Co-operation and Competition in a Bureaucracy

Abstract

Comparison of two groups of interviewers in a public employment agency reveals that the more competitive group is less productive, whereas the more competitive individuals in the competitive group are relatively more productive. Anxiety over production, and the consequent competitive practices, interfere with efficient performance in the first group. In contrast, conditions in the second group give rise to co-operative norms, which curb competitive tendencies and foster friendly personal relations. Its greater cohesiveness, by reducing anxiety, makes this group more productive than the first one. In the absence of social cohesion, competitive striving for outstanding performance is an alternative way of relieving anxiety over status. This explains the paradox that competitiveness and productivity are inversely related for groups but directly related for individuals in the competitive group.