Chapter 9 - Foundations of Group Behavior Flashcards
What is a group?
two or more individuals, interacting and interdependent, who have come together to achieve particular objectives
what is an informal group?
a group that is not defined by an organization’s structure; such a group appears in response to other needs, such as social clubs or interest groups
what is a formal group?
a designated work group defined by an organization’s structure
what is the social identity theory?
perspective that considers when and why individuals consider themselves members of groups
what is ingroup favoritism?
perspective in which we see members of our ingroup as better than other people, and people not in our group as all the same
what is outgroup?
the inverse of an ingroup, which can mean everyone outside the group but is more usually an identified other group
what is the punctuated-equilibrium model?
a set of phases that temporary groups go through that involved transitions between inertia and activity
what are roles?
a function assumed by someone occupying a given position in a group
what is role perception?
an individual’s view of how they are supposed to act in a given situation
what are role expectations?
how others believe a person should act in a given situation
what is a psychological contract?
an unwritten agreement that sets out with a manager expects from an employee, and vice versa
what is role conflict?
a situation in which an individual is confronted by divergent role expectations
what is interrole conflict?
a situation in which the expectations of an individual’s different, separate groups are in opposition
what are norms?
acceptable standards of behavior within a group that are shared by the group’s members
what is conformity?
the adjustment of one’s behavior to align with the norms of the group
what are reference groups?
important groups to which individuals belong or hope to belong and with whose norms individuals are likely to conform
what is deviant workplace behavior?
voluntary behavior that violates significant organizational norms and, in doing so, threatens the well-being of the organization or its members. Also called antisocial behavior ot workplace incivility
what is status?
a socially defined position or rank given to groups or group members by others
what is the status characteristics theory?
a theory stating that differences in status characteristics create status hierarchies within groups
According to status characteristics theory, status tends to derive from one of three sources:
- the power a person wields over others
- a person’s ability to contribute to a group’s goals
- an individual’s personal characteristics
what is social loafing?
the tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working collectively than when working individually
what is cohesiveness?
the shared bond driving group members to work together and to stay in the group
what is diversity?
the extent to which members of a group are similar to, or different from, one another
what is faultines?
the perceived divisions that split groups into two or more subgroups based on individual differences (sex, race, age, work experience, and education)
what is groupthink?
a phenomenon in which the norm for consensus overrides the realistic appraisal of alternative courses of action
what is groupshift?
When people make decisions in a group, the final decision often ends up being more extreme than what any individual member would have chosen on their own. This shift can go in either direction — more risky or more cautious — but it usually amplifies the original leanings of the group.
what are interacting groups?
typical groups in which members interact with each other face-to-face
what is brainstorming?
an idea-generation process that specifically encourages any and all alternatives while withholding any criticism of those alternatives
what is the nominal group technique?
a group decision-making method in which individual members meet face-to-face to pool their judgments in a systematic but independent fashion
