Case Studies To consolidate these concepts, this section presents brief case studies illustrating collective performance in different contexts: Case Study 1: The Hawthorne Works (1920s USA, Industrial Organisation) Context: Western Electric’s Hawthorne Works factory, Chicago. Scenario: Researchers conducted experiments altering work conditions (lighting, break times) to see effects on productivity. Collective Performance Insight: Regardless of physical changes, productivity often improved when workers knew they were being observed. More revealing was the Relay Assembly Test Room experiment, where a small group of women workers were isolated with friendly supervision. Their output increased over time. Interviews suggested that the special attention and the camaraderie in the test room group boosted their morale. They developed their own informal norms (coming to work on time so as not to let the group down, for instance). This case highlighted how social factors and a sense of partic...
Key Theoretical Frameworks Social Identity Theory Originally formulated by social psychologists Henri Tajfel and John Turner in the late 1970s, Social Identity Theory explains how individuals define themselves in terms of group memberships and how this influences their behaviour towards in-group (their own group) and out-group (other groups) members. According to Tajfel and Turner, a person’s self-concept has a significant social component: people derive pride, self-esteem and norms from the groups to which they belong. Key concepts include: In-group vs. Out-group: People categorise themselves and others into groups, leading to in-group favouritism and sometimes out-group discrimination. For example, employees in one department may develop a strong in-group identity, subtly competing with other departments. Social Categorisation and Comparison: Individuals strive for a positive social identity by comparing their group favourably against others. If an in-group’s status is low, member...