Organizational Behavior Midterm II Study Guide Chapter 9 What is the difference between a formal group and an informal group Formal group A designated work group defined by an organization s structure Informal group A group that is neither formally structured nor organizationally determined such a group appears in response to the need for social contact What is social identity theory and what does it propose about group behavior Social Identity Theory Perspective that considers when and why individuals consider themselves members of groups What are the 5 stages of group development 1 Forming stage characterized by much uncertainty 2 Storming stage characterized by intragroup conflict 3 Norming stage characterized by close relationships and cohesiveness 4 Performing stage the group is fully functional 5 Adjourning stage for temporary groups characterized by concern with wrapping up activities rather than task performance What are the 6 group properties given position in a social unit Role a set of expected behavior patterns attributed to someone occupying a Norms acceptable standards of behavior within a group that are shared by the group s members Produce conformity Types of Norms Performance Appearance Social arrangements Status a socially defined position or rank given to groups or group members by Resource Allocation others Stigma by association High status individuals have more freedom to deviate from norms and are often more assertive Perceived inequity creates disequilibrium and can lead to resentment and corrective behavior Size Large groups are good for gaining diverse input Smaller groups are better doing something with input Diversity the degree to which members of the group are similar to or different from one another Increases group conflict Over time diversity can help group be more open minded and creative Cohesiveness the degree to which members are attracted to each other and motivated to stay in the group You should know how each group property affects group behavior Why does conformity occur in groups Conformity The adjustment of one s behavior to align with the norms of the group You desire acceptance by the group and the group can place strong pressures on individual members to change their attitudes and behaviors to conform to the group s standards What is social loafing What are faultiness Social loafing the tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working collectively than alone ex Free riders What is group think Groupthink related to norms situations in which group pressures for conformity deter the group from critically appraising unusual minority or unpopular views When no one notices a certain thing What is group shift Groupshift group members tend to exaggerate the initial positions they hold when discussing a given set of alternatives and arriving at a solution There s a shift toward either conservatism or greater risk but is generally toward a more extreme version of the group s original position What is the nominal group technique A problem is presented then Each member independently writes down his her ideas on the problem After this silent period each member presents one idea to the group The ideas are discussed for clarity Each group member rank orders the ideas The idea with the highest aggregate ranking determines the final decision Chapter 10 What is the difference between a group and a team Work group A group that interacts primarily to share information and to make decisions to help each group member perform within his or her area of responsibility Work team A group whose individual efforts result in performance that is greater than the sum of the individual inputs What are the different kinds of teams Problem solving teams Groups of 5 to 12 employees from the same department who meet for a few hours each week to discuss ways of improving quality efficiency and the work environment Self managed work teams Groups of 10 to 15 people who take on responsibilities of their former supervisors Cross functional teams Employees from the same hierarchical level but from different work areas who come together to accomplish a task Virtual teams Teams that use computer technology to tie together physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal What are the contextual factors that affect team performance Adequate Resources scarcity of resources directly reduces the ability of a team to perform its job effectively and achieve its goals Leadership and Structure teams can t function if they can t agree on who is to do what and ensure all members share the same workload Leadership is very important in multi team systems Climate of trust effective team members trust each other This facilities cooperation reduces the need to monitor behavior and bonds members Less likely to take risks and expose vulternabilities Performance Evaluation and Reward systems management should focus on hybrid systems that recognize individual members for their contributions and reward the entire group for positive outcomes This can reinforce team effort and commitment What are the team composition factors that affect team performance Abilities of Members abilities set limits on what members can do and how they will perform on a team Personality of Members Allocation of Roles Diversity of Members Size of Teams smaller teams is more effective Member preferences selecting yourself out of team participation What are the team process factors that affect team performance Common plan and purpose Specific Goals Team efficacy team confidence and beliefs they can be successful Mental Models organized mental representations of the key elements in a teams environment that the team members share What is the difference between task conflict and relationship conflict Task conflict occurs when teams are performing non routine activities disagreements about task content stimulate discussion promote critical assessment of problems and options and can lead to better team decisions Relationship conflicts are almost always dysfunctional and are based on interpersonal incompatabilities tension and animosity towards others How does conflict affect team performance A study in China showed moderate levels of task conflict during the initial phases of team performance are positively related to team creativity but both low and high task conflict levels are negatively related to team performance The way conflicts are resolved can also affect the team being effective or ineffective Are