9/1/2019

CHAPTER 4:
FOUNDATIONS OF GROUP BEHAVIOR
Instructor: Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy

CONTENT

I. DEFINING AND CLASSIFYING GROUPS

II. STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT

III. GROUP PROPERTIES

IV. GROUP DECISION MAKING

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I. DEFINING AND CLASSIFYING GROUPS

 Group. Two or more individuals interacting and interdependent
, who have come together to achieve particular objectives.
Classify:
 Formal Group. Defined by the organization’s structure with
designated work assignments establishing tasks
 Informal Group:
Alliances that are neither formally structured nor
organizationally determined
Appear naturally in response to the need for social contact
Deeply affect behavior and performance

I. DEFINING AND CLASSIFYING GROUPS

Formal Groups
 Command Group – A group
composed of the individuals
who report directly to a given
manager
 Task Group – People working
together to complete a job
task
Informal Groups
 Interest Group – People work
together to attain a specific
objective with which each is
concerned
 Friendship Group – People
brought together because
they share one or more
common characteristics

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I. DEFINING AND CLASSIFYING GROUPS

Why Do People Join Groups?

 Security
 Status
 Self-esteem
 Affiliation
 Power
 Goal achievement

II. STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT

2.1 The five-stage model
• Forming:
1 • Uncertainty about purpose, structure, and leadership
• Storming:
2 • Intragroup conflict as members resist constraints
• Norming:
3 • Group is cohesive with strong group identity
• Performing:
4 • Group fully functional and working toward goals
• Adjourning:
5 • For temporary groups: breaking up 2-6

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II. STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT

2.1 The five-stage model

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II. STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT

2.1 The five-stage model
 Assumption: The group becomes more effective as it
progresses through the first four stages
Not always true – group behavior is more complex
High levels of conflict may be conducive to high
performance
The process is not always linear
Several stages may occur simultaneously
Groups may regress
 Ignores the organizational context
2-8

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II. STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT

2.2 The Punctuated-Equilibrium model
 Temporary groups with
deadlines
 Sequence of Actions
1.Setting group direction
2.First phase of inertia
3.Half-way point
transition
4.Major changes
5.Second phase of
inertia 2-9

6.Accelerated activity

III. GROUP PROPERTIES

2-10

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III. GROUP PROPERTIES

3.1 Roles
 Roles. The set of expected behavior patterns that are attributed
to occupying a given position in a social unit.
 Role Identity. Certain attitudes and behaviors consistent with a
role
 Role Perception. An individual’s view of how he or she is
supposed to act in a given situation
 Role Expectations.
How others believe a person should act in a given situation.
Psychological Contract : an unwritten agreement that sets
out mutual expectations of management and employees
 Role Conflict. A situation in which an individual is confronted by
divergent role expectations 2-11

III. GROUP PROPERTIES

3.2 Norms
 Norms. Acceptable standards of behavior within a group
that are shared by the group’s members.
Classes of Norms
 Performance norms - level of acceptable work
 Appearance norms - what to wear
 Social arrangement norms - friendships and the like
 Allocation of resources norms - distribution and assignments
of jobs and material

2-12

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III. GROUP PROPERTIES

3.2 Norms
 The Hawthorne Studies. A series of studies undertaken by
Elton Mayo at Western Electric Company’s Hawthorne Works
in Chicago between 1924 and 1932.
Research Conclusions
 Worker behavior and sentiments were closely related
 Group influences (norms) were significant in affecting
individual behavior.
 Group standards (norms) were highly effective in establishing
individual worker output.
 Money was less a factor in determining worker output than
were group standards, sentiments, and security.
2-13

III. GROUP PROPERTIES

3.2 Norms
 Conformity. Gaining acceptance by adjusting one’s
behavior to align with the norms of the group.
How to do
 Reference Groups. Important groups to which individuals
belong or hope to belong and with whose norms
individuals are likely to conform
 Asch Studies
Members desire to avoid being visibly different
Members with differing opinions feel extensive pressure
to align with others
2-14

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III. GROUP PROPERTIES

3.2 Norms

Deviant Workplace Behavior. Voluntary behavior that

violates significant organizational norms and, in doing
so, threatens the well-being of the organization or its
members.

Is likely to flourish when:

Supported by group norms
People are in groups

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III. GROUP PROPERTIES

3.2 Norms

A typology of workplace deviance. 2-16

Source: Lawrence and Robinson

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III. GROUP PROPERTIES

3.3 Status
 Status. A socially defined position or rank given to groups
or group members by others.
 Determined by:
 The power a person wields over others
 A person’s ability to contribute to a group’s goals
 An individual’s personal characteristics

2-17

III. GROUP PROPERTIES

3.3 Status
Status effects.
 On Norms and Conformity
High-status members are less restrained by norms and
pressure to conform
Some level of deviance is allowed to high-status members so
long as it doesn’t affect group goal achievement
 On Group Interaction
High-status members are more assertive
Large status differences limit diversity of ideas and creativity
 On Equity
If status is perceived to be inequitable, it will result in various 2-18

forms of corrective behavior.

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III. GROUP PROPERTIES

3.4 Size

Smaller groups are faster at completing tasks –

members perform better
Large groups are consistently better at problem
solving

Social Loafing - tendency to expend less effort working

in a group than as an individual

2-19

III. GROUP PROPERTIES

3.4 Size
Social Loafing
Causes:
 Equity theory – unequal
distribution of work
 Dispersion of responsibility
– clouds the relationship
between individual inputs
and group output
Prevention:
 Set group goals
 Increase inter-group
competition
 Engage in peer
evaluation
 Distribute group rewards
based on members’
individual contributions
8-20

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III. GROUP PROPERTIES

3.5 Cohesiveness

Cohesiveness. The degree to which members of the

group are attracted to each other and motivated to
stay in the group

2-21

III. GROUP PROPERTIES

3.5 Cohesiveness

1 • Make the group smaller

2 • Encourage agreement with group goals

3 • Increase the time spent together

4 • Increase the status and perceived difficulty of group membership

5 • Stimulate competition with other groups

6 • Give rewards to the group rather than to individual members

7 • Physically isolate the group

2-22

Encouraging Cohesiveness

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IV. GROUP DECISION MAKING

Strengths Weaknesses

 Generate more  Takes longer

complete information  Conformity pressures
and knowledge
 Discussions can be
 Increased diversity of dominated by one or a few
views members
 Increased acceptance  Ambiguous responsibility for
of a solution the final outcome

2-23

IV. GROUP DECISION MAKING

Group Decision Making Phenomena
 Groupthink
Situations where group pressures for conformity deter the
group from critically appraising unusual, minority, or
unpopular views
Hinders performance
 Groupshift
When discussing a given set of alternatives and arriving at a
solution, group members tend to exaggerate the initial
positions that they hold.
This causes a shift to more conservative or more risky
behavior. 2-24

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IV. GROUP DECISION MAKING

Groupthink
 Symptoms
Group members rationalize any resistance to the
assumptions they have made
Members apply direct pressures on those who express doubts
about shared views or who question the alternative favored
by the majority
Members who have doubts or differing points of view keep
silent about misgivings
There appears to be an illusion of unanimity

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IV. GROUP DECISION MAKING

Groupthink
 Minimize Groupthink by
Reduce the size of the group to 10 or less
Encourage group leaders to be impartial
Appoint a “devil’s advocate”
Use exercises on diversity

2-26

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IV. GROUP DECISION MAKING

2-27

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