Final answer:
In a business meeting, senior leaders are most likely to feel comfortable cracking jokes due to their position and authority. Expressive leadership is associated with roles that require maintaining group cohesion, such as a director at a summer camp. Understanding unspoken norms and maintaining a professional image are important for fitting into a new workplace.
Step-by-step explanation:
In a group business meeting, the person(s) most likely to feel comfortable about cracking jokes would typically be the senior leader or leaders. This is due to hierarchical social dynamics often found in professional environments where those in higher positions have greater leeway in their behavior. An inexperienced newcomer, due to a lack of understanding of the professional norms, might also attempt humor but could face negative repercussions if they misjudge the situation. It is less likely for an underling to crack jokes due to the potential risk of offending superiors or appearing unprofessional. Moreover, suggesting that men rather than women would be more likely to joke relies on gender stereotypes and is not a professional way of looking at behavior in the workplace.
When considering who is more likely to be an expressive leader, we can look at a variety of scenarios. An expressive leader is someone who maintains group cohesion and morale. The director of a summer camp for chronically ill children fits this description well, as they would need to exhibit strong interpersonal skills and nurture a positive environment for sensitive group dynamics.
Informational social influence is more likely when the answer to a problem is not clear (when the answer is unclear), and when the group has expertise (when the group has expertise). Therefore, scenarios where both of these factors are present would increase the likelihood of informational social influence occurring.
Understanding the workplace environment includes being aware of the unspoken norms and cultural differences. Observing and emulating the behavior of co-workers and supervisors is key to smoothly integrating into a new job. Engaging in light socializing and small talk can be part of building professional relationships, but it must be balanced with respecting professional boundaries and maintaining a professional image.