The Principle Pitfalls identified with groups are

1. Status Differential
2. Group norms
3. Risky and cautious shifts
4. Groupthink
5. Polarization
1. Status Differential:- Status differentials are relative
differences in status among group members. Status
can be determined by a variety of factors including
expertise, occupation, age, gender or ethnic origin.
2. Group Norms:- Group norms are the rules that
groups adopt to regulate members' behavior. Group
norms may force members to support decisions
which they privately disagree.
 Performance norms
 Appearance norms
 Social arrangement norms
 Allocation of resources norms
 Workplace deviance, is a deliberate (or intentional)
desire to cause harm to an organization – more
specifically, a workplace.

Types of workplace deviance:-

 Interpersonal deviance. Ex : Gossiping
 Organizational deviance. Ex: Absenteeism
 Production deviance . Ex: Low quality and quantity
 Property deviance.
 Other types of deviant behavior may involve coworker
harassment and even violence.
Risky shifts occur where a group makes a decision
which is more risky than an individual operating
alone would make.

Cautious shifts occur where group makes a decision

which is less risky than an individual alone would
make.
 Groupthink:- Group think refers to the tendency of members
in a highly cohesive group to lose their critical, evaluative
capabilities.
 Eight signs of groupthink :
◦ An illusion of invulnerability.
◦ A strong ‘we feeling’ that views outsiders as adversaries or
enemies.
◦ A tendency of individual members toward self-censorship.
◦ An illusion of unanimity, assuming silence of a group member as
consent
◦ An application of direct pressure on those who show signs of
disagreement.
 Mind guarding, protecting the group from dissenting views.”

 Polarization:- Polarization is magnifying a dominant view

point. Group polarization refers to the tendency for groups to
make decisions that are more extreme than the initial
inclination of its members. These more extreme decisions are
towards greater risk if individual's initial tendency is to be risky
and towards greater caution if individual's initial tendency is to
be cautious.
 People do not work as hard in groups as they work
alone.
 Responsibility for the final outcome is diffused

among members of the group

 Multiple examples from reality and research:

◦ Reporting a crime viewed by many people in New York

◦ Assisting a child lost on the highway in Italy
◦ Assisting a stranger pick up coins in an elevator
◦ Intervening as a bystander to report a fire, or to assist a
stranger who cries for help in a nearby room
 Presence of others reduces likelihood of intervention
 Cohesiveness refers to the bonding of group members
and their desire to remain part of the group.

 Enables groups to exercise effective control over the

members

 Many factors influence the amount of group

cohesiveness. Generally speaking, the more difficult it
is to obtain group membership the more cohesive the
group.
 Number of the members are relatively small.

 Effective interpersonal communication.

 Group loyalty

 Unity of members’ attachment with group

 Communication

 Positive Interaction

 Achieving Goals

 Satisfied Members
 Effects:-
1. Increase productivity
2. High motivation
3. More co-ordination
4. Builds trust
 Barriers:-
1. Clash of personalities
2. Conflict of task
3. Breakdown in communication
4. Struggling for power
5. Frequent turnover of members
 Approaches to group decision making
1. Autocratic decision making:- A leader makes a decision by
himself. It is fast and often effective, when the leader is
competent.
2. Expert member soliciting:- An expert selected from the group
considers the options and makes a decision. Can be useful if
someone has exceptional expertise.
3. Consultative decision making:-It involves obtaining inputs
from those responsible and affected by the decision and then
making a decision independently.
 Minority control:- It involves small number of people in the
group who take decision, they have requisite knowledge
about the matter.

 Majority control:- Where majority of members involve

themselves in decision making.

 Consensus:- This approach involves finding a proposal

acceptable to all members. This is a win-win situation.
 Compared to individual decision making , group decision
making is preferable because of at least 4 reasons,
1. Group decision making results in more alternatives

2. Group decision making commits all members to the decision

3. Group members develop decision making skills by involving

themselves in the process.

4. Group decision making empowers members.

 The potential problems from group decision making are
1. Group decision making may result in groupthink-collective
compliance from all members
2. Often a small number of people dominate decision making
process
3. Some members may resort to social loafing.
4. Possibilities of group making riskier decisions than individuals.
This is because group members share responsibility.
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