Sociology

Sociology Study Guide

Authoritarian: Gives orders o Not effective because internal conflict is rampant in regime o Effective in emergencies • Democratic: Acts to win a consensus for his/her plans and ideas o Effective in conflict resolution o Group decision-making o Most effective • Laissez-faire: Passive o Provides no direction for group decision-making o Disorganized

Leadership Styles: •

Decision-Making within Groups Groups usually make decisions based on consensus. Discussion is used to bring about a greater level of agreement. Groups are more efficient than single individuals at solving complex problems. They are able to collect more information and analyze the facts more thoroughly. As information is processed and opinions are expressed, reactions and reanalysis occur, leaving the group as a whole more informed and able to make a better decision. While emotional tension can result, after decisions are made, groups generally act toward restoring harmony. When an individual acts in the best interest of the group and its goals, instead of his own – evenif the group’s goals are contrary to his own – this is called group conformity . Group pressure, or peer pressure has an immense effect on people; behavior that would otherwise not be considered will be engaged in, simply as a means to ‘fit in.’ This kind of action can help the group when completing tasks that may seem like drudgery or menial. In order to be a productive member of the group, members will submit to the need and complete the tasks they normally would not have considered. When making decisions that deal with indeterminate tasks , those with no absolutely correctanswer, different groups may not agree on an answer but instead come up with different answers to the same dilemma. Determinate tasks are those that have a definite single answer. In either case, groupshave the inherent benefit of having several opinions and the skills and professional knowledge of many members to assist in the decision making process. There is a negative turn groups can take, though. In two ways, the dynamics of a group can end up causing inappropriate or disastrous decisions. Should the group attempt to reach a conclusion without researching or testing various ideas, groupthink is occurring, and it greatly reduces the effectiveness of the group’s ability to produce a positive outcome. Decisions are made using much narrower focus, because the focus is not to make a good decision but to eliminate or avoid conflict. In some cases, groups make more extreme decisions than each member would have made on his/her

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