Chapter 6 Flashcards
Secondary groups
A group that is relatively large in number and not as intimate or long in duration as a primary group.
Total institution
An organization cut off from the rest of society in which individuals are subject to strict social control.
Reference groups
Any group used by the individual as a standard for evaluating her or his attitudes, values, and behaviors.
Coercive organizations
Organizations for which membership is involuntary; examples are prison and mental hospitals.
Group
A collection of individuals who interact and communicate, share goals and norms, and who have a subjective awareness as “we”.
Mcdonaldization
The increasing and ubiquitous presence of the fast-food model in vast numbers of organizations.
Group size effect
The effect upon the person of groups of varying sizes.
Normative organizations
An organization having a voluntary membership and that pursues goals; examples are the PTA or a political party.
Duos
A group consisting of two people.
Risky shift
The tendency for group members, after discussion and interaction, to engage in riskier behavior than they would while alone.
Coalition
An alliance formed by two or more individuals or groups to achieve certain ends.
Bureaucracy
A type of formal organization characterized by an authority hierarchy, a clear division of labor, explicit rules, and impersonality.
Social network
A set of links between individuals or other social units such as groups or organizations.
Groupthink
A tendency for group members to reach a consensus at all costs.
Triad
A group consisting of three people.
Attribution
Error made in attributing the causes for someone’s behavior to their membership in a particular group, such as a racial group.
Formal organization
A large secondary group organized to accomplish a complex task or set of tasks.
Tenure
A guarantee of continuing employment in an organization.
Organizational culture
The collective norms and values that shape the behavior of people within an organization.
Instrumental needs
Emotionally neutral, task-oriented needs.
Deindividuation
The feeling that ones self has merged with a group.
Primary group
A group characterized by intimate, face-to-face interaction and relatively long-lasting relationships.
Expressive needs
Needs for intimacy, companionship, and emotional support.
Utilitarian
A profit or nonprofit organization that pays it’s employees salaries or wages.
