Shared Flashcard Set

Details

BUAD309-Ch. 9
Organizational Behavior
52
Business
Undergraduate 3
02/21/2010

Additional Business Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Group
Definition
2 or more individuals, interacting and interdependent, who have come together to achieve particular goals.
Term
Formal Group
Definition
A designated work group defined by an organization's structure.
Term
Informal Group
Definition
A group that is neither formally structured nor organizationally determined; such a group appears in response to the need for social contact.
Term
Command Group
Definition
A group composed of the individuals who report directly to a given manager.
Term
Task Group
Definition
People working together to complete a job task
Term
Interest Group
Definition
People working together to attain a specific objective with which each is concerned
Term
Friendship Group
Definition
People brought together because they share one or more common characteristics.
Term
Why Do People Join Groups
Definition
  1. Security
  2. Status
  3. Self-esteem
  4. affiliation
  5. power
  6. goal achievement
  7. info
  8. affect
Term
Five-Stage Group-Development Model
Definition

The five distinct stages groups go through: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning.

  • Conflict may be conductive to high group performance
  • Steps can occur at the same time
  • Can regress to previous stages
  • Problem:
  •  It ignores organizational context; context can provide plans, rules, definitions, info, and resources.
Term
Forming Stage
Definition

The first stage in group development, characterized by much uncertainty.

Ends when people begin to think of themselves as part of a group

Term
Storming Stage
Definition

The second stage in group development, characterized by intragroup conflict.

Ends when there is a clear hierarchy of leadership in the group.

Term
Norming Stage
Definition

The third stage in group development, characterized by close relationships and cohesiveness.

Ends when the group structure solidifies and group has assimilated a common set of expectations of what defines correct member behavior.

Term
Performing Stage
Definition

The fourth stage in group development, during which the group is fully functional.

 

Term
Adjourning Stage
Definition
The final stage in group development for temporary groups, characterized by concern with wrapping up activities rather than task performance.
Term
Punctuated-Equlibrium Model
Definition

A set of phases that temporary groups go through that involved transitions between inertia and activity.

  • Locked into course of action for the first half
  • Change at the second half due to close deadline 
Term
Role
Definition
A set of expected behavior patterns attributed to someone occupying a given position in a social unit.
Term
Role Identity
Definition
Certain attitudes and behaviors consistent with a role.
Term
Role perception
Definition
An individual's view of how he or she is supposed to act in a given situation.
Term
Role Expectations
Definition
How others believe a person should act in a given situation.
Term
Psychological Contract
Definition

An unwritten agreement that sets out what management expects from an employee and vice versa.

Term
Role Conflict
Definition
A situation in which an individual is confronted by divergent role expectations.
Term
Norms
Definition

Acceptable standards of behavior within a group that are shared by group's members.

  1. Performance Norm
  2. Appearance Norm
  3. Social Arrangement Norm
  4. Resource Allocation Norm 
Term
Reference Groups
Definition
Important groups to which individuals belong or hope to belong and with whose norms individuals are likely to conform.
Term
Conformity
Definition
The adjustment of one's behavior to align with the norms of the group.
Term
Deviant Workplace Behavior
Definition

Voluntary behavior that violates significant organizational norms and, in so doing, threatens the well-being of the organization or its members.  Also called antisocial behavior or workplace incivility.

  • Can flourish through group norms.
  • Deviant behavior increases in groups due to anonymity of individual members 
Term
Status
Definition
A socially defined position or rank given to groups or group members by others.
Term
Status Characteristics Theory
Definition
A theory that states that differences in status characteristics create status hierarchies within groups.
Term
Social Loafing
Definition

The tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working collectively than when working individually.

  • Ringelmann -  diminishing returns on productivity as group size increases.
  • May be due to the belief that others are not doing their fair share; reestablish equity.
  • Dispersion of responsibility
Term

Cohesiveness

Definition

The degree to which group members are attracted to each other and are motivated to stay in the group.

  • Relationship between cohesiveness and productivity depends on the performance-related norms established by the group. 
Term
Groupthink
Definition

A phenomenon in which the norm for consensus overrides the realistic appraisal of alternative courses of action.

  • Occurs in groups with a clear group identity, and a clear positive image that they want to protect 
Term
Groupshift
Definition
A change in decision risk between a group's decision and an individual decision that a member within the group would make; the shift can be toward either conservatism or greater risk.
Term
Interacting Groups
Definition
Typical groups in which members interact with each other face-to-face.
Term
 Brainstorming
Definition

A idea-generation process that specifically encourages any and all alternatives while withholding any criticism of those alternatives.

Develops group cohesiveness

Term
Nominal Group Technique
Definition
A group decision-making method in which individual members meet face-to-face to pool their judgments in a systematic but independent fashion.
Term
Electronic Meeting
Definition

A meeting in which members interact on computers, allowing for anonymity of comments and aggregation of votes.

  • Decreased group effectiveness, more time to complete tasks, and reduced member satisfaction.
  • Minimize social pressures and conflicts 
Term
Zimbardo's Prison Experiment
Definition
People learn new roles quickly.
Term
Hawthorne Studies
Definition

 

A worker's behavior and sentiments were closely related.

Group influences are significant in affecting individual behavior.

Group standards are highly effective in establishing individual worker output

Money is less of a factor in determining worker output than are group standards, sentiments, and security.

 

Term
Solomon Asch
Definition

 

Conformity Studies involving lines.

75% of the subjects gave at least one answer that conformed.

  • 50 year old study
  • Culture Bound 

 

Term
Production Deviant Behavior
Definition

Leaving Early

Intentionally working slow

Wasting Resources

Term
Property Deviant Behavior
Definition

Sabotage

Lying about hours worked

Stealing

Term
Political Deviant Behavior
Definition

Showing favoritism

Gossiping and spreading rumors

Blaming coworkers

Term
Personal Aggression Deviant Behavior
Definition

Sexual Harassment

Verbal Abuse

Stealing from coworkers

Term
Determining Status
Definition

Power a person wields over others

Person's ability to contribute to a group's goals

Personal Characteristics

High Status = more freedom to deviate from group norms

Term
Strengths of Group Decision Making
Definition

More complete information and knowledge

Increased diversity of views

Acceptance of a solution

Term
Weaknesses of Group Decision Making
Definition

 

Conformity Pressures

Dominated by one or few members

Ambiguous Responsibility

 

 

Term
Status and Group Interaction
Definition
  • High status people tend to be more assertive.
  • Status differences can inhibit diversity of ideas and creativity in groups; lower status members tend to participate less
Term
Status Inequity
Definition
  • Status hierarchy has to appear equitable
  • Conflicts among different status hierarchies when moving between groups
Term
Encourage Group Cohesiveness
Definition
  1. Smaller Group
  2. Encourage agreement with group goals
  3. Increase time members spend together
  4. Increase status of group
  5. stimulate competition with other groups
  6. Give group rewards
  7. Physically isolate the group
Term
Effectiveness and Efficiency of Groups
Definition
  • Generally more accurate than an average individual but less accurate than most accurate group member.
  • Groups tend to be more creative, but not as fast as individuals.
  • Groups are generally less efficient than individuals.
Term
Global Implications: Status and Culture
Definition
  • Cultural differences affect status
  • Understand who and what holds status when interacting with people from a different culture.
Term
Global Implications: Social Loafing
Definition
  • Consistent with individualistic cultures
Term
Global Implications: Group Diversity
Definition
  • Costs:
  • Conflict early on
  • Less satisfaction
  • Less cohesion
  • Benefits
  • Over time better performance
  • Open-minded
  • creative

Remains hard to support based on current research

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