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Date Submitted: 09/19/2010 01:21 PM
|7. Group Communication |
In this chapter we will discuss:
• Factors in Group Communication
• Group Decision Making
• Effective Meetings
Groups form to accomplish some objective. The objective may be to complete some kind of task or it may be to strengthen interpersonal relationships between the group members. Many groups fulfill both these functions. While social groups like families and social clubs are predominantly social in their orientation, work groups function to complete a particular task or solve a particular problem. Communication among the members of a group leads to group decisions. If these decisions are to be effective, a group’s members must be able to communicate freely and openly with all the other members of the group. Groups generally develop certain norms about discussion and group members develop roles that affect the group’s interaction. Figure 7.1 describes some of the roles people take on when they interact with others in a group.
|Factors in group communication |
There are several factors that affect group dynamics and thereby shape the outcome of group discussions. Let us consider a few of these.
Size
The smaller the group, the better its members can communicate with each other. When the group is a large one members have fewer opportunities to interact with each other. Researchers haven’t yet hit upon an optimal number of members for the effective functioning of groups, but it is generally believed that groups of five to seven members are ideal for decision making and problem-solving tasks.
Longevity
Groups formed for short-term goals, such as to arrange a dinner, usually focus more on the task at hand, rather than on maintaining interpersonal relationships. Groups formed for long-term assignments may devote a lot more time to maintaining relationships among members....