The document discusses affiliation at work and is divided into three parts. Part one covers the need for affiliation, FIRO theory, and the FIRO-B scale. Part two discusses social comparison, including downward and upward social comparison and the self-evaluation maintenance model. Part three examines stress and affiliation, sources of social support like task support and career mentoring, and companionship and loneliness in the workplace.

1. Group 2

2. Affiliation at Work Overview
 Part One- Need for Affiliation, FIRO Theory, FIRO-B Scale, Social
Comparison and Misery Loves Company.
 Part Two-, Downward Social Comparison, Upward Social
Comparison,self- evaluation maintenance ( SEM) model and Social
Comparison Orientation.
 Part Three- Stress and Affiliation, Sources of Social Support,
Companionship and Loneliness.

4. Need For Affiliation
 According to Forsyth (2010) “The dispositional
tendency to seek out others” (p. 92)
 Workers who have a high need for affiliation take pride
in their friendships at work. They want cooperation
instead of contending amongst co-workers .
 Workers have a low need for affiliation tend to be more
recluse and socialize less often with co-workers.

6. William Schutz “FIRO” Theory
 Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation
classifies three basic needs that can be fulfilled by
groups.
 The first basic need is inclusion similar to the need for
affection.
 The second basic need is control, similar to the need
for power.
 The third basic need is affection, similar to the need
for intimacy. (Forsyth,2010,p. 93).

8. FIRO- B Scale
 Measures the need to express and receive inclusion,
control, and affection.
 The greater the needs in any person than it is more
likely that they will attempt to form relationships at
work.
 This scale is used in team performance and leadership.

10. Social
Comparison In
The Workplace
 In the workplace individuals experience both
achievements and failures.
 People use social comparison at work to
compare their qualities with other co-
workers, set their own personal goals, help out
other people and realize that they are superior
to people around them (Forsyth,2010, p. 96).

12. Misery loves….
 “Misery loves Company”
involves co-workers facing
potential layoffs or issues with
a boss may reach out to those
who have dealt those issues in
the past
 Embarrassed misery can
result in a worker wanting to
avoid asking questions about a
work project for fear of
embarrassing his/herself in
front of co-workers.
 In a test study done by William
Morris in 1976, he found that
when groups are faced with a
fearful situation they interact
the most (Forsyth,2010).

14. Downward Social Comparison
 Downward social comparison
is comparing yourself to
someone who is performing less
than you (Forsyth, 2010,p.99).
 An example: Employee A
finished his project a day late.
When talking to a fellow co-
worker Employee B compared
himself to Employee A, “ Well at
least I turned it in, A still hasn’t
written up his report”.

15. Upward Social Comparison
 Upward social comparison is
comparing yourself to someone who
is better off than you are (Forsyth,
2010, p.99).
 Upward social comparison can have
both negative and positive effects.
 An example: Employee A was just
named CEO of ABC Bank. Employee
B saw Employee A go from a teller to
a CEO and feels inspired to take the
same path and achieve the same
success.
 The negative can be Employee B
working just as hard as Employee A
and not getting the CEO position.
This can leave employee B having
both envy and jealously towards
employee A.

16. Social Comparison Orientation
 According to Forsyth (2010), “Social comparison orientation is the dispositional tendency to
compare oneself to others” (p.101).
 Employee B saw Employee A doing a good job and it makes him angry that he is better than
you but happy you still have a good co-worker who gets tasks done. In another sense Employee
A may feel great that he has this new title as CEO but pity for Employee B and all the others
who were inline for the job as well.
 Individuals will understand social comparisons at work in a positive way when their work
atmosphere is one that is cooperative. When high social orientation is displayed at work,
individuals will view social comparisons as competitive (Buunk, Zurriaga, Péiró, Nauta,, &
Gosalvez, 2005, p. 76).

18. Stress & Affiliation
 McGuire’s (2007) study found the
following:
When going through stress or
going through a rough patch
social support can range from
sharing with co-workers to
counseling co-workers (p. 139).
 Individuals experiencing work stress
like layoffs, deadlines, bad bosses and
coworkers, cwill ope by joining fellow
stressed out co-workers(McGuire,
2007).
 Besides sharing with co-workers we
listen to co-workers regarding not just
work issues but relationships issues,
illness, death, issues with children.

19. Workplace Social
Support
According to
Harris, Winskowski
& Engdahl
(2007), “The four
types of workplace
social support are as
follows: Task
support, career
mentoring, coaching
and collegial social
support (p.150).

20. Four Types of
Workplace
Social Support
Task support
giving-and-taking approach of
work assignments and ideas.
“You help me I’ll help you”

21. Four Types of
Workplace
Social Support
Career Mentoring
work relationships you have
with a more experienced,
seasoned co-worker(s).

22. Four Types of
Workplace
Social Support
Coaching
the teaching of goals and
rules of the organization
you are a part of.

23. Four Types of
Workplace
Social Support
Collegial social support
the friendships you share at
work. These are your confidants
who you go to for most
anything.

24. Workplace Social Support
Continued
 Harris et al. (2007) found “task support and career mentoring as
both being the most positive predictors for job tenure” (p.154).
 Today many individuals are spending more time at work than at
home. Individuals are relying more on the social support from
work (McGuire, 2007).
 Companies offer trainings in dealing with personal issues outside
of work, which tends to make the company have an at home
feeling.

25. Companionship & Loneliness In The
Workplace
 At some point in our lives we feel a companionship towards someone
whether it be a family member, friend or spouse. Some people reach
times in their lives when they feel lonely.
 Mr. A has been was hired by a large company three months ago. Mr. A
had many friends at his old job at WAWA but not feels social loneliness
in his new large company.
 Mr. B notices Mr. A sitting alone in the cafeteria and offers an invite to
his table of friends. Mr. A has spent the last two weeks eating lunch
with the group and his social loneliness at work has subsided.

26. References
 Buunk, B. P., Zurriaga, R., Péiró, J. M., Nauta, A., & Gosalvez, I. (2005). Social Comparisons at
Work as Related to a Cooperative Social Climate and to Individual Differences in
Social Comparison Orientation. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 54(1),
61-80. doi:10.1111/j.1464-0597.2005.00196.x
 Forsyth, Donelson (2010). Formation. In J.D. Hague (Ed.) Group Dynamics (pp. 87
114).Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning
 Harris, J., Winskowski, A., & Engdahl, B. E. (2007). Types of Workplace Social Support in the
Prediction of Job Satisfaction. Career Development Quarterly, 56(2), 150-156.DOI:
10.1002/j.21610045.2007.tb00027.x
 McGuire, Gale (2007) Intimate Work: A Typology of the Social Support That Workers Provide
to Their Network Members. Work and Occupations ,34 (2), 125-147,
doi:10.1177/0730888406297313