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Deviance, self-typicality and group cohesion: The corrosive effects of the bad apples on the barrel

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-16, 18:27 authored by Wellen, JM, Neale, M
This study investigated the effect of a single work group deviant on other group members' perceptions of the deviant, and their perceptions of the cohesiveness of the group as a whole. Group members, particularly those high in perceived self-typicality, were expected to downgrade the deviant, and view groups containing a deviant as less cohesive. Undergraduate management students were placed in a simulated organizational context in which deviance was manipulated so that the participant's work group contained either a single negative deviant or no deviant. Results showed that the deviant colleague was judged less favorably than the normative colleague, particularly by those high in perceived self-typicality. Groups that contained a deviant were perceived as having lower levels of task cohesion, but ratings of social cohesion varied depending on perceivers' self-typicality. The findings suggest that as well as attracting negative evaluations, deviant group members can adversely affect group cohesion. © 2006 Sage Publications.

History

Publication title

Small Group Research

Volume

37

Pagination

165-186

ISSN

1046-4964

Department/School

TSBE

Publisher

SAGE

Place of publication

London

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Occupational health

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    University Of Tasmania

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