Human relations concepts and applications

Social norms are an important part of society. These are rules that our society have set up that govern the choices we make and the way we live. There are both good and bad social norms and they can impact the work environment differently. Most working team operates within their pre-existing social norms, which guide their daily activities and choices. These norms can in some ways make the supervisor's job easier and in other ways can make it more difficult. In this paper I will discuss social norms, how they can make a supervisor's job easier, and how they make it more difficult.

What are social Norms?

Social norms are rules that a group uses as a benchmark for deciding acceptable and unacceptable behaviors. Social norms exist in the United States and in other parts of the world; they exist in all types of groups. Social norms are beliefs, attitudes, values, actions and behaviors that have been established by the group to be either appropriate or inappropriate. Social norms can either be explicit or implicit. Each group has their defined rules and beliefs, which govern the way people in the group act and behave. Members of the group must adhere to the rules; otherwise there could be severe punishment for disobedience. There are both good and bad social norms that exist in our society which can be adopted by any group.

In what ways might they make a supervisor's job easier?

Social norms can make a supervisor's job easier in some ways. Any working team has pre-existing social norms, which govern the way the group behave and ultimately performs. Teams with good social norms are usually more productive, therefore the supervisor of a working team of this nature would have an easier job. Good social norms in a work environment are reliability, dependability, punctuality and dedication to the job. Supervisors, who work with teams that are productive and loyal to their jobs, are more likely to find their job more rewarding. The pressure from the group to perform and excel at their job, will force the individuals in the working team to work harder and to follow the social norms of the group.

In what ways might they make a supervisor's job more difficult?

A lack of social norms in the work environment could also create difficulty in the work place, making the supervisor's job more difficult. A supervisor who works with a team that have established bad social norms, such as truancy, delinquency, and non-commitment can find their job extremely difficult. Companies which do not promote employee morale will typically develop bad social norms. In these work environments employees often feel devalued and less important, which leads to lower productivity (Supervisor/HR Supplement Newsletter, 2010). These feelings can create tension in the work environment and ultimately lower productivity which would make the supervisor's job more difficult.