Group Behavior Foundations 10 23 2014 Lecture 1 Group Formation and Development Groups Defined two or more people interacting and independent who come together to achieve particular objectives FORMAL Designated work assignments and tasks Command groups the chair of the department of business association A supervisor with their group of direct reports Task deliver some kind of service Ex committees cross functional teams Maybe permanent or temporarily INFORMAL hour Social Identity Theory Interest people share a common interest NTDT club Friendship ex group of people you eat lunch with or people that attend Friday happy Helps to explain why groups are important to us How we Identify ourselves with groups based on o Status perceive our self in manner Identify with higher status groups o Similarity identity with groups that are similar in values or characteristics o Distinctiveness uniqueness Identify more strongly with the other lawyers in a medical hospital o Uncertainty reduction who we are and how we fit into the world Negative outcome of identification o How we perceive other groups People in other groups contain different qualities that make them different from our own groups o In group favoritism see members of our in group as better than other people and people not in our group as all the same Stage Model proposes 5 stages that groups move through Forming People join group and assign task purpose structure and leadership Deals with uncertainty Complete when members feel they are part of a group Storming Characterized by Conflict Complete when group decides on hierarchy and group direction Norming Char close relationships and cohesiveness If successful group has establishes strong sense of identity Performing fully functional LAST STAGE FOR PERMANENT GROUP Adjourning LAST STAGE FOR TEMPORARY GROUPS Can regress if problems occur Temp groups with definite deadlines o 2 sequences of activity divided by phase 1 and 2 phase 1 initial meeting happens to set motion inertia o Trans at end of 1 occur about between 1st meeting and deadline Concentrated Burst of energy o 2 markedly accelerated activity And inertia Phase 1 plans are executed her o Last meeting markedly accelerated activity to finish project Proposes group work is characterized by long periods of inertia and concentrated bursts of activity that are determined by member awareness of the time elapsed and deadlines Lecture 2 Group Properties Roles Norms Status Group Properties group members behavior and performance of group Roles a set of expected behavior patterns attributed to someone occupying a given position in a social unit We all occupy multiple employee sibling daughter etc Role Perception Group member Employee view of how he she is supposed to act in a given situation Role expectation how others believe a person should act in a given situation Psychological Contract unwritten agreement between employer and employee that sets out mutual expectation o Ex As employees expected to be treated fairly clear direction Receive feedback Employer expects you to be punctual attitude follow manager directions o Perceived violations lead to negative outcomes Lead to lower productivity and larger intention to quit Role Conflict a situation in which an individual is confronted with divergent role expectations for the various roles they occupy o Work Family Conflict working 60 hour week when spouse expects you home to help with chores o Supervisor Work group conflict super expects higher level achievement Work Group expects output to be restricted to some point o Leads to stress o Conflict occurs because we find it difficult to occupy both at the same time Norms Acceptable standards of behavior within a group that are shared by the group s members Can be explicit or implicit Types o Explicit often written down employee handbook o Implicit unwritten not talked bout but all employees become aware of o Performance how hard to work strategies to perform task job How long work breaks should be o Appearance dress codes o Social arrangement seat arrangements in a meeting who to seek out for advice have lunch with ex boss sits at head of table o Allocation of resources equity equality need Us most familiar with equity what we receive we are expected to input back into company Norms How are they enforced Conformity o We desire to be accepted by group making us more likely to behave in line with norms established by group o Stronger pressures to conform with norms of groups we feel are important Reference Groups important groups to which individuals belong or hope to belong and which those whose norms individuals are likely to conform Attempts by group members to change violator behavior o Persuasive actions by compliant group members talking to them to be more complaint 1st action o Isolation silent treatment 2nd action o Hawthorne Studies sarcasm name calling ridicule physical aggression most extreme action Deviant Workplace behavior Voluntary behaviors that violates SIGNIFICANT ORGANIZATIONAL NORMS and in doing so also threatens wellbeing of organization and its members Status Consequences for Organization Increased employee turnover and work stress Consequences for Groups teams o Downward Spiral Deviant behaviors ex Undermining coworkers spreading rumors leading to collective negative moods which lead to poor coordination and group performance A socially defines position or rank given to groups or group members by other Status Characteristics Theory suggest that status derives from one of three sources o Power that a person wields over others CEO versus mailroom clerk o Person s ability to contribute to group goals Highly stilled members get better status because they are more valuable o An individual s personal characteristics higher status because of characteristics Charismatic personality Degree from higher end schooling etc Effects on o Norms High status individuals have more freedom to deviate from norms and tend to be less conforming o Group Interaction High status people are often more assertive in groups settings they talk more and can often dominate group meetings May be detrimental if inhibits competent lower status members Performance of group will then suffer o Status Inequity Important for group members to perceive status hierarchy as equitable Perceived inequity creates disequilibrium and can lead to resentment lower individual performance greater desire to leave group Ex Supervisor receiving higher pay than their