John F Dowling

According to Susan Krause Whitbourne, Ph.D. “It is a well – known principle in social psychology that people define themselves in terms of social groupings and are quick to denigrate others who don’t fit into those groups. Others who share our particular qualities are in our ‘in-group’ and those who do not are in out-group.”  Unfortunately, this principle can manifest itself in how we treat our subordinates at work.   This concept was first brought to my attention during a Leadership Program at Rice University by D. Brent Smith, Ph. D.   Dr. Smith shared that we all do it some degree.  Sometimes the groupings are based on work performance, but most follow the definition of the principle, we keep close those who are like us and keep away those who are not.