The Organizational Behaviors and Adaptations to Organizational Change of Sensitizer and Represser Problem-Solving Groups

摘要

This experiment was intended to test hypotheses concerning differences between groups of sensitizers and repressers in their adaptation to organizational changes in communication networks and to changes in tasks. The results revealed that the kinds of problem-solving systems that groups developed before and after organizational and task changes were not significantly influenced by differences in sensitization-repression. It was concluded from this experiment that the ability of a group to solve problems and adapt to change rests on both its capacity (largely influenced by the personalities of its members) to withstand threats to and disturbances of its equilibrium (particularly under conditions of high uncertainty and novelty characterizing the early phases of group life and initial introduction to a new or changed environment) and by its ability to cognize correctly (influenced primarily by situational and intellectual factors) about the problems facing it and how to organize in order to deal with such problems.