CHAPTER 7 NOTES.

NAME: Loo Chin Yee

STUDENT ID: 261215

INSTRUCTION: Based on the videos that you have watched on the OL (Content 1, 2 & 3), please
complete the notes below. You can draw a mind map as an answer if you want. Save your
work as PDF and upload to the OL.

1. Explain briefly what is the differences in propensity to take risks.

• The organizational culture can influence risk-taking behaviour in groups.
• Many high-tech organizations like Apple and Samsung are high risk taking
reputations, they make it based on the outcome.
• Even in the organization conflicts tends to happen, so we should measure
organizations risk tendencies and compare with you own propensity to take risks.
• If an individual is a cautions decisions maker joining in high risk taker group, this
will cause conflict communication.
• If you are high risk taker with other members are high risk taker will cause riskier
decision.
• The type of decision confronting the group may also influence the propensity to
take risks and the number of conflicts generated.
• Therefor, in some situation may be high risk taking decisions and other situations
may be cautions.

2. Differences in professional consciousness states.

• Consciousness states produced by group pride and identity. Howeverm not
all members are at the same level of group consciousness.
• Burnout- at the state of not able perform any professional task.
• Young hawk- is not young by age but the level of consciousness. They can
completely successful the task and to raise the level of status in the group,
they can push up the group into burnout or into too much conflict with
others.
• Buffalo- provide stability to the consciousness of the group. Excellent at
orienting new members to the group and minimizing conflict the work group
might have with competing groups in the organization.
• Company loyalist- a kind of ideal state of professional contentment in a
group. And, as counted on to “toe a company line” and support the decisions
of leadership and management.
• Cynic- A person who has a cynic state of consciousness in the group has a
contemptuous distrust of the company. It can demoralize a group’s pride and
shake the confidence of new members.
3. Negative predispositions towards Group Work.
• Persons who have a negative predisposition to the group are likely to engage in
dysfunctional group behaviours that can increase the chances conflicts.
• dysfunctional group behaviours such as poor language, lack of charity, jargon,
dominating conversation, one-upmanship, show of power, talking to hear self-
talk, brownnosing, clowning, talks over others, does not speak up and others.
 • Individual should be cautions of generalizing from one dysfunctional group
experience in your future group projects.
4. Groupthink.
Groupthink occurs when a group values harmony and coherence over accurate
analysis and critical evaluation. The group is so concerned with maintaining
unanimity that they fail to evaluate all their alternatives and options. Groupthink
members see them themselves part of an in-group working against an outgroup
opposed to their goals. It causes individual members of the group to unquestioningly
follow the word of the leader and it strongly discourages any disagreement with
consensus. Groupthink can fatally undermine group decision making.

Most of the initial research on groupthink was conducted by Irving Janis, a research
psychologist from Yale University. He devised 8 symptoms indicative of groupthink
to make groupthink stable
• Illusions of invulnerability creating excessive optimism and encouraging risk
taking.
• Unquestioned belief in the morality of the group, causing members to ignore
the consequences of their actions.
• Rationalizing warnings that might challenge the group’s assumptions.
• Stereotyping those who are opposed to the group as weak, evil, biased,
spiteful, impotent, or stupid.
• Self-censorship of ideas that deviate from the apparent group consensus.
• Illusions of unanimity among group members, silence is viewed as
agreement.
• Direct pressure to conform placed on any member who questions the group,
couched in terms of “disloyalty”.
• Mindguards- self-appointed members who shield the group from dissenting
information.

Causes of groupthink
• High group cohesiveness: deindividuation group
• Structural faults: insulation of the group, lack of impartial leadership, lack
of norms requiring methodological procedures and homogeneity of
member social background.
• Situational context: highly stressful external threats, recent failures,
excessive difficulties on the decision-making task and moral dilemmas.a

5. Conflict resolution negotiating styles.

Avoiding
• Non-competitive and noncollaborative
• For some people, conflict is negative and should be avoided.
• The philosophy behind this strategy is “stay low and go”
• You duck or postpone any confrontation/
• Best with the silent observer role.
Accomodating
• Non-competitive and cooperative.
• Believes that one must be obliging and unselfish.
• “kill your enemies with kindness”.
• Willing to set aside own view.
• Cooperate with people who have legitimate power and expert knowledge.
• Social emotional leader uses this strategy.
• Creates emotional leader uses this strategy.
• It is called powerless communication.

Compromising
• Believes in finding a middle ground.
• “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours”
• Quick solution to the conflict.
• You believe not everyone can get everything they want.
• Marked by expedient solution.

Collaborating
• Both assertive and cooperative
• “two heads are better than one”
• Find a solution that satisfies everybody.
• Your philosophy is everyone can win
• High level of consensus but is time consuming which can cause conflict and affect
productivity.
• Strategies involved compare needs and goal (for example if the conflict is place to go
on vacation, list down what everyone needs before deciding on a place that fits all
needs) and create a win-win situation.

Competing
• Assertive and less cooperative interpersonal behaviour.
• Emphasis on one’s own goal.
• Power-oriented style.
• Often most effective when immediate action is required.
• Can be direct and on-record.
• Strategies involved are using legitimate power (give orders), and use higher
authority (quote other of higher position such as dean or president)