Levels of conformity

by | Feb 2, 2025 | Analysis

What are the three levels of conformity, and what is the primary driver associated with each? Illustrate each of these levels of conformity with an example (ideally from your own organizational / project management experience, but other types of examples are OK if you don’t yet have much organizational experience).

 

 

 

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

You’re right to focus on conformity – it’s a powerful force in how we behave, especially in groups and organizations. Here are the three levels of conformity, along with their primary drivers and some examples:

1. Compliance

  • Primary Driver: Desire for reward or to avoid punishment. This is the most superficial level of conformity.
  • Description: You publicly agree with the group or follow their behavior, but you don’t necessarily change your private beliefs or attitudes. You’re going along with it to fit in or avoid negative consequences.

You’re right to focus on conformity – it’s a powerful force in how we behave, especially in groups and organizations. Here are the three levels of conformity, along with their primary drivers and some examples:

1. Compliance

  • Primary Driver: Desire for reward or to avoid punishment. This is the most superficial level of conformity.
  • Description: You publicly agree with the group or follow their behavior, but you don’t necessarily change your private beliefs or attitudes. You’re going along with it to fit in or avoid negative consequences.
  • Example: In your organization, there’s a highly respected senior leader who is known for their meticulous attention to detail and rigorous data analysis. You start to emulate their approach, both in your work and how you present your ideas, because you want to be seen as similarly competent and successful. When the leader moves to a different department, you might find yourself reverting to some of your old habits.

3. Internalization

  • Primary Driver: Acceptance of the group’s beliefs or behaviors as your own.
  • Description: This is the deepest level of conformity. You genuinely believe in the group’s values and adopt them as your own. You conform both publicly and privately, even when the group is not present. This leads to lasting changes in your attitudes and behaviors.
  • Example: You join a professional organization that strongly advocates for ethical practices and transparency in your field. After attending conferences, engaging in discussions with members, and reflecting on your own experiences, you fully internalize these values. You now consistently act with integrity and advocate for transparency, even when it’s challenging or when no one is watching.

Key Takeaways:

  • These levels of conformity can exist simultaneously. You might comply with some things, identify with certain people, and internalize other values.
  • Understanding these levels can help you analyze your own behavior and the behavior of others in groups.
  • Leaders can leverage these principles to foster positive change within organizations, by promoting identification with desired values and encouraging internalization of ethical principles.

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