COMM1101 - Small Group Communication

What is group hate?

The distate and aversion that many people feel towards working in groups

Why is small group communication important to study?

Groups are a fact of life (enhance college performance, career success, and personal life)

What are the advantages and disadvantages of group work?

Advantages:

• Groups often make higher quality decisions
• More creativity
• Promotes critical thinking

Disadvantages:

• Time consuming
• Might result in premature decisions
• Silences divergent opinions
• Not satisfying when group members dominate/withdraw

What is small group communication?

Communication among a small number of people who share a common purpose or goal, feel connected to each other, and coordinate their behavior

What are the two dimensions of groups?

1. Task Communication - focus on getting the job done and solving the problem at hand
2. Relational Communication - focus on group maintenance and interpersonal relationships

What are the three primary group roles?

1. Task roles - directly related to accomplishment of group's goals
2. Relational roles - establish the group's social atmosphere
3. Individual roles

What is leadership?

An influence relationship among leaders and followers who intend changes and outcomes that reflect their shared purposes

What are the five theories of leadership?

1. Trait theory - leaders are born
2. Functional theory - leadership behavior can be learned
3. Style theory - leaders' manner/style determines their success (authoritarian, democratic, laissez-faire)
4. Transformational leadership theory - leader empowers group members to work independently from leader and collaborate with each other
5. Servant leadership theory - leader ensures that other people's highest priority needs are met to increase teamwork and personal involvement

What are the four effective group communication practices?

1. Equal participation
2. Consensus decision-making style
3. Cooperative conflict style
4. Respectful communication style

What are the stages of group decision-making?

1. Orientation (primary tension) - Initial uncertainty
2. Conflict (secondary tension)
3. Emergence - Group members express cooperative attitude
4. Reinforcement - Consensus reached

What is groupthink, what are some symptoms of it, and how can we prevent it?

When a group becomes too focused on maintaining unanimity, failing to evaluate all alternatives and options. We can prevent it by:

• Encouraging members to raise objections/concerns

• Assigning a member to play devil's advocate

• Requiring the group to develop multiple scenarios