How do formal & informal groups differ?
` Formal: deliberately created by the organization; emphasizes on duties & tasks/authority & position; will support organization's goals; specialized roles & work duties
` Informal: develops naturally; emphasizes personal & social relationships; may not s
What personal needs are satisfied by groups?
` Safety/Security = "strength in numbers"
` Social = friendship, belonging, acceptance
` Esteem = think you're cool
` Reality
*What is a reality need?
` You will use the other group members to see if your perceptions of reality are valid or not.
What are the 5 stages of group development & what happens at each stage?
1) Forming - orientation of employees (get to know 1 another, see what each person brings to the table) {1st-date}
2) Storming - intragroup conflict/hostilities/interpersonal conflicts likely to occur here as members vie for certain roles (conflict over w
At what stage is group cohesiveness the greatest?
Norming
At what stage is intragroup & interpersonal conflict most likely to occur?
Storming
At what stage is the group likely to make the best decisions?
Performing
Which stage is most difficult to achieve?
Performing
What is the relationship between group size & effectiveness?
` As group size increases...friendliness decreases, participation decreases, effort decreases, decision-making process takes longer, team work decreases, domination by 1 or few individuals increases (only thing that increases b/c negative)
` 2 ppl can be
What is cohesiveness?
` The willingness or desire for a member to remain part of a group.
` An important indicator of how much influence the group has on the individual members.
` The greater the cohesiveness, the greater the desire
What does cohesiveness have to do with a group's influence over its members?
` Greater the cohesiveness, the greater the influence over its group members
What are the factors that increase cohesiveness?
{anything that makes a group +}
- small group size
- history of group success
- external threat to the group
- attractive group goals
- high public image (high status group)
- lots of time spent together
- winning
What are the factors that decrease cohesiveness?
{anything that makes a group -}
- large group size
- group failure
- unattractive group goals
- low public image(low status group)
- disagreeable group demands/tasks
- little time spent together
- history of losing
What are the benefits of highly cohesive groups?
- Low absenteeism & turnover
- Higher job satisfaction & morale & self-esteem
- Good teamwork (more & better group interaction)
- Greater interpersonal coordination
- Demand a lot of loyalty & conformity
What are the drawbacks of highly cohesive groups?
- Can limit creativity & originality due to conformity (main one)
What is a norm?
` Norms are standards of behavior accepted by a group's members.
` An unwritten rule about how you should behave in a group.
How do norms & cohesiveness interact to determine a group's performance?
` High cohesiveness groups are a double-edged sword:
+ High cohesiveness groups with high productivity norms are high performance teams = unwritten rule is to do as much as you can
+ High cohesiveness groups with low productivity norms are low performance