Leadership Group Theories

Stage One of Group Development

Forming

Stage Two of Group Development

Storming

Stage Three of Group Development

Norming

Stage Four of Group Development

Performing

Forming Interpersonal Development

Testing boundaries, discover expectations of behavior

Forming Task-Activity Development

Orientation to the task: identify task-relevant parameters, decide what you need to know and how to learn it

Storming Interpersonal Development

Group conflict: infighting, revolt against group unity

Storming Task-Activity Development

Emotional Response: react to task based on discrepancy between group and individual needs

Norming Interpersonal Development

Development of Group Cohesion: accept group and individual members, desire to maintain and perpetuate group, creation of group norms and harmony

Norming Task-Activity Development

Open Exchange of Relevant Interpretations: sharing opinions and self reflection

Performing Interpersonal Development

Functional Role-Relatedness: group acts as problem solving instruments, members know how to serve group and relate, role structure not issue but instrument

Performing Task-Activity Development

Emergence of Solutions: constructing attempts at task completion, interpersonal/intellectual insight

Group Development Order

Forming → Storming → Norming → Performing

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Pyramid of needs, bottom needs to be fulfilled to work its way up to the top

Existence Relatedness Growth Theory (ERG)

You can go up and down Maslow’s pyramid without the needs being fulfilled

Equity Theory

Same outcome for same input

How to Restore Balance After Inequality During Equity Theory

Change inputs, change outputs, alter their self perceptions, alter perceptions of reference group

Expectancy Theory

Motivated performance is a choice, people do what they think will give them the highest reward, effort to performance to outcome, leaders make relationship of the three

3 ways people will be motivated in Expectancy Theory

1. Believe they can do the task

2. They will be rewarded

3. They value the reward

5 Bases of Social Power

Legitimate, Expert, Referent, Reward, Coercive

Legitimate Power

Formal or efficient authority, not everyone with authority are leaders

How can followers have Legitimate Power?

Their contract

Expert Power

Knowledge or expertise, leader could have less expert power than followers

Referent Power

Interpersonal ties, favored teachers have this power with their students, followers have this power too because leaders don’t want to harm their relationship with them

Reward Power

Control over desired resources, limited by situation (KFC cannot reward a car), might not have the desired effect

Coercive Power

Fear of punishment or loss of some good, informal coercion (glare)

How do followers have Coercive Power?

They can go on strike

Nine Types of Influence Tactics

Rational Persuasion, Inspirational Appeals, Consultation, Ingratiation, Personal Appeals, Exchange, Coalition Tactics, Pressure, Legitimizing

Rational Persuasion

Logical arguments of factual evidence

Inspiration Appeals

Try to inspire enthusiasm or passion

Consultation

Request for their participation in an activity

Ingratiation

Get someone in a good mood before asking

Personal Appeals

Request based on friendship

Exchange

Requests made on promise of favor in return

Coalition

Seeking support from others to help influence

Pressure

Threats or persistent reminders

Legitimizing

Requests based on position of authority

When we have referent power we should use:

Inspiration appeals, consultations, ingratiation (NOT hard tactics)

When we have the upper hand and anticipate resistance we should use:

Hard tactics (pressure, legitimizing)

When we are at a disadvantage and anticipate resistance:

Soft tactics (ingratiation)

When we have equal power and expect no resistance

Rational tactics (exchange and rational)

Symptoms of Groupthink

Invulnerability, Rationale, Morality, Stereotypes, Pressure, Self-Censorship, Unanimity, Mindguards

Invulnerability Symptom (Groupthink)

Illusion the group is safe from obvious dangers leads to overconfidence

Rationale Symptom (Groupthink)

Groups construct rationalizations to discount warnings and negative feedback

Morality Symptom (Groupthink)

Groups believe in the inherent morality in their ingroups

Stereotypes Symptom (Groupthink)

Members hold stereotyped views of leaders and enemy groups

Pressure Symptom (Groupthink)

Group members apply direct pressure to those who express doubts about any part of groups shared illusions or arguements

Self-Censorship Symptom (Groupthink)

Group members avoid deviating from what appears to be group consensus

Unanimity Symptom (Groupthink)

The group has an illusion that everyone in the group agrees

Mindguards

Members of the group work to protect the leader or followers from adverse information

Products of groupthink

limits discussion to few alternatives, fails to reexamine initial plan, little time looking at risks overlooked, no attempt to contact experts, confirmation bias,

Remedies of groupthink

Leader assigns each member role of critical evaluator, adopt impartial stance during initial deliberation, multiple small groups work on the same problem then come together, invite outside experts, make point of considering alternatives