ABSTRACT
Although they are seldom diagnosed accurately by insiders, most organizations suffer from problems of intergroup relations. It is a relatively common problem, for instance, that people from marketing and engineering departments may dislike or distrust one another, or they may misperceive what motivates, challenges, and interests members of the other department. Stereotypes abound concerning lawyers, accountants, professional women, CEOs, investment bankers, union members, and so on. In many different organizational contexts, people should be working together, but they are not; instead, “us versus them” mentalities persist, thwarting harmony and productivity at work (e.g., Pfeffer & Sutton, 2000). If group differences are not handled by management with tact and sensitivity, as well as with an informed awareness of the complexity of group dynamics and intergroup relations, then distrust and competition among groups may grow and fester, spreading intractable conflict and organizational discord (e.g., Blake & Mouton, 1984; R. M. Kramer, 1991).
