Small-group communication is the interaction of a small group of people working together to achieve a common goal. Small-group communication is relevant to our lives because:
Humans need groups to meet needs they cannot meet for themselves.
Groups are everywhere.
Group communication is a highly valued skill.
Working effectively in groups requires training.
Small groups can be classified as task related, relationship related, assigned, or emergent. Many groups can blur boundaries among these types of groups.
Leadership is the process of using communication to influence the behaviors and attitudes of people to meet group goals. Various theories discuss how leadership affects small-group communication. The most effective leaders are able to adapt their leadership skills to the needs of the group. Additionally, all members of the group can potentially share leadership responsibilities.
Group culture is created from several factors including within-group diversity, group norms, individuals’ role structures, and group cohesiveness. Although group cohesiveness is generally viewed as a positive element of group culture, highly cohesive groups must take care to prevent groupthink from occurring.
Group decision making involves four steps:
Wording the discussion question.
Discussing criteria for evaluating potential solutions.
Brainstorming alternatives.
Evaluating alternatives.
Small-group communication can utilize technology to help facilitate communication and decision making.
Computer networking, either traditional or peer-to-peer, allows members of a group to communicate electronically and share information.
Group decision support systems use special software to facilitate brainstorming and decision making. Group members are able to anonymously present ideas to other members and are also able to anonymously rate and vote for specific alternatives.
To effectively communicate in small groups, you must use clear language and make concise comments that are related to the comments of other group members. You should try to keep your comments limited to one issue at a time.
Ethical behaviors in group contexts include allowing others to speak without fear, being honest and truthful, carefully evaluating alternatives, acting with integrity, and managing conflict ethically.
