LU3 : Coordination in Groups

Question 1

What is ‘social embeddedness’
How has this increased with
technology?

Answer 1

Social embeddedness refers to the extent to which individuals or groups are interconnected through social relationships, mutual acquaintances, or shared experiences.
- important role in promoting cooperation within groups by fostering trust and accountability among members.
- With advancements in technology, it has increased.
- tech helps with connections and interactions among individuals who may be physically distant (zoom enabled remote workers to establish interpersonal cues and build trust)

Question 2

cooperation vs. conflict in groups
(cooperation)

Answer 2

cooperation :
- Behaviour in which group
members work together to
attain shared goals.
- Helping that is mutual, where
both sides benefit.
- Common in groups working
together to attain shared
goals. Can reach goals not
possible on their own.

Question 3

cooperation vs. conflict in groups
(conflict)

Answer 3

• where individuals or groups perceive that others have taken or will soon take actions that don’t align with their own interests.
• Can escalate from simple mistrust to aspiral of anger and desire to harm the other side.
• Personal interests often incompatible and work against each other, producing negative results.

Question 4

cooperation vs. conflict
(if cooperation is beneficial, why don’t group members always cooperate)

Answer 4

• because some goals can’t be shared (e.g shared partner, same job)
• sometimes the reward can only go to one

negative interdependance: where if one person obtains a desired outcome, others can’t obtain it
- sometimes people don’t understand a compromise is possible

Question 5

what are social dilemmas

Answer 5

Situations in which each person can increase their individual gains by
acting in one way, (purely selfish manner) but if all (or most) people do the same thing, the outcomes experienced are all reduced.

Question 6

The prisoner’s dilemma

Answer 6

The prisoner’s dilemma is a scenario where two suspects, held separately by the police, must decide whether to cooperate (stay silent) or compete (confess). If both cooperate, they each serve a 1-year sentence. If both compete, they each serve a 2-year sentence. If one competes while the other cooperates, the one who competes goes free while the one who cooperates receives a 3-year sentence.

• illustrate the dilemma of choosing between cooperation for mutual benefit or competition for personal gain, where outcomes depend on each participant’s decision and whether they trust the other to cooperate.

Question 7

resolving conflict
1. (bargaining/ negotiation)

Answer 7

Bargaining, or negotiation, is a universal process for resolving conflicts where opposing sides exchange offers, counteroffers, and concessions to reach a mutually acceptable solution.
- a goal both people benefit from
- If this process is successful, a solution acceptable to both parties is
attained & the conflict is resolved.
- if it does not work it could escalate the conflict

Question 8

resolving conflict
2. (superordinate goals)

Answer 8

“we’re all in this together”
- members of groups in conflict often divide the world into two opposing camps- “us” and “them.”
- They perceive members of their own group (us) as different / better than, people belonging to other groups (them).
- emphasising the differences between ones own group and others, while belittling those outside ones group
- superordinate goals are goals both sides seek, and that tie their interests together rather than driving them apart

Question 9

the key goal of bargaining

Answer 9

reduce the opponents aspirations (hope or goals) so that the person or group becomes convinced that cannot get what it wants and should settle for something less favourable

Question 10

Tactics for accomplishing this goal of bargaining

Answer 10

1. beginning with an extreme initial offer- one that is very favorable to the side proposing it
2. attempting to convince the other side that one’s break-even point is much higher than it is so that they offer more than would otherwise be the case
3. convincing the other side that you can go elsewhere and get even better terms.