Organizational Behavior: Managing

People and Organizations,

Ninth Edition
Gregory Moorhead, Ricky W. Griffin
Chapter 9

Group and
Interpersonal
Behavior

The Interpersonal Nature of Organizations

Interpersonal relations and group processes
pervade all organizations and are vital in
managerial activities
Interpersonal dynamicstypes of Interactions

Between individuals
Between groups
Between individuals and groups

Outcomes of Interpersonal Behaviors

Results
Resultsof
of
Interpersonal
Interpersonal Relations
Relations

Need
Need
Satisfaction
Satisfaction

Social
Social
Support
Support

Synergy
Synergy

Conflict
Conflict

The Nature of Groups

Group Defined
Two or more people who interact with one another

such that each person influences and is influenced by

each other person

Categorization of Groups
By degrees of formalization

Formal groupsestablished by organization

Informal groupsself-created by members
By degrees of permanence

Permanent
Temporary

Characteristics of Groups
Members may identify a little or not at all with the
groups goal
Members may satisfy needs just by being members
Behavior of individuals both affects and is affected by
the group
Accomplishments of groups are strongly influenced by
the behavior of their individual members
The work group is the primary means by which
managers coordinate individuals' behavior to achieve
organizational goals
The behavior of individuals is key to the groups success
or failure

Figure 9.1
A General Model
of Group Dynamics

Types of Groups
Categorization
Categorization of
of
Groups
Groups

Formal
FormalGroups
Groups

Informal
InformalGroups
Groups

Command
Command
Task
Task
Affinity
Affinity

Friendship
Friendship
Interest
Interest

Stages of Group Development

Four-Stage Development Process of Groups
1. Mutual acceptance
2. Communication and decision making
3. Motivation and productivity
4. Control and organization

Group Performance
Factors
FactorsAffecting
Affecting
Group
GroupPerformance
Performance

Composition
Composition

Size
Size

Norms
Norms

Cohesiveness
Cohesiveness

Group Performance Factors

Group Composition
The degree of similarity or difference among group

members on factors important to the groups work

Homogeneity
Degree to which members are similar in one or
several ways that are critical to the groups work

Heterogeneity
Degree to which members differ in one or more
ways that are critical to the groups work

Group Performance Factors (contd)

Group Composition (contd)
Variables relating to group composition

Productivity
Type of task
Organizational diversity
Cultural traits: distrust, stereotyping, and
communication
Effects of diversity on cooperation and
understanding in organizational alliances across
country and culture boundaries

Group Performance Factors (contd)

Group Size
Is the number of members of the group
Affects resources available to perform the task
Affects degree of formalization of interactions,

communication, and participation

Can increase the degree of social loafing

Group Performance Factors (contd)

Factors that Determine Ideal Group Size
Group members ability to interact and influence each

other (maturity of the group)

Maturity of individual group members
Group tasks
Ability of the group leader

to deal with communication,

conflict, task activities

Group Performance Factors (contd)

Group Norms
Are the standards against which the appropriateness

of the behaviors of members are judged

Determine behavior expected in a certain situation
Result from:
Personality characteristics of members
The situation
The historical traditions of the group
Are enforced only for actions that are important to
group members

Group Performance Factors (contd)

Purposes of Norms
Help the group survive
Simplify and increase predictability of expected

behaviors of group members

Help the group to avoid embarrassing situations
Express the groups central values for membership

identification and identify the group to others

Group Performance Factors (contd)

Group Cohesiveness
Is the extent to which a group is committed to staying

together
Results from forces acting on the members

Attraction to the group

Resistance to leaving the group
Motivation to remain a member of the group

Group Decision Making (contd)

Group Polarization
The tendency for a groups average post-discussion

attitudes to be more extreme than its average prediscussion attitudes (risky shift or toward a more
conservative view)

Why Polarization Occurs

Increasing confidence from shared opinions
Persuasive arguments convincing weaker supporters
Individuals substituting group responsibility for

individual responsibility for the decision

Group Decision Making (contd)

Groupthink
A mode of thinking that occurs when members of a

group are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group and

the desire for unanimity offsets their motivation to
appraise alternative courses of action

Effects of Groupthink
Consideration of and focus on fewer alternatives
Failure to perceive non-obvious risks and drawbacks

of an alternative
Rejection of expert opinions
Ignoring potential for setbacks or actions of
competitors in not developing contingency plans

Symptoms of Groupthink
Illusion of invulnerability
Collective efforts to rationalize/discount warnings
Unquestioned belief in the groups inherent morality
Stereotyped views of enemy leaders
Direct pressure on a member
Self-censorship of deviations
Shared illusion of unanimity
Emergence of self-appointed mind-guards

Group Decision Making (contd)

Participation
Is the degree to which employees should be involved

in decision process

Benefits of Participation
Helps in judgmental problem-solving situations
Produces more and better decisions
Helps in solving complex problems
Creates a greater interest in the task

Group Decision Making (contd)

Group Problem Solving Difficulties
Factors limiting the generation-of-alternatives phase

Immediate reactions to alternatives discourages

further proposals of alternatives
Experience, status, and power of some members
intimidates less confident members
Limitations on idea generation imposed by the
group leader