final exam :( Flashcards
(100 cards)
5-Stage Model of Group Development:
Forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning
Forming: Initial stage where members come together and acquaint themselves.
Storming: Conflict arises as members express opinions and vie for control.
Norming: Group establishes norms and cohesion increases.
Performing: Group reaches peak productivity; roles are clear and tasks are accomplished efficiently.
Adjourning: Group disbands after completing its task; feelings of loss may occur.
Punctuated Equilibrium Model:
Inertia Phase: Early stage where group establishes patterns of behavior.
Midpoint Transition: Critical moment halfway through the task’s duration, prompting reevaluation.
Second Phase: Increased focus and productivity as group strives to meet goals before deadline.
How do additive tasks, disjunctive tasks, and conjunctive tasks affect group size?
Additive tasks:
Group performance improves with larger group sizes.
Example: Brainstorming benefits from more participants generating ideas.
Disjunctive tasks:
Success chances increase with larger group sizes.
Example: Coding teams benefit from more members to find and fix errors.
Conjunctive tasks:
Limit group size to enhance performance.
Example: Assembly lines or mountain climbing, where slowest member limits group progress.
Diverse group membership leads to better performance with what kinds of tasks
Diverse group membership leads to better performance with cognitive creativity-demanding tasks and problems. Despite potential delays in forming, brainstorming, and norming due to cultural and personality clashes, diverse groups excel in tasks requiring varied perspectives. Additionally, any negative effects from age or generational differences tend to dissipate as group cohesion strengthens.
Why do groups suffer “process losses” as they become larger
performance difficulties that result from the problems of motivating and coordinating larger groups (think law of diminishing returns)
What is the difference between a rule and a norm? What are four types of norms with examples
for each
Rules are more formal and enforced with clear guidelines; norms are more informal and unstated expectations that people have of each other.
DP RS
Dress norms: Learned through observation, these norms dictate appropriate attire for specific jobs or organizations, such as steel-toed shoes for construction workers or suits for bank employees.
Performance norms: These norms dictate the expected level of effort in a group. Sometimes, individuals may be discouraged from working too hard if it makes others look bad.
Reward allocation norms: These norms govern how rewards should be distributed, with equitable reward allocation based on contribution and equal reward allocation advocating for everyone to receive the same reward.
Social interaction norms: These norms govern how colleagues interact within and outside the organization, such as the unwritten rule against dating colleagues even if it’s not explicitly prohibited.
What is group cohesiveness and what factors can contribute to increasing cohesiveness?
Group cohesiveness
The degree to which a group is especially attracted to its members
SS MTT
Factors that influence/increase cohesiveness:
1. Success: if groups are successful they like each other more, reciprocal with cohesion
2.Size: large groups are harder to be cohesive
- Member diversity: diverse members take time to develop cohesiveness, but will endwith a strong group
- Threat and competition: if people all want to be the best, they will work together well
- Toughness of initiation: Higher cohesion in hard to join groups bc ppl are proud. Ex.yacht clubs
What are collective efficacy and team reflexivity?
Collective efficacy: each team member believes they can effectively perform their task,and have faith in their group members
Team reflexivity: belief in adaptability, engagement, trust building (soft skills) in the group, teams discuss and reflect on team processes and goal
What is a role? What are key issues/deficiencies and consequences pertaining to roles?
Positions in a group that have a set of expected behaviours attached to them
Issues that arise:
SAC
- Status effects: the organization’s rank or social position can affect how people treat you or behave around you.
- (role) Ambiguity: the goals of the job or methods of performing the job are unclear.
- (role) Conflict: when you’re faced with an incompatible role
What is social loafing and how can it be counteracted?
Tendency to withhold physical or intellectual effort when performing a group task.
Counteracting methods:
1. Make individual performance more visible (call people out).
2. Ensure the work is interesting.
3. Increase feelings of indispensability.
4. Provide regular performance feedback.
5. Reward group performance.
What is the free rider effect and the sucker effect
(social loafers want a free ride)
(other ppl work less due to the social loafer’s unfairness/equity)
What are the different types of teams?
PS CV
Process Improvement Teams:
Description: Teams focused on enhancing the efficiency of producing a product or service.
Example: Gain sharing is a motivation pay system used in this type of team.
Self-Managed Work Teams:
Description: Work teams with varying levels of autonomy, ranging from full control to continuous supervision.
Example: PDP (Personal Development Planning) teams exhibit moderate autonomy, where partners are chosen, and tasks are supervised by a Teaching Assistant.
Cross-Functional Teams:
Description: Teams composed of individuals with expertise in different functional areas.
Example: A team comprising members from HR, marketing, and accounting, each serving as subject matter experts.
Virtual Teams:
Description: Teams that operate without physical face-to-face contact, leveraging technology for communication and collaboration across geographical boundaries.
Example: Global teams spanning multiple locations, relying on virtual communication tools.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of group decision-making?
Advantages:
○Decision quality - higher decision quality than individuals, because they have more ideas and can evaluate them better
○Decision acceptance and commitment - fully engaged and bonded
○Diffusion of responsibility - groups can share the burden of failed decisions
Disadvantages:
○Time - takes longer to make decisions due to process losses
○Conflict - infighting over resources, SMEs debating, political wrangling over territories and jurisdictions
○Domination - group meetings dominated by a single individual or small coalition, which won’t create synergy
○Groupthink - feel pressure for conformity
What are some approaches to improving group decision-making?
How to improve decision-making:
WEDD
○Whistle-blowing - not a role but is a cultural norm, it’s encouraged to have the capacity to call out something wrong
○ Encourage outliers - Cultural norm, people who have quirks that help the company
○Devil’s advocate - a role someone is appointed/assigned to identify and challenge weaknesses in proposed plans and decisions
○Disruptors - Cultural norm, being positively oppositional
What is organizational culture? What is a sub-culture
Organizational culture: shared beliefs, values, norms, way of being, and assumptions that exist in an organization. a subculture is a subculture within an organization
What is the Realistic Job Preview
RJP: Realistic job preview. A mechanism used by organizations to present both the desirable and undesirable aspects of a job or organization
What is the Psychological Contract and what does a breach mean?
Psychological contract: When an individual accepts the job, they enter the psychological contract with the employer. It consists of unwritten expectations on both sides. Reciprocal obligations and promises. (equity theory)
●Psychological contract breach: the perception that the organization has failed to fulfill one of its promises or obligations to the employee or that employees failed to fulfill their promises to the organization.
How do organizations develop early commitment in new recruits?
How to use escalation of commitment with a new recruit:
VIPI
●1. Visibility - commitment increases the more visible you make behaviour ex. Introduce new employees to all the other employees so everyone knows them.
●2. Involvment - get them involved so they feel like they’re involved Ex. give tasks to do right away
●3. Personal volition - Inner willpower and drive to stay, how “hangry” you are
●4. Irreversibility - get employees to feel like they cannot deny they’re a new employee or leave. They feel trapped and can’t quit.
What is the strategic importance of socialization?
Uncertainty Reduction Theory:
Newcomers seek to reduce uncertainty for a predictable work environment.
Socialization:
- sets the tone of employment relationship
- clarifies expectations
- Diminishes anxiety regarding fitting in and job satisfaction.
- Accelerates job satisfaction, commitment, and performance.
Transition from Compliance to Internalization:
Compliance: Conformity for rewards or avoidance of punishment.
Identification: Conformity due to attraction to norm promoters.
Internalization: Conformity out of genuine acceptance of beliefs.
Example:
Compliance: Doing coursework for good marks.
Identification: Proudly identifying as a student of a specific course.
Internalization: Understanding and believing in course concepts.
What are the six socialization tactics?
FSFS CI vs IR VDID
Formal vs. Informal (On-the-Job):
Formal orientation is customized for recruits, tailored to specific roles or departments, while informal orientation occurs on-the-job, with new recruits learning from experienced individuals.
Sequential vs. Random:
Sequential orientation follows specified steps for role adaptation, while random orientation lacks a predefined sequence.
Fixed vs. Variable (Timeframe):
Fixed orientation provides recruits with a precise timeframe for role transition, whereas variable orientation lacks a fixed duration.
Serial vs. Disjunctive:
Serial orientation involves experienced members guiding newcomers into similar positions, whereas disjunctive orientation does not rely on prior experiences.
Collective vs. Individual:
Collective orientation involves groups of recruits experiencing the same process together, like boot camps or fraternity pledges, while individual orientation processes recruits in isolation, such as apprenticeships.
Investiture vs. Divestiture:
Investiture orientation affirms the identity of recruits, building upon their skills and attitudes, while divestiture orientation strips away recruits’ self-confidence before rebuilding it, often seen in military or residential school settings.
What is socialization?
Socialization: a process in which an employee begins to adapt to the values, norms, and beliefs of the organization and its members (culture). Learn tasks, role, group, and org
What is the difference between orientation and socialization?
Orientation:
Orientation encompasses the formal introduction of new employees to the organization, providing them with essential information such as company history, policies, procedures, rules, regulations, and employee benefits. It serves as an initial orientation to the company’s structure, expectations, and resources, facilitating a basic understanding of the organization and its operations.
Socialization:
Socialization goes beyond the initial orientation and refers to the ongoing process through which employees adapt to the organizational culture and climate. It is a long-term, often informal process where employees gradually internalize the values, norms, and behaviors of the organization. Socialization involves not only fitting into the job and organization but also establishing compatibility with coworkers and forming a sense of organizational identification. Additionally, it may extend to off-job activities, such as social gatherings, which contribute to the development of relationships and integration into the organizational community.
What are the elements of a strong cultured organization?
- Strong culture: this is an organizational culture with intense and pervasive beliefs, values, and assumptions (pervasive = its everywhere)
- provides a great consensus concerning “what an organization is about” or what it stands for
What is mentoring? What are the two primary functions of a mentor
A mentor is an experienced or more senior person in the organization who gives a junior person
special attention, such as giving advice and creating opportunities to assist them during the early stages of their career.
- Career functions (coach, feedback)
- Psychosocial functions (role model, counselling)
