Is it better to create groups with diverse (heterogeneous) or narrow (homogeneous) membership? According to Kruse (2011) both heterogeneous and homogeneous grouping can be beneficial to members when appropriately organized and structured, but is one more successful than the other? While it may seem that members of the same age and academic ability would gain the most by working together, deliberately putting members into groups of differing ability has become very popular in recent years (Kruse, 2011). In heterogeneous groupings we often see multi-age or multi-cultured members, whereas homogeneous grouping deliberately places members of very similar ability and aptitude together (Kruse, 2011). Positive aspects of Heterogeneous Grouping According …show more content…
According to Roberts (2012) social influences come in play as the members on the lower levels may feel that they are not as educated as other members and just leave the work for the "smarter" members. On the flipside, the "smarter" students may be singled out negatively for their achievements and this can affect the distribution of work and learning. With members learning the same lesson but at different levels the group is then running at different pace at the same time, this causes members to either be ahead or behind the rest of the group; facilitators have to take time to try and bring members to the same speed which can cause them to get frustrated (Roberts, …show more content…
Group norms are the standards that mostly rule the behaviour within a group; they have a strong influence on group-based behaviour and are difficult and challenging to change (Parks, 2011). Norms are long-lasting and resilient but certain norms need to evolve for improvements to be made, such as a deviant norm needs to be changed but there are also situations where a norm that was once accepted is now out-dated and have to be changed (Parks, 2011). We can see this happening in once-thriving companies that failed as a result of refusing to change their business practices to keep up with the times (Parks, 2011). Types of group norms Performance norms: performance norms are centred on how much effort an individual should put into their work in a given group. These norms can be and should be evolved through performance analysis by the leader/manager to assess the individuals performance, point out where improvements can be made and which areas the individual is strongest in. This way the individual can have the knowledge on where they can improve to be more
A norm is a group-held belief about how followers should perform in a given environment.[1] Sociologists describe norms as informal identifications that administer society’s performances, while psychologists have adopted a more general classification, recognizing smaller group divisions, like a team or an office, may also endorse norms detached or in addition to cultural or societal expectations. [2] Norms running counter to the activities of the primary society or culture may be conducted and retained within small subgroups of society. [3] For example, Crandall (1988) noted that certain groups like cheerleading squads, dance troupes, sports teams, and sororities have a rate of bulimia, a publicly recognized life-threatening disease that is much higher than society as a whole. Social norms have a way of maintaining order and organizing groups. [4]
To comply and conform in society is sometimes ideal in some situations especially when everyone has their own ideas, beliefs, opinions and ways of thinking. So to comply and conform when group work arises is a situation many people do to avoid confrontation, possible embarrassment, and generally being `the odd one out'. Psychologists have done many experiments to tests compliance and conformity. They have tested why people do it, when people will do it, which people do it, how people do it, and what situations people are more likely to do it. I will discuss mainly what enhances and what reduces this type of behaviour through research done by Asch, Milgram, and Sherif.
In today’s society individuals/groups tend to behave, respond, adapt or become ineffectual depending on their surrounding environment. Individuals find it less tedious to conform to the majority vote than to stand out and speak their truth. Conformance has become a norm amongst individuals; we are pressured to conform to the majority vote just to feel socially appropriate. How can individuals grow and develop their own personality without voicing their opinions? Larger organizations tend to construe people into thinking they’re correct and what they are preaching is appropriate. When a group becomes institutionalized as an organization, it evolves shared beliefs, values, and assumptions (page 226). Formed by spontaneously developed relationships, formal groups are created by larger organizations. It is very important for formal groups to focus their attention on a set of beliefs, values, and composition. Introduced by Irving Janis, the phenomenon of “groupthink” was introduced to correlate group conformance on a higher level. Obtaining group dominance is crucial to many high-level decision makers in the government. This phenomenon has led to incompetent and disastrous decisions.
work as a group they also learn as a group, but the downside of this
According to Coleman & James (1961) ‘cohesion tends to be weaker and moral tends to be lower in a larger group than in a smaller one.’ The reason they state this happens is because, in the majority of cases there is a lack of intimacy within the group and in extremely large groups the members are almost strangers to one another.
norms are those that are highly important to either most members in a society or
Social norms are the implicit or explicit rules a group has for the acceptable behaviors, values, and beliefs of its members. Implicit social norms are introduced to us at a very early age, and exert a powerful influence on our behavior into adulthood. Our culture is ruled by social norms. In many situations, people 's perception of these norms have a big influence on their behavior. Implicit social norms are not openly stated, but found out when disobeyed. Implicit rules are rules we conform to as a society, and generally these rules make living together more comfortable. Social norms are important because they define the nature of a group, clarify relationships among members, and express values. They are also important because they create cohesion within the society, and members of that society are very aware when such norms are violated. Social norms are often strictly enforced and offenders are often disliked for their conduct. Also, some norms are more strictly held to in certain situations than in
Social norms are patterns of behavior within society that are expected of certain groups. Society has engrained within its practices behaviors which are considered expected by groups of people that belong to it. Norm Violations thus are defined as the violation of expected behaviors. Within norm violations, there are three types of violations that occur. (Henslin) The first, is a violation against a folkway. Folkways are patterns of behaviors that are expected of a person within society, but are not strictly enforced. (Henslin) Hence this would not result in negative consequences that are too strict. These consequences, termed sanctions, are the ramifications that occur as a result of not engaging in the social norm. (Henslin) Sanctions for
Leaders will often separate in-group and out-group members based on similarities of the group member and the leader. Other characteristics that can play into it are age, gender, or even a member’s personality. A member can be granted in-group status if the leader thinks the member is competent and is going above and beyond to perform the job functions. As mentioned the two groups that members can fall into are in-group and out-group. In-group members are those that share similarities with the leader. Those similarities can be personality, work ethic, common interests, or even alma maters. In-group members often go above and beyond their job description and the leader does more for these members. In-group members will have their opinions and work ideas looked at in higher regard than out-group members. In-group members typically have higher job satisfaction within the group and are less likely to experience turnover. In-group members are often promoted within the organization f...
The purpose of creating teams is to solve a problem or issue through the use of diverse ideas and solutions. There are many times in life, whether at work or at school that one will encounter a diverse mix of personalities. Workplace diversity is everywhere, from the small corner business to the fortune 500 company, and is one of the most important challenges facing companies today. This mix of diverse personalities, gender, race, experience, and culture is what makes a team successful. This is an example of a heterogeneous team. On the other hand, a team with the same make-up, or homogeneous, has limitations on creativity, viewpoints and ideas. This paper will look at cultural diversity and demographic characteristics, specifically age, gender, expertise/ experience and how each plays an integral part in the construction of a high performance team.
...boost confidence and esteem in students, which would in turn boost test scores as well.
... that areas of expertise can be exploited, different people are good at different things. Groups can discuss material, and that discussion can improve the quality of the decision. Groups are less likely to suffer from judgmental biases that individuals have when they make decisions. People are more likely to follow through on decisions made by groups that they are connected to. Also, more monumental decisions can be made in groups, because one member will not be singled out for blame, making the entire group responsible.
A group can be define as ‘any number of people who (1) interact with one another; (2) are psychologically aware of one another and (3) perceive themselves to be a group’ (Mullins, L, 2007, p.299). Certain task can only be performed by combined effort of a group. Organisation can use groups to carry out projects, which will help to achieve its overall aim. However, for the group to be successful they must understand what is expected of them and have the right skill to complete the task. . (Mullins, L, 2006)
Conformity involves the changing of one’s attitudes, opinions, or behaviours to match those of the ‘norms’. The “norms”, established by society, are what we should or ought to be thinking, feeling, or doing if we wish to be accepted into a group. This desire to be accepted and belong to a group is an undeniable human need.
When analyzing a group and its development, there are several points to consider. The greater the similarity in member attitudes and values brought to the group, the greater the likelihood of cohesion in the group. Group cohesion will be increased by success in achieving the groups’ goals, low frequency of required external interactions and under conditions of abundant resources.