Theoretical Consequences of the Status Characteristics Formulation

In this paper we derive five major theorems from the latest version of the status characteristics theory developed by Berger, Fisek, and Norman. The first set of three theorems is concerned with the effect of status characteristics on the degree of equality and inequality that obtains among the members of a task group. Included here is a result that establishes a direct relation between status inconsistency and power and prestige equality. The second set is concerned with the relations between different types of status and task structures. The first of these theorems deals with the relations between task assignments and status expectancies, while the second describes relations between status expectancies and status-task associations. While variants of these theorems have been formulated previously as theoretical assumptions, now for the fist time they are shown to be derivable from more basic status organizing principles.

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