Understanding Groups: Primary vs. Secondary

Groups

• A group involves at least two people who interact frequently
• Members share a sense of aligned identity and social groups that dictate values, norms, and rules

Aggregates and Categories

• Aggregate refers to people in the same place at the same time without interaction or shared identity
• Category refers to people sharing characteristics or status but not tied to each other

Primary Groups

• Primary groups are small, engage face-to-face, and have emotional connections
• They serve emotional needs through expressive functions, composed of significant individuals impacting socialization
• Families are classic examples of primary groups

Secondary Groups

• Secondary groups are larger, more impersonal, task-focused, and time-limited
• They serve an instrumental function and are more goal-oriented than emotional

In-Groups and Out-Groups

• In-group refers to a group one belongs to with loyalty and integral identity
• Out-group refers to a group to which one doesn't belong, potentially causing disdain, opposition, or rivalry

Reference Groups

• Reference groups provide a standard for self-evaluation

Anomie

• Robert Putman argued a sense of community breakdown leads to feelings of anomie (normlessness)
• Technology has changed interaction, causing isolation

Group Dynamics

• Group dynamics include how groups form, dissolve, and influence members
• A dyad is the smallest, unstable group of two as it ceases to exist if one leaves
• A triad, a three-person group, is more stable, where the third member mediates conflicts

Group Size and Cohesion

• Larger groups are more stable and productive
• Overly large groups can reduce group cohesion, causing conflicts and social loafing
• Group cohesion refers to solidarity and loyalty felt toward a group

Groupthink

• Excess cohesion can cause groupthink, leading to poor decisions due to high conformity and pressure for unanimous agreement

Social Influence

• Social influence, or peer pressure, affects individual attitudes and behaviors
• Conformity to group norms aims for acceptance and avoids rejection through positive/negative sanctions
• Examples include the Solomon Asch, Stanley Milgram, Phillip Zimbardo, and Muzafer Sherif experiments

Conformity Types

• Compliance is conforming to gain reward or avoid punishment
• Identification is conforming to establish/maintain a relationship
• Internalization, the strongest type, involves adopting a group's beliefs and actions

Teamwork

• Groups usually outperform individuals but underperform in theory
• Efficiency declines as group size increases due to organization time and social loafing
• Leaders can boost efficiency by recognizing individual effort and increasing social identity

Qualities of Leadership

• Power is the ability to control others' actions
• Coercive power involves force, while influential power involves persuasion
• Max Weber identified traditional, legal-rational, and charismatic authority

Types of Authority

• Traditional authority is based on custom, birthright, or divine right, common in monarchies
• Legal-rational authority is based on laws, rules, and procedures
• Charismatic authority stems from perceived remarkable personal qualities

Leadership Styles

• Instrumental leadership is task- or goal-oriented, less concerned with feelings
• Expressive leadership maintains emotional harmony for a positive environment and productivity
• Authoritarian leadership is best for situations needing quick decisions or when the leader is most knowledgable
• Democratic leadership offers guidance while including group members' input
• Laissez-faire leadership gives minimal guidance and lets group members decide, effective when members are highly qualified but may cause poorly defined roles and a lack of motivation

Bureaucracy

• Bureaucracy is a secondary group that efficiently performs tasks, favoring the rationality principle
• Bureaucracies are impersonal, efficient, and provide basic needs

Bureaucracy Characteristics

• Rules and regulations allow clear procedures but can cause red tape
• Division and specialization of labor trains employees for specific tasks, promoting efficiency but potentially causing trained incapacity
• Advancement is based on meritocracies, but the Peter Principle may promote someone beyond their capabilities
• Impersonality ensures equal treatment but can lead to bureaucratic alienation

Bureaucracy Structure

• Hierarchical structure allows a chain of command but can result in too many levels, known as Parkinson's Law
• The Iron Rule of Oligarchy states organizations are ruled by a few elites, impeding collaboration

McDonaldization

• McDonaldization describes the spread of bureaucratic rationalization, increasing efficiency but causing dehumanization

McDonaldization Principles

• Predictability structures the environment to avoid surprise
• Efficiency achieves ends rapidly with minimal cost
• Calculability emphasizes quantity over quality
• Control monitors everything, requiring employees to follow instructions without thinking

Formal Organizations

• Normative/Voluntary organizations are based on shared interests and offer intangible rewards
• Coercive organizations involve forced membership, like prisons or rehabilitation centers
• Utilitarian organizations are joined for specific material rewards