Positive Peer Pressure

Katzenbach, J. & Khan, Z. (2010). Positive peer pressure: A powerful ally to change. Retrieved April 7, 2010 from: http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2010/04/positive_peer_pressure_a_power.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+harvardbusiness+%28HBR.org%29

This article, published on the Harvard Business Review’s Web site, discusses the positive and negative impacts that peers can have on each other and the ways managers can use this dynamic to benefit their firm. They state that peer to peer interaction may be the single most neglected lever of change and that when properly used; it can be change’s most powerful ally. “Peers in large organizations are invaluable in spreading behavior change across an enterprise”. Peer groups can become a powerful force in an organization that can create positive energy, shape opinions, or create resistance to corporate initiatives. Left unattended, peer interactions may or may not be in support the company’s goals. The authors use Southwest Airlines, Apple, FedEx, and the Marine Corps as examples of organizations that have been successful in using peer groups to create positive energy within the organizations. The article gives a list of questions managers should ask themselves so they can find ways to get positive peer pressure started in their firm. This is an interesting article and subject that managers should be aware of. Even though the authors state the importance of using peer to peer interaction in large companies, it seems that the same effects can be realized in smaller companies as well.