REPRESENTATIONS AND INFLUENCE PROCESSES IN GROUPS: TOWARDS A SOCIO-COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVE ON COGNITION IN ORGANIZATION

Abstract

The cognitive approach to organizations assumes the existence of collective representations in organizations. This article critically examines this assumption and proposes the adoption of a socio-cognitive perspective on collective cognition in organizations. This theoretical current, which rejects the traditional individual/social dichotomy and relies on the concept of social representation, advocates the study of social cognition, which implies a change in the unit of analysis from the individual/social levels to interactions. A collective representation is viewed as being related to the socio-cognitive dynamics occurring between interacting group members. Communication and influence processes are thus critical to the construction of a collective representation. The socio-cognitive perspective, and the theory of social influence which it involves, can offer new and important insights on everyday thinking and behaving in organizations. However, this perspective calls for new methodological approaches to the study of organizational cognition.