
  • Groupthink arises when conformity pressures suppress critical appraisal of diverse opinions.
  • Groupshift is the modification of decision views or opinions compared to individual views or opinions within the group.
  • Interacting groups often censor perspectives and force opinion conformity within the group.
  • Brainstorming allows for overcoming conformity pressures using techniques like no criticism and encouraging unusual ideas.
  • The nominal group technique limits discussion, enabling independent contributions, ranking, and a final decision based on aggregated rankings.
• Managers should recognize groups' significant impact on individual behavior, paying attention to roles, norms, and cohesion. Antisocial group norms can increase deviant workplace activities.
  • Consider the status aspect of groups (ensure diverse opinions are included).
  • Employ appropriate group sizes for fact-finding (larger) versus action-taking (smaller) tasks. Accuracy measurements are key for performance evaluation.
  • Clarify job roles for improved employee satisfaction.