small group communication

small group communication refers to interactions among three or more people who connected through a common purpose, mutual, influence, and shared identity.

small groups usually focus on some sort of task completion or goal accomplishment, different groups have different purpose.

types of small groups

task-oriented groups

they are formed to solve a problem, promote a cause or generate ideas and information

ex: committee, study group

relational- oriented groups

they are formed to promote interpersonal connections and are more focused on quality interactions that contribute to the well being of group member.

advantage and disadvantages of small groups

advantages

small groups include shared decision making, shared resources, synergy, and exposure to diversity

Groups also help in making decisions involving judgment calls that have ethical implications or the potential to negatively affect people

Group members also help expand our social networks, which provide access to more resources.

vocabulary

synergy

it refers to the potential for gains in performance or heightened quality of interactions when complementary members or member characteristics are added to existing ones.

group cohesion and climate

problem solving and decision making in groups

the cohesion within a group helps establish and overall group climate

group climate refers to the relatively enduring tone and quality of group interaction that is experienced similarly by group members.

task cohesion refers to the commitment of group members to the purpose and activities of the group.

Social cohesion refers to the attraction and liking among group members.

group problem solving

the process involves thoughts, discussions, actions, and decisions that occur from the first consideration of a problematic situation to the goal.

some common problems include budgeting funds, raising funds, planning events, addressing customer or citizen complaints, creating or adapting products or services to fit needs, supporting members, and raising awareness about issues or causes.

steps to group problem-solving

  1. define the problem: group members share what they know about the current situation, without proposing solutions or evaluating the information
  1. analyze the problem:At this stage, group members can discuss the potential causes of the difficulty.
  1. generate possible solutions: group members generate possible solutions to the problem. Solutions should not be evaluated at this point, only proposed and clarified
  1. evaluate solutions: solutions can be critically evaluated based on their credibility, completeness, and worth.
  1. Implement and assess the solution: Implementing the solution requires some advanced planning, and it should not be rushed unless the group is operating under strict time restraints or delay may lead to some kind of harm.

decision making in groups

When we make decisions in groups, we face some challenges that we do not face in our personal decision making, but we also stand to benefit from some advantages of group decision making

brainstorming before decision making

  1. evaluation of ideas is forbidden
  1. Wild and crazy ideas are encouraged
  1. quantity of ideas, not quality, is the goal
  1. new combinations of ideas presented are encourage