Notes:
6.1.1
-The term group, people who identify and interact with one another.
-social groups, two or more individuals connected by common bonds and shared social relations, of which you have been a member.
-The smallest group is a dyad, a group of two people.
-The growth of a group from a dyad to a triad, a group of three members, can change how the group functions.
– Forming
+ Socializing
+Displaying eagerness
+Asking questions
+Focusing on group identity and purpose
-Storming
+ High emotions
+ Competition among members
+ Lack of participation by some members
+ Conflict among members
– Norming
+ Members are engaged and supportive
+ Less emotion and anxiety
+ Reconciliation among members
+ Developing cohesion
– Performing
+ Interdependent
+ Productive
+ Balance of workload among members
+ Efficient workload among members
– Adjourning
+Sadness about the group dissolving
+ Awards distributed to recognize members and team
+ Concern about change
6.1.2
– Primary groups are small-scale, intimate, face-to-face long-lasting associations. shares personal and lasting relationships, such as family and childhood friends.
– secondary groups are large-scale, impersonal, task-focused, and time-limited associations.
– Both primary and secondary groups have specific expectations and roles, and each can serve as a reference group, a collection of people used for comparison and identification.
– in-group, a social unit in which an individual belongs and feels a sense of “we,”
– out-group, individuals who do not belong or are excluded from one’s group.
– social clique, a small, close-knit, and exclusive group of individuals
6.1.3
– group conformity, aligning attitudes and behaviors with group norms.
6.1.4
– Groupthink, the tendency of group members to yield the desire for consensus rather than expressing individual or alternative ideas, occurs in groups, organizations, and the larger society.
+ Pressure for Conformity- Dissenters are pressured not to express their opinions
+ Self-Censorship- Dissenters choose to withhold their counterarguments
+ Illusion of Unanimity- The majority view and judgments are assumed to unanimous
+ Mindguards – Self-appointed members protect the group and the leader from information that is problematic or contradictory to the group’s views.
+ Illusion of Invulnerability – Members ignore dangers, take excessive risks, and are overly optimistic
+ Collective Rationalization- Members discount and explain away warning signs
+ Belief in Inherent Morality – Members believe their decisions are morally correct and ignore ethical considerations
+ Stereotypes Views of Out-groups – Out-groups are labeled with negative stereotypes and considered as rivals
6.2.1
– An organization, a structured, purposeful, and goal-oriented collection of people, is a social unit with distinct functions that ranges in size from a handful of people to a large multinational organization with tens of thousands of members.
– Informal organizations, a system of the personal contacts and relationships of groupings of people, exist outside the organizational charts.
– Informal organizations precede formal organizations, structured and bureaucratic systems regulated by clearly stated norms and rules, as the repetitive arrangement of relationships often morphs into formal organizations.
– Normative organizations, groups of people based on shared interests and the intangible rewards of membership, are comprised of individuals who join as volunteers to pursue goals they consider morally worthwhile.
– Utilitarian organizations, groups of people based on contractual obligations that seek tangible benefits such as monetary compensation, are comprised of individuals who join for a specific purpose, and most often to gain income.
– Greenwashing, the promotion of being a sustainable and green company, when, in fact, sustainable practices are not the norm for the organization, is a common practice to gain customers who want to do business with a sustainable company.
– The third type of organization is a coercive organization, groups of people whose membership is primarily forced and must abide by strict rules and regulations.
– Members in prisons, psychiatric hospitals, and the military undergo resocialization, an identity transformation in which social norms and roles are altered or replaced.
– total institutions, isolated groups with strict rules and regulations to control every aspect of members’ lives.
6.2.2
– bureaucracies, a hierarchical authority structure that uses task specialization, operates on the merit principle, and behaves with impersonality.
– ideal type, logical or consistent traits of a given social phenomenon, referring to common and consistent elements in an abstract concept such as bureaucracy.
– red tape, adherence to excessive regulations and conformity that prevents decision-making and change.
6.3.1
– Peter Principle, the notion that workers in a bureaucratic organization will continue to be promoted until they reach their level of incompetence.
– spoils system, the practice of politicians awarding jobs to friends and supporters based on liking and not skill.
– iron law of oligarchy, a system in which the concentration of power in a democracy rests in the hands of a few elite leaders.
6.3.2
– McDonaldization, the process by which the principles of the fast-food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society and the of the rest of the world.
6.3.3
– most successful groups have leaders, individuals or groups who help facilitate, guide, and be the representative voice of its members.
– instrumental leadership, is one in which the leadership is very task-oriented.
– Expressive leadership, leadership endeavors to establish more personal or primary connections with the group members as they work toward accomplishing the task.
+ Authoritarian: A leadership style that is based on orders and directives.
+ Democratic: A leadership style based on increasing harmony and reducing conflict between group members.
+ Laissez-faire: A leader who takes a hands-off approach to leadership.
– A transformational leader causes individuals, groups, and social systems to change.
– Unlike the highly visible and revolutionary transformational leaders, a transactional leader acts as a manager by keeping the group functioning smoothly.
6.4.1
– nepotism, the practice of favoritism directed toward family members.
– From a sociological perspective, these associations are part of a person’s social capital, the network of links that develop between people, which may result in a personal, social, and professional advantage.
– Meritocracy, a system that fosters and rewards personal effort, ability, and talent through competition to determine social standing, is often cited as a means to offset favoritism, nepotism, and advantages resulting from social capital.
6.4.2
– LGBT issues are both personal troubles and public issues.
6.5.1
– cyberslacking, when workers spend excessive time online for personal reasons that do not benefit their employer.
– The reasons workers give for slacking off include the following:
+ they think it improves productivity
+ boredom
+ lack of interest in the work
+ lack of incentive
+ unsatisfied with their jobs
+ feeling underpaid
6.5.2
– This monumental shift to remote work, also known as telecommuting or remote working, working from someplace other than the office on a full- or part-time basis, has been an overwhelming success for employers and employees alike.