Group Communication

Advantages to working in groups Can come up with more solutions Access to more resources Have more expertise on certain topics Can share responsibility Tend to be more open-minded Provides sense of beloinging & security

Disadvantages to working in groups Requires more time More things can go wrong Can get side-tracked more easily Can be “brainwashed” more easily

Steps in making a Group Decision 1.Identify the problem 2.Establish criteria for a working solution 3.Research various courses of action 4.Evaluate proposed solution 5.Test solution

Types of Decision-making in Groups Authoritative- ONE person decides Compromise- Middle of the road Consensus- All members agree Voting- Majority wins

Interactions in Groups- Types of Networks Network= flow of communication among people in a group

Chain Method All member pass messages from one person to another person… up and down the chain There is really NO communication among all of the group members– just passing information Example: Telephone game

Wheel Method ONE person through whom all messages are sent Examples: Committees Door-to-door campaigns Teacher in front of class

Open Model Completely connected, everyone has the opportunity to communicate with everyone else Examples: Family gatherings Neighborhood parties

Factors that impact type of network the group chooses: 1.Size of group 2.Time limits 3.Difficulty of task 4.Physical closeness of group members