1. Group behavior and dynamics
Organizational Psychology
Lecture 12

2. Why do people form groups?

3. Topics to think about Do I trust people in my group?
What do I think of members of my group in comparison to members of other groups?
Do I like and want to be a part of a team or rather do I choose a solitary life?

4. Definition
A group is a companion of two or more individuals who interact and are interdependent in the process of achieving a particular objective Formal group – designed by organizational structure, assigned with tasks, behavior is directed towards achieving organizational goal (e.g. crew members of an airplane) Informal group – natural formations due to the need of social contact of its members

5. Social identity theory
Social identities help us understand who we are and where we fit in with other people
When our self-esteem gets tied to group’s performance we react emotionally to our group’s failure or success
Negative side: in-group favoritism leads to stereotyping

6. How do groups develop? 5 stages of group development
Forming – purpose, structure and leadership gets formed. When members think of themselves as part of the group this stage ends
Storming – intragroup conflict. Accepting the group vs resisting the constraints. Conflict about the control position. When groups gets its clear hierarchy storming stage is complete
Norming – close relationships and cohesiveness. Strong group identity, companionship; members have rules on acceptable behavior
Performing – group directs its energy into getting things done
Adjourning – for temporary groups – wrapping up activities and disbanding

7. Group properties 1. Norms
Would you yell at your boss in public? Would say bad words and laugh out loud during lecture?
Norms – established standards of behavior under certain circumstances; when agreed upon and accepted by the group, norms influence members behavior with virtually no external control
Norms cover almost any aspect of human behavior, e.g. performance, appearance, social arrangement, resource allocation
The Hawthorne Studies (1924 – 1932) Western Electric Company Hawthorne Works in Chicago
Conformity – groups place strong pressure on its members to change attitudes and behaviors to conform to group standards (Ash experiment - 75% conforming to the group’s answer). Those who belong to many groups pick reference groups which are more significant than other groups
Deviant workplace behavior = antisocial behavior = workplace incivility – threatens the well being of an organization or its members

8. Group properties 2. Roles
Playing a role is to behave in a way prescribed by the social unit to which the person belongs; group members – that is we – are required to play number of different roles: manager, mother, tennis player, member of a church community – this can create a role conflict
Role perception – our view of how we suppose to act in a given situation
Role expectation – the way others believe we should act in a given context
Role conflict – compliance with one role makes it difficult to comply with another
Role and identity - Zimbardo’s experiment (1971)

9. Deviant workplace behavior
CATEGORY
EXAMPLES
Performance
Leaving early
Intentionally working slowly
Wasting resources
Property
Sabotage
Lying about hours worked
Stealing from the organization
Political
Showing favoritism
Gossiping and spreading rumors
Blaming coworkers
Personal aggression
Sexual harassment
Verbal abuse
Stealing from co-workers

10. Group properties 3. Status
Status – socially defined position or rank given to group members by others – it differentiates its members; sources of status:
1. the power a person has over others
2. the ability a person has to contribute to group’s goals
3. person’s individual characteristics –attributes valued by the group: personality, good looks, intelligent, smooth talk, money, etc.
High status individuals are given more freedom to deviate from group’s norms
High status people – more assertive – speak more, criticize more, command more, interrupt others more
Status inequity – large differences on status within a group leads to poorer individual performance, resentment, intentions to leave the group

11. Group properties 4. Size Size of the group affects group’s behavior
In smaller groups individuals complete the task faster, are more swift and elastic over large groups
Larger groups are better at problem solving
Is there a perfect group size? No. Some say people can be working very swiftly and efficiently if there are no more than twelve individuals in a group
Ringelman’s rope test – 1 person – 63 kg, three people kg, 8 people – 31 kg
Productivity of a group as a whole productivity gets higher after adding new members – but per person productivity drops
Social loafing – tendency for the individuals to spend less effort than when working alone
What causes social loafing? Observation of others being lazy and cutting corners, dispersion of responsibility

12. How to prevent social loafing?
Set group goals, so the group has a common purpose
Increase intergroup competition
Engage in peer evaluation
Select member with high motivation
If possible, base group rewards in part on each member’s unique contribution

13. Group properties 5. Cohesiveness
Cohesiveness – the degree to which members are attracted to each other and are motivated to stay in the group
Groups stay together for different reasons: external threats, they are small and interact often, they are working towards the goal that brings high returns
Group’s cohesiveness affects group’s productivity and is mediated by accepted performance norms

14. Group properties 6. Diversity
Diversity – the degree to which group’s members are different form or similar to each other
There are costs (lots of conflict in the initial stage) and benefits (unique ideas and creative problem solving) for the group due to diversity
No doubt diversity creates open-minded attitude within every group member

15. Group decision making
Strengths: groups create more complete information and knowledge, deliver more creative solutions than individuals alone, increase diversity of views, decisions are usually more accurate, acceptance of solutions
Weaknesses: reaching a solution is time consuming, conformity pressures, group can be dominated by one or few members, decision and outcomes suffer from dispersed responsibility

16. Teams are everywhere Differences between groups and teams
A work team creates a positive synergy through coordinated effort
Work groups do not need to generate joint effort
Work group
Work team
Share information
goal
collective performance
neutral
synergy
positive
individual
accountability
Individual and mutual
random and varied
skills
complementary

17. Team processes
Common plan and purpose: members of successful teams put great effort into discussing, shaping and agreeing on a purpose that belongs to them; effective teams are reflexive – they reflect upon and adjust their plan when necessary
Specific goals: successful teams translate their purpose into realistic goals that can be measured
Team’s efficacy: self- confidence, team members believe they can succeed
Mental models: similar mental representations of what has to be achieved
Conflict levels: interpersonal conflicts are dysfunctional; task conflicts lead to decisions, promote critical assessment and can lead to better decisions
Social loafing – can be present in teams, but less so than in groups

18. Bibliography
Robbins, S. P., Judge, T. A. (2013). Organizational behavior. New Jersey: Person education, Inc.
Whetten, D. A., Cameron K. S. (2011). Developing Management Skills. New Jersey: Person education, Inc.