Group Hate
the distaste and aversion that many people feel toward working in groups
Advantages of Group Work
- better decisions
- increased creativity
- increased critical thinking
Disadvantages of Group Work
- time consuming
- premature decisions
- silences divergent opinions
- unsatisfying when group members dominate or withdraw
Small Group Communication
Communication among a 3 - 7 people who share a common purpose or goal, who feel connected to each other, and who coordinate their behavior.
3 Primary Group Roles
- Task: accomplishment of group goals
- Relational: establishment of social atmosphere
- Individual: putting individual needs about group needs → dysfunctional
Leadership
an influence relationship among leaders and followers who intend changes and outcomes that reflect shared purposes
Trait Theory of Leadership
Leaders are born, not made
Functional Theory of Leadership
Leadership can be learned and transferred among the different members of a group
Style Theory of Leadership
A leader’s success is determined by their style
1. Authoritarian: takes charge and has a high level of intellect/experience
2. Democratic: invites input from group members
3. Laissez-Faire: allows complete freedom of the group in decision making
Transformational Theory of Leadership
Emphasizes the importance of interpersonal relationships
Servant Theory of Leadership
places the needs of others first and helps subordinates develop their own abilities
4 Effective Small Group Communication Practices
- Equal participation
- consensus decision making
- cooperative conflict style
- respectful communication
4 Stages of Group Decision Making
- Orientation: group members orient themselves to the problem and each other
- Conflict: norms and expectations are created, possible solutions are addressed
- Emergence: members express a cooperative attitude
- Reinforcement: group members reach a consensus
Groupthink
Occurs when a homogenous, highly cohesive group is so concerned with maintaining unanimity that they fail to evaluate all alternative solutions to a problem.
3 Ways to Prevent Groupthink
- encourage members to raise objections and concerns
- assign one or more member to play the role of the devil’s advocate
- require the group to develop multiple solutions
