In Mixed Company: Ch 3

Task and Social Dimension

All decision-making groups have both.

Task Dimension

The work performed by the group.

Social Dimension

The relationships that form between members in the group and their impact on the group as a whole.

Productivity

The result of the efficient and effective accomplishment of a group task. (The output from a groups task dimension).

Cohesiveness

The degree to which members feel a part of a group, wish to stay in the group, and are committed to each other and to the group's work. (The output from the social dimension).

Five Main Strategies for Building Cohesiveness

1. Encourage compatible membership
2. Develop shared goals
3. Accomplish tasks
4. Develop a positive history of cooperation
5. Promote acceptance of group members

Four Phases of Periodic Group Development

Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing.

Forming

Gathering members.

Reasons We Join Groups: Motivation & Six Main Reasons

Need to belong: no one's an island.
Interpersonal attraction: the drawing power of others
Attraction to group activities: joining for fun and frolic
Attraction to group goals: a purpose driven membership
Establishment of meaning and identity: groups-r-us

Diverse Membership

Proportional representation by culture, ethnicity, gender and age. Heterogeneous groups are more likely to have members with deep diversity - varied skills, perspectives, backgrounds, information and experience.

Benefits

Provides an array of problem solving and decision making resources.

Challenges

May result in increase difficulty achieving agreement, esp. considering individualism-collectivism cultural value differences.

Twenty Percent Rule

The minimum standard to combat gender and ethnic bias in groups; when no less than 20% of group members are composed of women and minorities, discrimination against these groups drop substantially.

Five Ways Competent Communicators Can Show Sensitivity to Needs of Group

1. Express positive attitudes and feelings
2. Appear friendly, open, and interested
3. Encourages a "getting to know you" conversation
4. Find areas of commonality and cooperation
5. Establish clear group goals

Ethnocentrism

The belief that ones own culture is superior to others especially when two cultures have large differences, this should be avoided.

Storming

Feeling the tension.

Primary Tension

The initial jitters and uneasiness felt by individuals when they first join a group (joking laughing, and chatting about interests, experience and beliefs on noncontroversial subjects all serve to reduce primary tension).

Secondary Tension

The stress and strain that occurs within a group when disagreements and conflicts emerge and decisions must be made.

Four Ways Competent Communicators Can Handle Secondary Tension

1. Tolerate, even recognize, disagreement
2. Keep a civil tongue
3. Be an active listener
4. Use humor, especially self-deprecation

Norming

Regulating the group.

Norms

Rules that regulate behavior in the groups.

Explicit Norms

Rules in groups that expressly identify acceptable behavior.

Implicit Norms

Rules in groups that are indirectly indicated by uniformities in the behavior and expressed attitudes of members .

Purpose of Norms

The general purpose of norms is to achieve group goals.

Sources of Norms

1. From larger systems outside the small group
2. The influence of a single member
3. The group itself; transactions within group

Conformity

The adherence to group norms by group members.

Why We Conform

1. Desire to be liked
2. Desire to be right

Conditions for Conformity

1. The stronger the cohesiveness in the group, the greater is the conformity
2. Conformity increases as the task importance increase
3. Conformity is greater when individuals expect to be group members for a long time
4. Conformity is greater when individ

Dealing with Nonconformity

1. Adapt communication to the norms of the group
2. Encourage change when norms are excessively rigid
3. Encourage change when norms are too elastic

Four Strategies for Addressing Nonconformity

1. Reason. Group members attempt to reason with the deviant
2. Seduction. If reason fails to sway a nonconforming member, a group will often try seduction
3. Coercion. (use of force or intimidation to obtain compliance)
4. Isolation. (often referred to as

Cyberostracism

A remote form of ostracism that occurs in virtual groups.

Performing

Group output

Collective Effort Model (CEM)

It suggests that group members are strongly motivated to perform well in a group if they are convinced that their individual effort will likely help in attain valued results.

Social Loafing

The tendency of a group member to exert less effort on a task when working in a group than when working individually.

How to address social loafers

1. Choose meaningful tasks
2. Establish a group responsibility norm
3. Note the critical importance of each members effort
4. Hold members accountable
5. Enhance group cohesiveness
6. Confront the loafer
7. Consult a higher power
8. Boot out the loafer
9.

Social Compensation

A group member's increased motivation to work harder on a group task to counterbalance the lackluster performance of other members.

When Groups Outperform Individuals

1. Broad-range task
2. Neither have expertise - synergy
3. Experts, complex task - share the load, teamwork
4. Individual expert, informed group - error correction, synergy

Group Remembering/Collective Recall

Pooling knowledge

When Individuals Outperform Groups

1. Individual expert, uninformed group - pooling ignorance, negative synergy
2. Groups establish mediocrity norms - insufficient motivation to excel
3. Groups becomes too large - difficulty coordinating, social loafing
4. Simple task - minimal resources r

How to enhance group performance

1. Focus on the task
2. Encourage participation from group members

Nature of the group

1. Level of group development has a direct bearing on newcomer acceptance
2. Level of group performance affects the acceptance of newcomers
3. Number of members affects acceptance of a newcomer into a group
4. The degree of turnover in a group also affect

Newcomer strategies

1. Conduct a thorough reconnaissance of the group
2. Play the role of newcomer
3. Seek mentors within the group
4. Collaborate with other newcomers

Group socialization strategies

1. Welcome new members into the group
2. Orient new members
3. Mentor newcomers

Reasons for Bizarre/Deadly Hazing Rituals

1. The harder it is to get into a group, the greater will be the loyalty and commitment to the group once membership has been attained
2. A harsh initiation provides the group with valuable info about the newcomers
3. A harsh initiation discourages newcom