Norms are the acceptable standards of behavior within a group that are shared by the group’s members. As a member of a group, you desire acceptance by the group. Thus, you are susceptible to conforming to group norms. Considerable evidence suggests that groups can place strong pressures on individual members to change their attitudes and behaviors to match the group’s standard.

People conform to their reference groups, in which a person is aware of other members, defines themselves as a member, and feels group members are significant to them. One goal of every organization with corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives is for the organization’s values to hold normative sway over employees. Deviant workplace behavior is voluntary behavior that violates significant organizational norms and, in so doing, threatens the well-being of the organization or its members.

People in collectivist cultures have different norms than people in individualist cultures. But our orientation may be changed, even after years of living in one society.