Answers will vary. Accountability means all group members are held responsible for
adhering to the group norms and working toward the group’s goal. This means a group
will penalize a member who violates a group norm. The severity of the penalty
depends on the importance of the norm, the extent of the violation, and the status of
the person who violated it. Violating a norm that is central to a group’s performance or
cohesiveness will generally receive a harsher penalty than violating a less central
norm. In addition, violations by newcomers to the group are generally punished less
severely than violations by veteran group members. Group members who have
achieved higher status in the group also tend to receive more lenient penalties—or
even escape them altogether.
Being accountable can mean changing counterproductive norms. For example, suppose
a few folks spend more time socializing than seriously discussing community services
at the Lions Club meetings. If the group does not effectively control this behavior, then
it could become a counterproductive group norm. As a result, work toward the group’s
goals could be delayed, set aside, or perhaps even forgotten. If counterproductive
behavior continues for several meetings and becomes a norm, it will be very difficult
to change.
A group member can help a group change a counterproductive norm by (1) observing
the norm and its outcome, (2) describing the results of the norm to the group, and (3)
soliciting opinions of other group members. REJ: Please see the section
“Characteristics of Healthy Groups” for more information.