ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the literature on social norms in an attempt to understand more about normative processes that occur in organizations. It deals with an overview of the social psychological research on norms. The chapter also reviews the organizational psychology literature on norms and attempt to integrate the two bodies of research. It explains certain applications of different types of normative behavior and analyzes them in terms of the integrated view of norms. The chapter provides a series of suggestions on ways to modify or establish norms within organizations. It describes the research on descriptive norms, which are found to influence individuals when it is the only normative information available. The chapter examines the research on injunctive norms, which tend to be more powerful motivators of behavior as their influence carries across environments. In terms of injunctive norms for honesty, the interviewer should emphasize that the organization is based on honest business practices and a strong work ethic.
