Development and socialization of group Norms

The Development of Norms

Figure 3 shows four methods through which norms develop over time. One way is through the explicit statements of group leaders. The founder of Mars Candy Co. once brought to a meeting of his top executives a box of stale Mars candy bars he had found at a store. He went around the room, threw a candy bar at each team member, and told them he would hold each of them responsible if he ever found another stale Mars candy bar in a store. However, most explicit statements are not as extreme. For instance, a dean's comment to a faculty member that he stopped by during office hours and did not find him there might be enough to enforce a norm that professors are expected to honor office hours.

A second way norms develop is through some critical event in a group's history. The Mars example above could be one. Another is a common tale about Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald's. Kroc once ordered the backs of the chairs of McDonald’s store managers to be cut off to remind them that their job was to be out in the restaurant managing, not lounging in their offices.

Sometimes the first behaviour pattern that emerges in a group sets group expectations for subsequent ones. If, during the first meeting, a team leader cracks a joke and asks for every member's opinion about an issue, then the norms of casual interaction and full participation may be initiated within the team.

The final method through which norms may evolve is through a carryover from past experiences. EDS project team members know most of the team norms because they have participated on similar EDS project teams in the past. Even new EDS employees may know some norms from project work in other organizations.

Socializing and Modifying Norms

Regardless of how norms are established, it is the manager's job to help new employees learn the group's norms and values. This is called socialization, the process by which an individual learns the norms, values, goals, and expectations of an organization. The manager must also support prevailing positive norms and try to change dysfunctional or negative ones. Figure 3 depicts some techniques managers can use to maintain, change, and teach organizational norms. These include providing a formal and informal orientation program; establishing a mentoring system; conducting training (which communicates norms as well as develops skills); modelling the desired behaviours; sanctioning positive behaviours and weakening negative ones, through speech and action; using formal evaluations to support positive norms; using the rewards system to reinforce norms, such as paying for performance; using informal and formal communication and feedback to discuss norms and how well group members are meeting the norms; recruiting and selecting individuals who already have exhibited positive norms; gaining the support of the group's informal leaders to promote positive norms; and developing standard operating policies and procedures that clarify and support desired norms. Because teams need to be adaptable, these techniques should be used to socialize members to the pivotal norms, but not to stifle their creativity by forcing them to conform to every relevant and peripheral norm the group may hold.

1. Which of these statements expresses the main idea of the text?

1. There are various methods through which group norms develop.

2. Regardless of how norms are established, it is the manager's job to help new employees learn the group's norms and values.

3. The manager must support positive norms and try to change negative ones.

4. There are different techniques to maintain, change, and teach organizational norms.

2. Find in the text English equivalents of these words and phrases.

ясний, точний	нагадувати	зображати
виклад, формулювання	сидіти, відкинувшись; байдикувати	бажаний
вища посадова особа, керівник	з'являтися, виникати	схвалювати
несвіжий	очікування	послабляти
цукеркова плитка	наступний	зміцнювати
декан	жартувати	зворотний зв'язок
критичне зауваження	неформальний, неофіційний	показувати; виявляти
член професорсько-викладацького складу	участь; співучасть, партнерство	отримати підтримку
заглянути, зайти	розвиватися	проясняти
робочий час	перенесення	що легко пристосовується
дотримувати; виконувати	минулий досвід	стримувати, придушувати
подія	підготовка до життя в колективі	творчість
розповідь, оповідання	видозмінювання	підкорятися
спинка (стільця)	незважаючи на
обрізати	переважний, поширений

3. Are these statements true or false? Correct the false ones.

1. The founder of Mars Candy Co. once used an extreme pattern of explicit statement to find who was responsible for selling stale Mars candy bars.

2. The founder of McDonald’s once ordered the backs of the chairs of store managers to be cut off because he wanted those managers to do their job appropriately.

3. The norms of casual interaction and full participation may be initiated within the team thanks to the relevant behaviour of the team leader during the first meeting.

4. New EDS employees are taught some norms by other team members.

5. Only a formal orientation program can be regarded as a socialization technique.

6. Norm altering may involve modelling the desired behaviours, sanctioning positive behaviours and weakening negative ones.

7. It is not reasonable to employ individuals who already have exhibited positive norms.

8. The manager must make group members conform to every group norm.

4. Here are some answers about group norms. Write the questions.

1. It shows four methods through which norms develop over time.

2. It is a norm that professors are expected to honour office hours.

3. It is through some critical event in a group's history.

4. It sets group expectations for subsequent ones.

5. Because they have participated on similar EDS project teams in the past.

6. This is called socialization.

7. These include orientation programs; mentoring; training; modelling the desired behaviours; sanctioning positive behaviours; formal evaluations; rewards; communication and feedback; recruiting and selecting; work group support; standard operating policies and procedures.

8. No, only to the pivotal norms.

5. Write a summary of the text.