Generally, teamwork in groups leads to beneficial results. Rayan, working at an automobile company, suggested that extreme cohesion can interfere with effective leadership and can lead to disastrous decisions. This process is termed as “groupthink” in which a group allows its concerns for unanimity. They, in fact, “override the motivation to realistically appraise courses of action”. It results in the tendency of decision maker to make irrational decisions. Studies have shown that such a group has an exaggerated sense of its own power to control events and tends to ignore and minimise outside cues from real world in order to preserve their internal harmony and collective well-being.
____are socially defined expectations that individuals in a given situation are expected to fulfill.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Roles
Option (1) Norms — Incorrect. Norms are expected standards of behaviour and beliefs established, agreed upon and enforced by group members, a group’s ‘unspoken rules’. They apply to all members alike, not to the expectations attached to one position.
Option (2) Roles — Correct. Roles are socially defined expectations that individuals in a given situation are expected to fulfil, the typical behaviour of a person in a social context. As a son or daughter, one is expected to respect elders and be responsible towards one’s studies.
Option (3) Status — Incorrect. Status is the relative social position given to group members by others, ascribed (as by seniority) or achieved (by expertise or hard work). It is a rank, not a set of expectations to fulfil.
Option (4) Respect — Incorrect. Respect is not an element of group structure; respecting elders is one of the expectations within a role, not the name of the expectations themselves.
Note: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2023 on 02-06-2023 (Slot 1) and 08-06-2023 (Slot 1).
NCERT (2025-26): “Nature and Formation of Groups … Four important elements of group structure are :
“…Norms are expected standards of behaviour and beliefs established, agreed upon, and enforced by group members. They may be considered as a group’s ‘unspoken rules’.…” “…Status refers to the relative social position given to group members by others. This relative position or status may be either ascribed (given may be because of one’s seniority) or achieved (the person has achieved status because of expertise or hard work).…” |