1. Small Group Communication
Chapter 10
Small Group Communication . .

2. Overview of Themes The importance of small group communication
What is small group communication?
Small group communication and the individual
The individual, small group communication, and society
Ethics and small group communication
Improving your small group communication skills .

3. The Importance of Small Group Communication.

4. Why Study Group Communication
The inevitability of groups
Grouphate
Primary groups
Secondary groups
Enhanced college performance
Enhanced career success
Enhanced personal life .

5. Advantages and Disadvantages of Group Work
Higher quality decisions
Stimulates creativity
Social facilitation
Promotes critical thinking
Takes more time
Can facilitate dominators
Teamwork has its limits .

6. What Is Small Group Communication?
Communication among a small number of people who share a common purpose or goal, who feel connected to each other, and who coordinate their behavior .

7. Small Group Communication and the Individual.

8. Task Roles Initiator-Contributor Information Seeker Information Giver
Opinion Giver
Elaborator
Coordinator
Orienter
Evaluator-Critic
Energizer
Procedural- technician
Recorder .

9. Relational Roles Encourager Harmonizer Compromiser Gatekeeper
Expediter
Standard Setter
Group Observer
Follower .

10. Individual Roles Aggressor Blocker Recognition Seeker Self-Confessor
Joker
Dominator
Help Seeker
Special-Interest Pleader .

11. Leadership in Small Groups
Leadership = an influence relationship that seeks change
Strategic communication = directs the group to commit and act upon the vision, values, and desired outcomes of the leader .

12. Theories of leadership
Trait theory
Functional theories
Style
Transformational leadership theory
Servant leadership theory .

13. Effective Small Group Communication
Balances task and relational communication through
Equal participation
A consensus decision-making style
Cooperative conflict management
Respectful communication styles .

14. Problem-Solving Agenda
Define/delineate the problem
Analyze the problem
Identify alternative solutions
Evaluate proposed solutions
Choose the best solution .

15. Decision-Making Phases
Orientation and primary tension
Conflict and secondary tension
Emergence
Reinforcement .

16. Groupthink
A negative, and potentially disastrous, group process characterized by “excessive concurrence thinking” .

17. Technology and Group Communication
How Technology Enhances Positive Communication
Types of Group-Oriented Technology
Teleconferencing
Group Support Software
Combinations .

18. .

19. Power and Group Communication
Power Structures
Members of dominant social groups may dominate small groups in which they function
Use of legitimate and coercive power
Cultural Diversity
Innovation
Performance
Group Processes
Group Enjoyment .

20. Ethics and Small Group Communication
Consider three types of ethical guidelines
(1) those aimed at strengthening group relationships,
(2) those dealing with specific communication practice,
(3) those related to group decisions .

21. Improving Your Small Group Communication Skills
Remember that individual actions have a larger impact
Truth and honesty are critical
Know when to hold back
Authentic communication
Listen
Cultivate an interdependent attitude
Strive for cohesion
Work to build trust .