Communication in Small Groups Chapter 7
Group Conflict Exercise
Conflict Exercise Step 1: Personal inventory (answer, score) Step 2: One-on-one discussion of results Step 3: Class discussion of results
Eight different conflict approaches Indifferent to Understanding the Conflict Accurately Desire to Understand the Conflict Accurately Low Self- Interest Self- Interested Low Self- Interest Self- Interested Low Concern for Others Avoidance or Efficient Compromise Crude Manipulation Carefully Balanced Compromise Strategic Exploitation High Concern for Others Quick Capitulation Strategic Competition Reasonable Accom- modation Deliberation * An adapted blend of De Dreu & Carnevale (2003) with Thomas & Kilman (1986).
Cultural Differences and the Resolution of Relational Tension
Representative Survey Items Communitarian Individualist Egalitarian Hierarchical Collectivist 60% agree: Our society would be better off if the distribution of wealth was more equal. 35% agree: The women’s rights movement has gone too far. 79% agree: The gov’t should stop telling people how to live their lives. 52% agree: It’s society’s responsibility to make sure everyone’s basic needs are met.
Distribution of Cultural Orientations in the United States Communitarian Individualist Egalitarian Hierarchical Communitarian
Some of the relational tensions in small groups beyond power/status Collectivist ImpulseIndividualist Impulse commitment to the group’s members and purposes commitment to outside activities, groups, and people interdependenceautonomy mutuality/communityindependent identity emotional intimacy/affection privacy/distance judgmenttolerance/respect support/encouragementconstructive criticism exclusive boundariesinclusion of newcomers structural stabilityflexibility/novelty
Relational communication and conflict Group cohesion Nature of the task and/or task-related conflict Distribution of felt and wanted relational needs and conflict orientations Individualist/ collectivist norms Culturally salient relational tensions Embedded System Framework
Journal 6 Analysis How strong are the personal ties among the members of your journal group? What are the key relational dialectics in your group? How are they managed?
Group life-histories Family (as child) Play group Grade school class Self- managed work team Military unit Veterans society Family (as birth parent) Religious study group Criminal gang Social clique Activist group Prison gang New family (as foster parent) Sports team Heist team Family therapy Corporate board of directors Golfing club Campaign committee Neighborhood association Non-profit task force College fraternity/ sorority Nursing home Addiction support group Study circle