Group Behavior And Conflict-1

Group Behavior and Conflict • Group—multiple members interacting to pursue goal(s) – Membership rewarding – Corresponding effects – Common goals

• Formal versus informal – Temporary versus permanent – Virtual groups

Why People Join Groups • Psychological Needs – Affiliation – Identification

• Survival Needs – Emotional support – Assistance or help

• Commonality – Common interests – Common goals

• Situational Reasons – Physical proximity – Assignment

Cohesiveness and Performance • Cohesiveness—attraction to the group – Improves group satisfaction

• Improves performance – – –

Agree with group goals Actual working group Cohesion = commitment to task

Group Cohesiveness • Group Homogeneity – –

Homogeneous versus heterogeneous Slightly heterogeneous

• Stability of Membership • Isolation • Outside Pressure • Group Status

Group Size • Smaller groups more cohesive • Performance and task type – Additive tasks—sum group effort—larger better – Disjunctive tasks—best individual performance—larger usually – Conjunctive—division of labor—smaller better

Communication Networks Chain Bob

Centralized

Jill

Peggy

Jill

Peggy Bob

Circle Jill

Peggy Bob

Open Jill

Peggy Bob

Group Roles • Role problems – Ambiguity – Overload or underload – Conflicts • • • •

Intrasender Intersender Person-role Interrole

• Task and maintenance orientation – Disruptive orientation

Presence of Others

• Social facilitation

– Simple performance enhanced, complex performance inhibited – Drive theory • Others increases arousal • Sources of arousal – – –

Mere presence Evaluation apprehension Distraction

• Social loafing – – – –

Anonymous additive tasks Free rider effect Sucker effect Social compensation

Negative Group Functioning • Individual dominance • Groupthink – Antecedents • Cohesive group • Insulated from external influences • High stress • Directive leader

– Processes • Consensus without deliberation – Self-censorship, mindguards, collective rationalization

• Members’ views not independent • Public conformity • Directive leader

– Results • Perception of invulnerability • Close minded • Illusion of unanimity

– Remedies • • • •

Open inquiry Outsiders Self-criticism Passive

Group Versus individual • Nominal groups • Interacting groups – Brainstorming

• Group polarization – Risky shift – Depolarization – Informational influence

Group Conflicts • Thwarting—kept from reaching a goal, acting, or violate relationship expectations • Substantive versus emotional • Functional/creative versus dysfunctional/destructive • Causes – – – –

Resource competition Task interdependence Jurisdiction ambiguity Personality

Difficult Personalities

Type Tank Sniper

Conflict Management Styles