Reputation (Esteem) Regulation in Teams
In the context of their interaction patterns, teams regulate how they enable their members to identify with the team. Whether teams wish to distinguish themselves as a team, whether they want to cultivate special characteristics or would rather enjoy being ‘completely normal’, has considerable impact on the mutual expectation pattern.
In teams, who rely upon uniqueness, everybody must be good. Then the family becomes a clan, the team a dream team, the cluster a star ensemble and the regiment a secret society. The expectations of one another are high, failure or breaking out of the uniqueness is difficult and is sanctioned (with exclusion, contempt, threats etc.).
In teams, which rely on belonging, one does not take things so seriously. Here, one has scope to be different or to act differently once in a while, mistakes don’t play such a dominant role. The belonging is less fragile and less threatening. Therefore, there is less individual stress in the team.