 |  Communicating in Groups: Applications and Skills, 5/e Katherine L. Adams,
California State University Fresno
Gloria J. Galanes,
Southwest Missouri State University
Groups as Structured Open Systems
Learning ObjectivesAfter reading this chapter you should be able to:
Explain why systems theory is a useful perspective for studying small group communication. |
| | | Define and give examples of a system. |
| | | Define inputs, throughput process, and outputs of a group system. |
| | | Explain why interaction is at the heart of a group's throughput process. |
| | | Describe the role of the group's environment. |
| | | Compare and contrast open and closed systems. |
| | | Describe what interdependence means to the functioning of a small group system. |
| | | Explain the valuable role of feedback in helping a system adapt to changing circumstances. |
| | | Explain why all groups, along with other living systems, experience multiple causes and multiple paths. |
| | | Explain why nonsummativity is a characteristic of groups. |
| | | Describe the stages in the life cycle of a small group system. |
| | | Explain how modern organizations are composed of networks of groups. |
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2003 McGraw-Hill Higher Education