GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS

Chapter 5

WE NEED EACH OTHER! Social groups: important for

survival

As infants, we would die if it weren’t for “family groups”

As adults, we need even more!

SUMMER CAMP EXPERIMENT Sherif took 12-yr-old

boys to summer camp. ½ given a cabin &

named Eagles, ½ given cabin & named Rattlers

Had own paraphernalia & played competitive games won knives, etc.

At first, everyone friendly, but then…

SUMMER CAMP EXPERIMENT, P. 2

They became fierce competitors!

Calling each other names, raiding cabins, fighting, etc.

EAGLES VS. RATTLERSIN-GROUPS OUT-GROUPS

Boys strongly tied to their group

Used symbols to identify themselves (names, slogans, dress, badges)

View themselves in positive stereotypes

Inclined to compete w/out-group

Boys that were not a member of that group

Out-groups stereotyped in a negative way

All showed how easily loyalty turns into

hostility & aggression with competition

END OF THE EXPERIMENT Competition does strengthen unity

Sherif made camp’s only water tank break down & called on all boys to fix it

As they worked together, the cooperation eroded the hostility

IN-GROUPS & GANGS AKA: Reference Groups – group used

as a frame of reference for evaluating one’s own behavior (ex. = gangs)

Gangs evaluate themselves based on standards they’ve created & agree on – like a mugging or raping• Called normative effect – aka a norm

IN-GROUPS & GANGS, P. 2 Opposite of this, also have comparison effects & associative effects – comparing yourself & your success to others

Leads to negative feelings

LEADERSHIP STYLES Instrumental leaders - achieve

group’s goal by getting others to focus on task performance (“the go-getters”)

Expressive leaders – achieve group harmony by making others feel good; value partnership over leadership

Laissez-faire leaders – “let do”; lets others do their work more or less on their own

LEADERSHIP STYLES, P. 2 Instrumental – effective, but rubs

people the wrong way; least liked, most effective

Expressive – most liked, less effective

Laissez-faire – assumes if people are left alone, then will perform well. Reality = offers no social support; well liked, least effective

LEADERSHIP STYLES, P. 3

As leader, you are given privileges that allow you to deviate from group’s norm = idiosyncrasy credit

You must conform to the group’s changing ways, or will be forced out

GROUPTHINK Members of a cohesive group maintain

census to extent of ignoring the truth

Pressure to conform can lead to disastrous consequences

DIVERSITY helps to avoid groupthink

However, groups naturally develop social networks – webs of social relationships

SOCIAL GROUPS Formal Organizations – secondary

groups whose activities are rationally designed to achieve specific goals (like teacher/student)

Key to increase productivity is through Informal Organizations – group formed based on personal interactions

RATIONALIZATION VS. BUREAUCRACY

Bureaucracy – organization that’s rational in achieving it’s goal efficiently (Max Weber); most efficient form of organization

Rationalization – process of replacing subjective, informal, or diverse ways of doing things with a planned, objective, unified method; based on abstract rules

BUREAUCRATIC PROBLEMS 1. Rules & regulations – based on

what’s known, not what’s anticipated

2. Grows unnecessarily larger! Called Parkinson’s Law = work expands to fill time available for its completion to appear busy• Start to feel overworked, want bigger salary,

more perks & incentives until you reach your “dead point” of retirement = PETER PRINCIPLE