Groups in the Organization

1
Unit 2

• Groups in the Organization

2
What is a group?

• Book def.-2 or more people
• Interacting and interdependent
• Attempt to achieve particular objectives
• Formal or informal

3
Better definition

• 3 or more people (2 is a dyad)
• Independent relationships within the group
• Members must be aware of each other
• Members must identify and acknowledge themselves
  as a group

4
Command groups

• Group that makes important organizational
  decisions
• Near the top of the organizations hierarchy
• (ex Presidents cabinet)

5
Task Groups

• Group of individuals brought together for the
  sake of a project
• Formal rules of behavior (such as a jury)
• Frequently used to achieve tasks too vast or to
  varied for an individual

6
Nominal Groups

• People placed in the presence of others
• Identified as a group by name alone
• No interdependence
• No real interaction

7
Interest groups and friendship groups

• Plain vanilla sociology approach
• Interest groups exist to support a common cause,
  belief or value
• Friendship groups have some sort of common member
  features, but they may not be made salient

8
What is a role?

• A role is a prescribed set of behaviors expected
  of someone within a group
• Ex a clubs secretary may keep meeting notes
• People can have multiple roles within a group
• Roles may not be recognized, and may not be
  productive (ex class clown)

9
What are norms?

• Norms are rules of behavior, communication, and
  performance established within a group
• Can be assigned or developed
• May not be aware of norms that greatly influence
  behavior

10
Asch Studies

• Demonstration of pressures to conform to the
  group
• Subjects give obviously wrong answers to avoid
  disruption, within a nominal group they have just
  been introduced to
• Pressures to conform ma be greater within an
  actual group

11
Group Cohesiveness deindividuation

• Measure of level of attraction within the group
  and a desire to not disrupt. What is your
  motivation to stay a member?
• Cohesiveness becomes greater when
• Group is elite or selective
• Group is relatively small
• Dissent is punished and discouraged (pressure to
  conform)
• Propinquity (time spent together, and close
  physical proximity)
• Rewards are granted at the group level (as is
  punishment)
• An outgroup exists (us against them)
• The group is isolated from contact with outsiders

12
Group size

• Bib Latnediffusion of responsibility
• Incident in New York city
• Study of smoke billowing into a room
• The more people present, the less likely someone
  will act
• bystander effect

13
Social Facilitation

• Our level of Physiological arousal increases in
  the presence of others
• In an ambiguous situation, we look to others for
  cues on what to do
• Evolutionarily adaptive

14
Group efforts

• Max Wertheimer (1930s)
• Group effort on work tasks
• loss of coordination
• Later became the idea of social loafing

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Cohort

• Group of individuals with a common experience
• Deliniated by time
• Cohesiveness of a cohort is usually determined by
  a common threat or unique experience

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Social Cognition

• 4 assumptions
• In any decision making environment, there is a
  nearly limitless amount of information, both
  relevant and irrelevant
• Cognitive resources are bounded
• Use cognitive structures to cope
• Our physiological states, moods, and needs
  influence these structures

17
Groupthink

• Appearance of group member concensus
• Illusions of morality and invulnerability
• Member keep silent in the face of obvious
  mistakes
• Outsiders are shunned, dissenters are kept out of
  the process

18
Group Shift

• Escalating commitment to a course of action
• Group becomes over-confident in its strategy
• Overly conservative or overly bold plans of
  action are adopted