According to R.H. Turner, a role is a “cluster of behaviors and attitudes that are thought to belong together” and role players are “guided by a set of expectations… so that an individual is viewed as acting consistently when performing the various components of a single role and inconsistently when failing to do so.” – ‘Handbook Of Sociological Theory’ – Chapter 12, ‘Role Theory’. Roles are an essential component of group structure, as are norms and networks of relationships, and the number of roles in a group, the type of roles, and the distribution of members in those roles can point to a group’s functioning and health, as well as trust, reciprocity, and social capital levels amongst members.

Today we will consider three key benefits of appropriate role allocation with which one should be familiar – the resolution of pervasive social dilemmas, the establishment of foundational exchange relationships, and the satisfaction of various psychological needs.

Resolution Of Social Dilemmas

According to Britannica, a role provides “a means of identifying and placing an individual in a society”. Roles not only define one’s responsibilities within a community, but also facilitate the coordination of group efforts and resources for the mitigation of the various “tragedies of the commons”, such as the “Prisoner’s Dilemma” and the “Stag Hunt”, by “creating a set of shared expectations that script the behavior of the individuals who occupy them,” as said by Donelson Forsyth in ‘Group Dynamics’.

And, on the resolution of social dilemmas through the creation of social capital, according to Manabu Fujimoto: “… roles within teams promote team cohesion and responsibility, foster positive interdependence and individual accountability, and stimulate members’ awareness of the overall group performance and of each member’s contribution.” – ‘Team Roles And Hierarchic System In Group Discussion’.

Establishment of Foundational Exchange Relationships

The collaborative group creates a fluid marketplace for the exchange of many types of value, from intangible commodities, such as knowledge and human attention, to tangible commodities, such as goods and services. According to Donelson Forsyth: “By enacting roles, individuals establish an exchange relationship with their fellow members, building the interdependence that is essential for the coordination of behavior, group cohesion, and productivity.” – ‘Group Dynamics’. Stryker & Burke continue the thought when stating that the status, respect, and esteem acquired through role achievement are “symbolic, representing potential resources available for successful task accomplishment.” – ‘The Past, Present, And Future Of Identity Theory’

Satisfaction Of Psychological Needs

According to Donelson Forsyth, “Roles exist in groups to fulfill, at least in part, personal and interpersonal needs.” – ‘Group Dynamics’. Stated by R.H. Turner, “social roles provide the principal organizing framework for self-conception.” – ‘Handbook Of Sociological Theory’. And, finally, as said by Stryker & Burke, “role choices are a function of identities conceptualized.” – ‘The Past, Present, And Future Of Identity Theory’.

While Turner distinguishes between the prestige that is “derived from mere incumbency in a highly respected role” and the esteem that is “based on the adequacy with which the role is performed”, Maslow, in his Hierarchy Of Needs refers to prestige rather as one of several of needs in the “Esteem Needs” group of the Psychological Needs category, as shown in image below. Considered as a “power motive” and “need for power”, one’s need for esteem, according to Maslow, is an inherent and natural state of being: “All people in our society have a need or desire for a stable, firmly based, (usually) high evaluation of themselves, for self-respect, or self-esteem, and for the esteem of others. By firmly based self-esteem, we mean that which is soundly based upon real capacity, achievement and respect from others.”

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