Group formation is a norm in most organizations due to its importance in enhancing the culture of teamwork. According to Bruce Tuckman’s Group formation model, group formation undergoes through the processes of forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. Typically, groups consist of people of varied traits. As a result, peer pressure is normally inevitable. There are groups’ norms that guide group members, and set boundaries for operation within the groups. During a group discussion or group work, individuals’ behaviors get influenced by the groups’ norms ( Backes-Gellner, Werner & Mohnen, 2015). Standards are set of guidelines that are usually established mostly at the storming stage of group formation. Group norms are formed after an agreement between the group leaders and group members.
Individuals hold their opinions and have their norms before coming together to create a group. During the group initiation stage, individuals are independent and think of themselves. At this point, most of the decisions are made based on individuals’ ways of thinking. Furthermore, group members, during the group inception, are generally reluctant to adhere to the group norms. At this point, some individuals are introverted. These are individuals who find it beneficial to think independently and arrived on conclusion individually. On the other hand, there are others who are extroverted. This individual relies on team decisions. They get to build more on group controlled outcomes. The difference in beliefs and norms among the group members bring about storming. However, the situation changes as the group progresses and members settle.
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Groups' norms then come into control as boundaries are created and accepted by the group members. Rules such as dressing codes, the official language, punctuality, team spirit, and culture become the norms and influenced individual behaviors as they have to adhere to such rules to become part of a successful group. There are different reasons why such norms are powerful and can change an individual’s behavior. First, group norms bring about a situation where group members understand each other. They get to understand each other’s opinions and viewpoints, and this influences their way of thinking and opinions. Also, group norms bring about a situation where the group members feel part of the group. Due to group norms, the group members feel the sense of each other’s role and importance to the group’s success. They thus, begin to value each other and appreciate their contributions within the group ( Sabatier, 2018). Further, the norms enhance group members’ understanding of the strengths of each other’s as well as their weakness. They tend to come up with mechanisms of utilizing these strengths and complementing the weaknesses. As a result, the group goals become easy to understand and achieve.
Peer pressure is inevitable at the workplaces. At the workplaces, age group is a factor that determines the groups' formations. Peer pressure is landmarked with the interaction of employees of the same peer within an organization. Other than the positive outcomes of peer pressure, there are different adverse outcomes of peer pressure that employees must control to be productive. First, an employee needs to understand his or herself and distinguish him or herself from others. Self-belief is critical for self-control. Employees must ensure that they have self-control and believe in themselves to avoid adverse influence due to peer pressure. Further, such employees should rely on mentors and leaders to guide them on the right path and share with them a recipe for avoiding negative peer influence. Also, delay tactic is critical for an employee while trying to avoid the negative impact of peer pressure. Delay tactic involves sometimes taking while studying the behavior of the peer before making a decision.
On the other hand, employers can rely on mentors to create a stable group or a team in an organization. Mentors have mechanisms of fostering an attitude that enhances positive peer influence within a team. First, mentors are role models to mentees. As a result, they develop a positive attitude and judgment coupled with the behaviors which are critical for the mentees. Further, the mentors support and encourage positive behaviors that enhance positive peer outcome ( Moser et al., 2018). Further, they advise the mentees on the favorable decision to take and positive roles to play while encountering peer actions. Other than these, they are advocates and friends to mentees, and this is critical in enhancing positive outcome.
References
Backes-Gellner, U., Werner, A., & Mohnen, A. (2015). Effort provision in entrepreneurial teams: effects of team size, free-riding, and peer pressure. Journal of Business Economics , 85 (3), 205-230.
Moser, N., Goldstein, J., Kauffmann, P., Epple, M., & Schliephake, H. (2018). Experimental variation of the level and the ratio of angiogenic and osteogenic signaling affects the spatiotemporal expression of bone-specific markers and organization of bone formation in ectopic sites. Clinical oral investigations , 22 (3), 1223-1234.
Sabatier, P. A. (2018). Interest group membership and organization: Multiple theories. The politics of interests (pp. 99-129). Routledge.
