CommChp 10-11 Flashcards
Anatomy of Small Groups
- Composed of 3-12 persons working toward a common goal (2-pair and 14+ is public context)
- No absolute number
- Groups are small as long as each individual in the group can recognize and interact with every other group member
Synergy
- Synergy is the result of the superior production and outcome that takes place when groups work together effectively as opposed to one person making efforts to reach a task
- occurs when work of group members is a GREATER TOTAL effect than the sum of individual members efforts produced
- Whole is not equal to parts but is greater than sum of parts
Deep Diversity
- Substantial variation among members in task relevant skills, knowledge, abilities, beliefs, persepctives
- Basis for Synergy
- The deeper the diversity, the more potential for difficult group members to provoke conflict, However a LACK of diversity leads to group think
Groupthink
results in a poor outcome when the focus is more on achieving consensus than on making wise decisions
Small Group Organization
the smaller the group the less formal and less complex the process
Task Dimension
Productivity Goal
Social Dimensions or Maintence Roles
Cohesiveness’s goal
Norms
Rules of appropriate behavior for group members
-rules that indicate what the group members are Obligated to do, preference, and prohibited
Explicit Norms
specifically stated acceptable and unacceptable behavior
- No smoking signs
- Teacher: “be to class on time”
Implicit Norms
Unspoken or unwritten expectations for group behavior
- patterns of behavior exhibited by grp members that identify acceptable and unacceptable conduct
- no ever eats in meeting, everyone sits in same spot
Conformity
means to follow the explicit and implicit norms
- Inclination to think and behave in ways consistent with the group
- Conform for two reasons: 1) To be Right and 2) To be Liked
- high when cohesiveness is high, when members expect to be in group a long time and when members percieve that they have lower status
- Greater in Collectivist cultures
Formal Roles
associated with formalized, assigned position
-teacher
Informal Roles
associated with the actual function within a group, not appointed nor formalized
Glass Ceiling
an invisible barrier of subtle discrimination that excludes women and ethnic minorities from top leadership positions in corporate American
- -> group bias
- Women Exhibit leadership effectivenesss at least equivalent to that of men (or more)
Women and Minorities can improve chances at group leadership by…
1) Increase the proportion of women and ethnic minorities in groups
2) Encourage mingling and interaction amoung the members before choosing a leader
3) Emphasize task relevant communication during discussion
20% Rule
Discrimination decreases when at least 20% of group membership is composed of women and minorities
Social loafers
“hide” within the group to avoid work
Turning groups into teams
1) Establish team goals
2) Commit to team goals
3) Develop a team identity
4) Designate clear team roles that offer each group member a unique way to serve and function within group
Grouphate
refers to significant dissatisfaction and dread people feel when they work in groups
Group
Composed of 3+ individuals, interacting for the achievement of a common purpose who influence and are influenced by one another
–> Five members have nice compromise when speed and quality are equally important
Negative Synergy
Product of Joint Action of group members that produces a result WORSE than expected based on perceived individual abilities and skills
-Worse than sum total of pieces
Problems with increased Group Size
- Number of nonparticipants in group increases (6+ members)
- Groups=> Factionalized: members of like mind splinter off into smaller, competing subgroups
- More time need to make decisions
- Scheduling a meeting hard
hierarchical
members of organization will be rank ordered
-Pyramid
Upward Communication
Message flow from subordinates TO super-ordinates in an organization
-Difficult and risky
