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Deviance at IDEO

All groups, whether top management teams, self$-$managed work teams, or command groups, need to control their members' behaviors to ensure that the group performs at a high level and meets its goals. One important way in which groups influence members' behaviors is through the development and enforcement of group norms, the behavior expected of group members. Another important element of group dynamics that affects group performance and effectiveness is group cohesiveness, which is the degree to which members are attracted to or loyal to their group or team. Increasing levels of group cohesiveness result in increasing levels of conformity to group norms. However, when cohesiveness becomes too high, there may be fitho little deviance in groups that group members conform to norms even when they are dysfunctional. In contrast, low cohesiveness can result in too much deviance and undermine the ability of a group to control its members' behaviors to get things done.

Developing norms that encourage creativity and innovation are especially important for teams. You are about to read and analyze a report about IDEO that will highlight for you the importance of both conformity to norms and deviance from them.

Read the case below and answer the questions that follow.

IDEO has designed many products we now take for granted: the first Apple mouse, stand$-$up toothpaste containers, flexible shelving for offices, self$-$sealing drink bottles for sports, blood analyzers, and even equipment used in space travel. Managers and designers at IDEO take pride in being experts at the process of innovation in general rather than in any particular domain. Of course, the company has technical design experts such as mechanical and electrical engineers, who work on products requiring specialized knowledge. However, these same teams might also include an anthropologist, a biologist, or a social scientist.

A guiding principle at IDEO is that innovation comes in many shapes and sizes, and it is only through diversity in thought that people can recognize opportunities for innovation. To promote such diversity in thought, new product development at IDEO is a team effort. Moreover, both conformity and deviance are encouraged on IDEO teams.

Deviance, thinking differently, and not conforming to expected ways of doing things and mindsets are encouraged at IDEO. In fact, innovative ideas often flow when designers try to see things as they really are and are not blinded by