Exam 6: Groups and Organization

Asch's experiment on the effects of group pressure has been replicated numerous times, demonstrating that diverse populations are susceptible to group pressure, even when the group is objectively wrong.

Explain how networks have contributed to the perception that we live in a  "small world" and summarize the findings of small-world researchers.

The idea of strength in weak ties refers to the idea that

Rosabeth Moss Kanter's classic study of organizational structure indicated that

Which of these statements about reference groups is false?

Zimbardo's not me syndrome suggests that there is often a dramatic gulf between what people think they will do and what they actually do.

Studies of groupthink indicate that it will be more likely to occur in groups that

Mike belongs to a college fraternity and tends to see his fellow students as either "like us" and part of the fraternity and sorority system or "not like us" and thus not a part of the system.  Mike therefore sees himself as being part of the 

Damian is devoted to heavy metal music to the extent that he dresses like, often behaves like, and wants to be like the members of his favorite bands. Those bands are best described as Damian's

Provide a definition of attribution theory and describe an example applying this theory. Include details about the occurrence of attribution error.

The greater the number of people in a group, the greater the tendency toward deindividuation.

Define instrumental needs and expressive needs; explain which types of groups are most likely to meet these different types of needs.

Secondary groups may take on characteristics of primary groups in times of extreme stress, such as following a natural disaster.

The proliferation of social media has increased the number of face-to-face interactions people experience.

Identify an example of McDonaldization (other than a fast-food restaurant) . Explain how your example fits the definition of McDonaldization, demonstrating how each of Ritzer's four dimensions are addressed.

Explain how group size affects group dynamics, citing examples of research findings.

Explain what a formal organization is and how this is different from other organizations.  Describe two types of formal organizations and give an example of each.

 The theory of McDonaldization is useful only for understanding the fast-food and other service industries.

Charles had never been especially close to his nightshift coworkers until a massive ice storm followed by a blizzard shut down the city for days, blacking out power and making travel, even by foot, extremely hazardous. Suddenly, they pulled together, sharing resources and otherwise acting as a mutually supportive group while they remained stranded. This shows that

Explain how a sociologist might study groups and organizations from the micro level of analysis and the macro level of analysis. Describe how these are different.