Lecture 7: Teams (Intra-Group Processes)

Question 1

WHat does intra-group behaviour span?

Answer 1

Many subjects!

Ex:

Communication network, intragroup conflict, groupthink, group norms,

group cohesion, escalation of commitment, conformity, hidden profile,

leadership, minority influence, obediance, voice

Question 2

Explain how teams require a multilevel perspective (2)

Answer 2

1. Teams are a level of analysis, but also an empirical phenomenon
2. They’re ultra social Multi-level: Indiv, Group, Organis, National, Global (cultures)

Question 3

What is a group?

Answer 3

2 or more indiv who are connected by and within social relationships

Question 4

Give the 4 types of groups

Answer 4

1. Primary groups
2. Social groups
3. Collectives
4. Categories

Question 5

Primary groups

Answer 5

Small long-term groups characterized by a high frequency of interaction, cohesiveness and member identification

Ex: families, close friends

Question 6

Social groups

Answer 6

Small groups of moderate duration and permeability characterized my moderate levels of interaction over an extended perioed of time, often goal-focused

Ex: coworkers, crews, teams

Question 7

Collectives

Answer 7

Aggregations of indiv tha form spontaneously, last only a brief period of time and have very permeable boudaries

Ex: Audiences, bystanders, crowds

Question 8

Categories

Answer 8

Aggregations of indiv who are similar to one another in some way

Ex: Asian, New Yorkers, women

Question 9

What is a team?

Answer 9

A group collaborating towards achieving (organisational) goals

Question 10

What are 5 characterics of groups

Answer 10

Interaction

Goals

Interdependence

Structure

Cohesion

Question 11

Explain group interaction

Answer 11

Groups create, organize and sustain relationship + task interactions

Question 12

Explain goals in groups

Answer 12

Have instrumental purposes to facilitate achievement aims + outcomes sought by members

Question 13

Explain interdependence for groups (2)

Answer 13

Depend on one another
Influences and is influenced by each other

Question 14

Explain structure for groups

Answer 14

Organized: Each individual connected in pattern relationships, roles and norms

Question 15

Explain cohesion for groups

Answer 15

Unite in bonded network of interpersonal relations recognised by members inside and people out of group

Question 16

Team VS Group (4)

Answer 16

1. Goal: Collective performance VS share information
2. Synergy: Positive VS Neutral (sometimes negative)
3. Accountability: Individual and mutual VS individual
4. Skills: Complementary VS random / varied

Question 17

Teams: cost / benefit scenario (1:2:2)

Answer 17

Presence of others => evaluation of indiv effort (1) OR no eval indiv effort (2)

1. Eval apprehension (arousal) => social facilitation
2. No evaluation apprehension (less / no arousal) => social loafing

Yet:

1. arouse tends promote dominant response
2. arousal can interfere with highly complex task

Question 18

Tuckman: groups develop in stages (6)

Answer 18

Prestage 1

Stage 1: Forming → tentative comm + exchange background info

Stage 2: Storming → dissatisfaction, disagreement, leader and procedures challenges, cliques form

Stage 3: Norming → cohesiveness, agreement on procedures, standards + roles, improved communication

Stage 4: Performing → focus on work of group, task completion, decision making, cooperation

Stage 5: Adjourning → departures, withdrawal, decreased dependence, regret

Question 19

Temporary groups develop through..? (1)

Answer 19

Inertia and activity

Question 20

Why does Tuckman’s model have only partial applicability (2)

Answer 20

1. rate progression across stages varies across groups
2. transition across stages isn’t always clear

Question 21

Punctuated-equilibrium model (2:1)

Answer 21

1. Applies to temporary groups with deadlines
2. Describes phases of transition between inertia and activity

Direction set → Inertia → Accelerated activity → Inertia → Accelerated activity

Question 22

Social identity theory (1:2)

Answer 22

Groups develop as we form social identity

1. When acting in groups, define ourselves in terms of group membership → Part of self-concept
2. social identity is the individual’s portion of the self-concept derived from perceived membership of group

Question 23

Social identity processes are rooted in (2)

Answer 23

1. Social categorization
2. In-group favouritism

Question 24

Social norms (1:4)

Answer 24

Acceptable standards of behaviour within group + shared by members (Initially revealed by Hawthorne studies)

Ex:

• Perform
• Appear
• Engage with others
• Allocate resources

Question 25

Conformity

Answer 25

Tendency of individuals to adjust to group norms

Question 26

Asch’s experiment

Answer 26

Teams provide norms (experiment of saying right answer and then purposefully wrong to change answers of participant)

Question 27

What are 2 types of norms?

Answer 27

1. Descriptive: perception what most people do as norm. (ex: trash cans)
2. Injunctive: perception of what most people approve or disapprove → norms of “ought”

Question 28

Descriptive norms have what compared to injunctive norms

Answer 28

Stronger effect

Injunctive norm violations: people demonstrate they think ignoring the rule is fine.

Question 29

Role

Answer 29

Set of expected behavior patterns attributed to someone occupying a given position in a social unit

Question 30

Role ambiguity

Answer 30

situation where lack clarity about expected behaviour

Question 31

Role conflict

Answer 31

Situation where indiv. faces divergent role expectations

Question 32

Explain how very strong roles lead to deindividualisation

Answer 32

Roles provide very strong influence** on how people are expected to → behave according to the **role** → instead of according **individual characteristics

Question 33

GIve an example of deindividualisation

Answer 33

Zimbardo’s Prison experiment

My guess: cults?

Question 34

Milgram’s obedience experiments (1963)

Answer 34

Normal people can make horrible actions simply because given order, experiment

Question 35

What should be done to decrease the possibility of deviant workplace activities

Answer 35

Ensure group norms do not support antisocial behaviour

Question 36

Why pay attention to the status and power aspect of groups

Answer 36

People find it difficult to speak-up to power → increase psychological safety

Question 37

Hofling’s (1966) study of obedience in US healthcare (3:3)

Answer 37

1. Nurses were phoned by “Dr Smith”: asking to give 20 mg dose of “Astroten”
2. Broke several safety rules
   
   1. unlisted drugs
   2. instructions over phone
   3. safe medication dosages
      
      1. 21 / 22 nurses were prepared to give it

Question 38

Psychological safety

Answer 38

shared belief that is safe to engage in interpersonal risk taking

• ensures organisational learning through creating environment where people can raise concers + ideas
• varies at organisation, team and dyadic level

Question 39

dyadic

Answer 39

Explaisn relationship / relation between 2 things / entities

Question 40

Inclusive leadership

Answer 40

Inclusive leadership → psychological safety → engagement in quality improvement work