Management is often suspicious of strong informal work groups because of their potential power to control the behavior of their members and, as a result, the level of productivity. Where do these groups get their power to control behavior? George C. Homans has developed a model of social systems that may be useful to the practitioner trying to answer this question.
Homans believes that there are three elements in a social system. Activities are the tasks that people perform. Interactions are the behaviors that occur between people in performing these tasks. And sentiments are the attitudes that develop between individuals and within groups. Homans argues that while these concepts are separate, they are closely related. In fact, Homans feels they are mutually dependant upon each other.
I would really love to hear your thoughts on the Homans Theory? I welcome your comments and would look forward to a constructive dialogue on the subject. Post your comments on my blog and I will share more thoughts with you.
Ascent is a learning and development organization focused on maximizing mid/senior leadership, motivation and performance in the areas of Management, Personal and Youth Development, Sales and Service, Teambuilding and Organizational Design. To find out how Ascent can help your organisation visit www.ascent-world.com, email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , call us on +971 4 3344627
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