an introduction to group communication

An Introduction to Group Communication v 0.0 This is the book An Introduction to Group Communication (v 0.0) This book is licensed under a Creative Commons by-nc-sa 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/ 3.0/) license See the license for more details, but that basically means you can share this book as long as you credit the author (but see below), don't make money from it, and make it available to everyone else under the same terms This book was accessible as of December 29, 2012, and it was downloaded then by Andy Schmitz (http://lardbucket.org) in an effort to preserve the availability of this book Normally, the author and publisher would be credited here However, the publisher has asked for the customary Creative Commons attribution to the original publisher, authors, title, and book URI to be removed Additionally, per the publisher's request, their name has been removed in some passages More information is available on this project's attribution page (http://2012books.lardbucket.org/attribution.html?utm_source=header) For more information on the source of this book, or why it is available for free, please see the project's home page (http://2012books.lardbucket.org/) You can browse or download additional books there ii Table of Contents About the Authors Preface Chapter 1: Introducing Group Communication Why Study Group Communication? What Is Communication? 12 Communication in Context 22 Advantages and Disadvantages of Working in Groups 27 Group Communication and Social Media 34 Chapter 2: Group Communication Theory 42 What Is a Group? 44 Group Life Cycles and Member Roles 50 Why Communicate in Groups? 60 What Is a Theory? 66 Group Communication Theory 71 Chapter 3: Group Development 77 Group Life Cycles 79 The Life Cycle of Member Roles 89 Why People Join Groups 93 Social Penetration Theory 96 Group Norms 104 Summary 109 Chapter 4: Group Membership 111 Introducing Member Roles 113 Norms among Group Members 119 Status 126 Trust 131 Membership in Digital Groups 137 Summary 143 iii Chapter 5: Intercultural and International Group Communication 146 Intercultural Communication 150 How to Understand Intercultural Communication 154 Common Cultural Characteristics 159 Divergent Cultural Characteristics 165 International Communication and the Global Marketplace 173 Styles of Management 180 The International Assignment 183 Summary 190 Chapter 6: Improving Verbal and Nonverbal Group Interactions 192 Principles of Verbal Communication 197 Language Can Be an Obstacle to Communication 204 Improving Verbal Communication 210 Principles of Nonverbal Communication 216 Types of Nonverbal Communication 225 Summary 235 Chapter 7: Listening in Groups 238 Listening to Understand 243 Types of Listening 246 Group Members and Listening 253 Strategies to Improve Listening in Groups 258 Summary 264 Chapter 8: Group Leadership 267 What is Leadership? 269 Leadership Theories 273 Becoming a Leader 282 Teamwork and Leadership 290 Diverse Forms of Leadership 295 Summary 302 Chapter 9: Group Motivation 306 Group Motivation and Collaboration 309 Role of Motivation 313 Effective Motivation Strategies 319 Effective Collaboration Strategies 324 Feedback and Assessment 329 Summary 334 iv Chapter 10: Managing Conflict 338 What Is Conflict? 340 Leadership and Conflict 347 Conflict Is Normal 354 Conflict Styles 359 Conflict in the Work Environment 368 Effective Conflict Management Strategies 376 Crisis Communication Plan 384 Summary 388 Chapter 11: Groups and Problem-Solving 391 Group Problem-Solving 392 Group Decision-Making 400 Effective Strategies for Group Creativity 412 Facilitating the Task-Oriented Group 421 Summary 428 Chapter 12: Groups and Meetings 431 Planning a Meeting 435 Facilitating a Meeting 444 A Brief Introduction to Robert’s Rules of Order 453 Post Meeting Communication and Minutes 461 Summary 467 Appendix A: Assessment of a Student’s Campus/Community Participation 470 Appendix B: Critique of Formal Campus or Community Gathering 472 v About the Authors PLEASE NOTE: This book is currently in draft form; material is not final Phil Venditti has taught communication since 2003 at Clover Park Technical College in Lakewood, Washington He serves as president of the Washington Faculty Association of Community and Technical Colleges and is a two-time grantee and course developer within the Open Course Library sponsored by the Washington State Legislature and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation A lover of the arts, he hosts a classical music program each week on Northwest Public Radio which is broadcast to an audience in Greater Seattle and throughout a three-state area Prior to becoming a faculty member, he performed administrative roles in two- and fouryear colleges around the United States and founded an international education institute He earned a doctorate from the Community College Leadership Program at the University of Texas at Austin and has other degrees from the School for International Training, the University of Colorado, and the University of Tennessee He and his Korean-born wife, whom he met as a Peace Corps volunteer in her country in 1977, live in University Place, Washington, and have two wonderful grown daughters Scott McLean is an Associate Professor of Communication at Arizona Western College on a combined campus with the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University–Yuma, since 1999 He was the 2007–2011 Shadle Edgecombe Endowed Faculty Chair Scott is the author of The Basics of Speech Communication, The Basics of Interpersonal Communication, and The Basics of Communication Studies, currently published by Pearson Education He is also the author of Business Communication for Success, Business English for Success, and Writing for Success by Unnamed Publisher Beyond his classroom experience, Scott regularly serves as a communication advisor to business and industry He has served as an evaluator for the United States National Institutes of Health’s Small Business and Innovative Research (SBIR) program since 1995 He served as an evaluator of educational programs for the Ministerio de Hacienda de Chile in 1998 Scott studied at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and at Washington State University’s Edward R Murrow School of Communication He and his family divide their time between the United States and Puerto Montt, Chile Preface PLEASE NOTE: This book is currently in draft form; material is not final Summary Exploring Group Communication offers a practical introduction to the theory and practice of group communication, with an emphasis on real world applications to develop an awareness, understanding, and skills to effectively participate as a productive group member Through a clear and concise approach to group decision-making and dynamics in teams and leadership, students are presented with the tools needed to create plans, find solutions to problems, produce goods or deliver services, and evaluate their performance through self and peer assessments Thank you for reading Exploring Group Communication! We’ve both taught the group communication course for several years and never found a text that was just right until now: we can each use different versions of this text in our courses! With a solid introduction to group communication combined with Unnamed Publisher’s mix and match flexibility, this text can be what you want it to be Groups and teams are an important part of our daily lives They are important to our personal and professional success Learning ways to be a productive group member, within our families, church, work, or community, make a significant difference From schools to hospitals, colleges and universities, businesses and government, everyone has come to recognize the importance of effective, collaborative groups and teams This text is all about providing you with a solid foundation for success! Exploring Group Communication starts each chapter with introductory exercises that involve experiential and self-reflection activities to spark curiosity Chapter Preface previews introduce each section followed by discussions and additional activities that provide opportunities for skill mastery, increased awareness, and a better understanding of group communication Key words are clearly indicated, and the organizational structure of each section is designed to make them easy and fun to read Sections conclude with takeaway main points, exercises, and references Based on extensive feedback from previous texts in the discipline of Communication, this text is written in a clear, concise and engaging way Key terms are defined in the same paragraph Figures, diagrams, and images reinforce the written word Learning units are presented in ways that are easy to grasp the first time you read them The book’s unique points include a chapter on group conflict and meetings and several innovative, optional assignments which instructors may use to have their students participate in real-world group activities An On-/Off-Campus Student Involvement Project, for instance, permits whole classes to participate in and assess campus committee and advisory group meetings This text and its resources are designed to extend learning beyond the traditional walls of the classroom This text provides a solid foundation in group communication and incorporates the many resources available online, including self-assessments, to expand the discussion and explore each topic With our “available from Day 1” online access, this text is an immediate resource for both instructors and students, and is perfect for hybrid and online classes We welcome you to this introduction to group communication text and would like to extend an offer: partner with us! This text is a labor of love and is available free online to everyone If you perceive an extra section or chapter would make this text useful to you and your students, please consider contributing it! The Make-It-YourOwn (MIYO) tool allows this text to be adapted quickly and efficiently, but requires us to take the first step With this text we have taken several steps toward developing a comprehensive collection of learning units and sections organized into a positive, productive textbook on group communication Your additions, from exercises to areas of emphasis, make this project more useful and rewarding for us all Thank you for reading Exploring Group Communication and we hope you will make it your own Phil and Scott Chapter Introducing Group Communication PLEASE NOTE: This book is currently in draft form; material is not final INTRODUCTORY EXERCISES Think of five words that express what you want to and where you want to be five years from now Share your five words with your classmates and listen to their responses What patterns you observe in the responses? Write a paragraph that addresses at least one observation With the results of our introductory exercises #1 in mind, please list what you can and where you could be in five years without support, interaction, or collaboration with anyone other than yourself Share and compare your results with classmates Create a list of at least 10 groups to which you belong Family, church, friends or clubs, online groups, and even this class count! Share and compare your results with classmates “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead Getting Started PLEASE NOTE: This book is currently in draft form; material is not final Chapter Introducing Group Communication Communication is an activity, skill, and art that incorporates lessons learned across a wide spectrum of human knowledge Perhaps the most time-honored form of communication is storytelling We’ve told each other stories for ages to help make sense of our world, anticipate the future, and certainly to entertain ourselves We gather around in groups and hear or see stories that say something about our world, our community, who we are How did we learn the stories we tell each other? From each other Groups and teams come together to create amazing movies Artists gather together to produce songs that inspire us People, effectively working together, can the impossible Telling a story to your friends or peers draws on your understanding of yourself, your message, and how you communicate it to a group that is simultaneously communicating back to you They respond to your story, perhaps tell a few of their own, and you feel like you are in a group You are an individual, and a member of the group, at the same time You are a member of many groups Knowing how to communicate effectively as a member of a team or in a group is key to your success You were not born knowing how to write, or even how to talk—but in the process of growing up you have probably learned something about how to tell, and how not tell, a story When people stand around and want to know what comes next you know you have their attention They are as much a part of the story as you are When everyone is involved and listening or participating, it is a fun experience You didn’t learn to text in a day, and didn’t learn all the codes, from LOL (Laugh Out Loud) to BRB (Be Right Back), right away In the same way, learning to communicate well requires you to read and study how others have expressed themselves, then to adapt what you have learned to your present task, whether it is texting a brief message to a friend, presenting your qualifications in a job interview, or making a sales presentation You come to this text with skills and an understanding that will provide a valuable foundation as we explore group communication Effective communication, in all its many forms, takes preparation, practice, and persistence There are many ways to learn communication skills; the school of experience, or “hard knocks,” is one of them But in the real world, a “knock” (or lesson learned) may come at the expense of your credibility through a blown presentation to a client The classroom environment, with a compilation of information and resources such as a text, can offer you a trial run where you get to try out new ideas and skills before you have to use them to communicate effectively to make a sale, motivate your team members, or form a new partnership Listening to yourself, or perhaps the comments of others, may help you reflect on new ways to present, or perceive, thoughts, ideas and concepts The net result is your growth; ultimately your ability to communicate in teams and groups will improve, opening more doors than you might anticipate ... factors and many more influence the process of communication The second key word is understanding4 To understand is to perceive, to interpret, and to relate our perception and interpretation to. .. text is an immediate resource for both instructors and students, and is perfect for hybrid and online classes We welcome you to this introduction to group communication text and would like to extend... Exploring Group Communication offers a practical introduction to the theory and practice of group communication, with an emphasis on real world applications to develop an awareness, understanding, and