Organized action need not depend on group consensus. Karl Weick's theory argues that only minimal shared understanding is needed and that common ends and shared meanings may be outcomes of organized action, not prerequisites. This paper reveals four communication mechanisms that generate and sustain equifinal meaning (multiple routes to a single…

A stratified random sample of 96 employees in a large firm saved a hard copy of all incoming and outgoing electronic mail for a 3-day period. Proposes a framework for understanding how electronic communication could affect group behavior in organizations. (70 references) (MLF)

Purpose: The success of schools fundamentally depends on teachers' willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty, namely, to exhibit organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs). Attempts to understand the causes of OCB frequently focus on individual characteristics; only recently have researchers begun to direct their attention to more…

Argues that the individualism-collectivism dichotomy overlooks values that inherently serve both individual and collective interests, ignores values that foster the goals of collectives other than the ingroup, and promotes the mistaken assumption that individualist and collectivist values form opposing syndromes. Suggests refined value types. (FMW)

Extends control systems theory to analyze purposive collective behaviors, ranging from simple to complex, involving small and large groups. Suggests that complex collective phenomena can be explained as the repetition or combination of individual and collective sequences of action. Posits that control systems theory can be used to elucidate…

Argues that behavioral differentiation of the sexes is minimal when children are observed or tested individually. Sex differences emerge primarily in social situations resulting in social styles that place females at a disadvantage in interactions with males. The role of the nuclear family in the development of these styles is discussed. (FMW)

This study investigated information needs and use by groups in decision-making processes. Problem contexts were varied by conflict, quality, and time conditions and presented to 89 graduate level education students who simulated school board members making decisions about educational programs. The research hypotheses were: (1) there are no…

Critics of a dominant model of the person, which emphasizes autonomy and independence, have called for an alternative, more social, conceptualization of the self. To describe and validate social individuality as an alternative conceptualization of the self, 84 adults (54 females, 30 males), from a range of social classes and including persons…

Investigated whether conformity in the experimental setting suggested by Asch was related to American culture and less likely to be replicable elsewhere. Kuwaiti subjects (N=200) were used in replicating the original experiment. Obtained an 'Asch effect' of a comparable magnitude to that of Asch. Individual differences in conformity were evident.…

Presents study results examining social pressure within sexually homogenous groups. Explains that cohesiveness, based on common beliefs, was established in half of the sample while prevented in the remainder. Reports that groups were required to reach consensus after conflict was introduced. Concludes that low cohesion groups showed the greatest…

Female students in a graduate journalism program in Britain failed in a common attempt to counter sexist treatment during their training in this male-dominated profession resulting from the priorities of the school and demands of the program. (DM)

Peer groups matter more than we think. In this paper we assert that peer group commitments and affiliations are often the primary social reference in determining the way young people think about and practice risk. It is, we argue, inappropriate to impose adult constructions of risk-taking and anti-social behaviour when trying to assert influence…

In studies examining the impact of performance information on motivation, both feedback and goal setting have been found to improve performance. To explore the generalizability of E. A. Locke's (1968) theory of task motivation to groups, 180 male masters of business administration (MBA) students were randomly organized into 60 three-person groups.…

Research has shown that observers' vicarious emotional reactions to an in-group member's facial display of pleasure and pain are highly differentiated and empathetic, while responses to the expressive displays of an out-group member are relatively undifferentiated and indifferent. This study examines the effects of perceived group membership on…

Research studies on group versus individual bystander responses either have involved nonviolent emergencies or laboratory simulations. To investigate group versus individual bystander response to a violent assualt in a natural setting, 80 male college students (from an original pool of 393 white, male students) were observed either individually or…