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Communicating in Small Groups: Principles and Practices, Ninth Edition

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Foundations of Group and Team Communication

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Communicating in Small Groups: Principles and Practices, Ninth Edition

by Steven A. Beebe; John T. Masterson

Publisher: Allyn & Bacon

Copyright Year: 2009

Publishing Date: 2007/12/27

eText ISBN-10: 0-205-64687-5

eText ISBN-13: 978-0-205-64687-6

Print ISBN-10: 0-205-54721-4

Print ISBN-13: 978-0-205-54721-0

Course: Small Group Communication

Pages: 400

eTextbook $33.32

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Table of Contents | Description

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ABOUT THIS TITLE - TABLE OF CONTENTS

New to This Edition, v

Acknowledgments, xxix

Part I. Foundations of Group and Team Communication, 1

Chapter One. Introducing Group and Team Principles and Practices, 1

What Is Small Group Communication?, 2

Communication, 3

A Small Group of People, 4

Meeting with a Common Purpose, 5

Feeling a Sense of Belonging, 5

Exerting Influence, 5

What About Teams?, 6

Characteristics of an Effective Team, 8

Characteristics of Effective Team Members, 9

Enhancing Team Effectiveness, 11

What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Working in Groups and Teams?, 12

Disadvantages, 13

When Not to Collaborate, 15

Me versus We, 17

What Are the Different Types of Small Groups?, 18

Primary Groups, 18

Secondary Groups, 18

What Is Virtual Small Group Communication?, 20

Telephone Conferences, 20

Electronic Mail (E-Mail), 21

Video Conferences, 21

Cutting Edge Theory: Media Richness Theory, 22

Electronic Meeting Systems, 23

The Quality of Virtual Communication, 24

How Can You Become a Competent Small Group Communicator?, 25

The Essence of Communication Competence, 25

The Nine Core Small Group Communication Competencies, 26

Collaborating Ethically: What Would You Do?, 29

Putting Principles into Practice, 29

Chapter Two. Small Group Communication Theory, 33

The Nature of Theory and the Theory-Building Process, 34

Theory: A Practical Approach to Group Communication, 35

Explanatory Function, 36

Predictive Function, 36

Collaborating Ethically: What Would You Do?, 36

The Purpose of Communication in Small Groups: Making Sense, 37

Small Groups: More Complexity, 39

Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of Group and Team Communication, 39

Systems Theory, 39

Social Exchange Theory, 41

Symbolic Convergence Theory, 42

Structuration Theory, 44

Functional Theory, 45

Cutting Edge Theory: Structuration and the Exercise of Free Will, 46

Describing Elements of Group and Team Communication, 47

Virtual Communication, 48

Putting Principles into Practice, 49

Chapter Three. Group Formation, 51

Why Do People Join Groups?, 52

Interpersonal Needs, 52

Maslow’s Theory, 52

Schutz’s Theory, 54

Individual Goals, 57

Group and Team Goals, 57

Establishing Mutuality of Concern, 58

Collaborating Ethically: What Would You Do?, 59

Interpersonal Attraction, 59

Complementarity, 60

Proximity, Contact, and Interaction, 60

Cutting Edge Theory: Mutuality of Concern, 61

Physical Attractiveness, 62

Group Attraction, 62

Group Activities, 62

Group Goals, 62

Group Membership, 62

Virtual Communication, 63

Homogeneity and Diversity in Groups, 64

Group Formation over Time, 65

Group Re-Formation, 65

Putting Principles into Practice, 67

Part II. Managing Group and Team Relationships, 69

Chapter Four. Relating to Others in Groups and Teams, 69

Who Are You?, 71

Self-Concept Development: Gender, Sexual Orientation, Culture, and Role, 71

Diversity of Roles in Small Groups, 72

Group Task Roles, 73

Group-Building and Maintenance Roles, 74

Individual Roles, 74

Identifying Group Norms, 76

How Do Norms Develop?, 77

Cutting Edge Theory: Establishing Group Norms, 77

Conforming to Group Norms, 78

Collaborating Ethically: What Would You Do?, 79

Establishing Ground Rules and a Mission Statement, 80

Privileges Accorded to High-Status Group Members, 82

Effects of Status Differences, 82

Observing Status Differences to Predict Group Dynamics, 83

Virtual Communication, 84

Power Bases, 85

Effects of Power on Group Process, 86

Power and Gender, 87

Status and Power: A Cultural Footnote, 87

Developing Trusting Relationships, 88

Self-Disclosure, 89

The Development of Group Relationships over Time, 90

Individualism and Collectivism, 92

High-Context and Low-Context Cultures, 93

High-Contact and Low-Contact Cultures, 94

Gender and Communication, 95

Conversational Style, 96

Putting Principles into Practice, 98

Chapter Five. Improving Group Climate, 101

Defensive and Supportive Climates, 102

Evaluation versus Description, 103

Control versus Problem Orientation, 103

Strategy versus Spontaneity, 103

Neutrality versus Empathy, 104

Superiority versus Equality, 104

Certainty versus Provisionalism, 104

Interpersonal Confirmation and Disconfirmation, 105

Collaborating Ethically: What Would You Do?, 106

Disconfirming Responses, 106

Confirming Responses, 107

Group Cohesiveness, 108

Composition and Cohesiveness: Building a Team, 108

Individual Benefits and Cohesiveness, 109

Task Effectiveness and Cohesiveness, 109

Communication and Cohesiveness, 109

Cutting Edge Theory: Cohesiveness and Productivity at Harley-Davidson, 110

Communication Networks, 111

Group Size, 112

Virtual Communication, 113

Case Study, 114

Group Climate and Productivity, 114

Putting Principles into Practice, 116

Chapter Six. Enhancing Group and Team Communication Skills, 120

Verbal Dynamics in the Small Group, 121

Words as Barriers to Communication, 121

Conversational Style, 123

Listening Styles, 124

Barriers to Effective Listening, 125

A Guide to Active Listening, 127

The Importance of Nonverbal Communication in Groups, 128

More Time Is Spent Communicating Nonverbally Than Verbally, 128

Emotions and Feelings Are Typically Expressed Nonverbally Rather Than Verbally, 129

Nonverbal Messages Are Usually More Believable Than Verbal Messages, 129

Applications of Nonverbal Communication Research to Groups and Teams, 129

Posture, Movement, and Gestures, 130

Eye Contact, 132

Facial Expressions, 133

Vocal Cues, 133

Cutting Edge Theory: Nonverbal Virtual Communication, 134

Personal Space, 135

Territoriality, 136

Seating Arrangement, 136

Personal Appearance, 139

Communication Environment, 139

Functions of Nonverbal Cues in Groups and Teams, 140

Nonverbal Messages Influence Perceived Leadership, 140

Nonverbal Messages Influence Persuasion Skills, 140

Nonverbal Messages Help Synchronize Interaction, 141

Nonverbal Messages Provide Information about Perceived Honesty or Dishonesty, 142

Interpreting Nonverbal Communication, 142

Virtual Communication, 143

Collaborating Ethically: What Would You Do?, 144

Case Study, 146

Putting Principles into Practice, 147

Chapter Seven. Managing Conflict, 150

What Is Conflict?, 151

Causes of Conflict, 152

Misconceptions about Conflict, 152

Types of Conflict, 153

Pseudo-Conflict: When People Misunderstand One Another, 153

Simple Conflict: When People Disagree about Issues, 154

Ego Conflict: When Personalities Clash, 155

Conflict and Diversity in Small Groups, 156

Approaches to Conflict in Individualistic and Collectivistic Cultures, 157

Approaches to Conflict in High-Context and Low-Context Cultures, 157

Cutting Edge Theory: Managing Conflict in Diverse Groups, 158

Conflict-Management Styles, 158

Accommodation, 160

Competition, 161

Compromise, 161

Collaboration, 162

Collaborative Conflict Management: Principles and Skills, 163

Separating the People from the Problem, 163

Focusing on Shared Interests, 164

Generating Many Options to Solve Problems, 164

Basing Decisions on Objective Criteria, 164

When People Are Not Cooperative: Dealing with Difficult Group Members, 164

Case Study, 165

Manage Your Emotions, 166

Describe What Is Upsetting You, 167

Disclose Your Feelings, 167

Collaborating Ethically: What Would You Do?, 167

Return to the Issue of Contention, 168

Groupthink: Conflict Avoidance, 168

Symptoms of Groupthink, 170

Suggestions for Reducing Groupthink, 172

Virtual Communication, 174

Consensus: Reaching Agreement through Communication, 175

The Nature of Consensus, 176

Suggestions for Reaching Consensus, 176

Putting Principles into Practice, 181

Part III. Managing Group and Team Tasks, 184

Chapter Eight. Preparing to Collaborate, 184

Developing a Discussion Plan, 185

Cutting Edge Theory: Why Do We Share What We Know?, 186

Get Acquainted with Your Group Members, 186

Clarify the Goals of the Group, 188

Develop a Plan for Gathering Information and Analyzing Issues, 188

Follow a Structured Agenda to Accomplish the Task, 189

Use Critical-Thinking and Analysis Skills, 190

Be Supportive of Other Group Members, 190

Determine How to Present Your Information, 190

Formulating Discussion Questions, 190

Virtual Communication, 191

Questions of Fact, 191

Questions of Prediction, 192

Questions of Value, 193

Questions of Policy, 194

Case Study, 195

Using Logic and Reasoning, 196

Inductive Reasoning, 197

Deductive Reasoning, 197

Causal Reasoning, 198

Evaluating Evidence in Group Discussion, 198

Statistics, 199

Gathering and Evaluating Evidence: A Special Emphasis on Web Resources, 200

Using Critical-Analysis Skills: Avoiding Reasoning Fallacies, 201

Causal Fallacy, 202

Either/Or Fallacy, 202

Bandwagon Fallacy, 202

Hasty Generalization, 202

Attacking the Person, 202

Red Herring, 203

Collaborating Ethically: What Would You Do?, 204

Putting Principles into Practice, 205

Chapter Nine. Making Decisions and Solving Problems, 207

Group Decision Making: Choosing among Alternatives, 208

Elements of Group Decision Making, 209

Methods of Group Decision Making, 209

Obstacles to Quality Group Decision Making, 210

Uncertainty in Group Decision Making, 213

Group Problem Solving: Overcoming Obstacles to Achieve a Goal, 213

Problem Solving Defined, 214

Barriers to Group and Team Problem Solving, 214

Three Approaches to Group Problem Solving, 215

Collaborating Ethically: What Would You Do?, 216

Descriptive Approach, 216

Other Descriptive Models of Group Problem Solving, 219

Virtual Communication, 220

Functional Approach, 223

Cutting Edge Theory: The Bona Fide Perspective on Groups, 224

Prescriptive Approach, 228

Case Study, 229

Cultural Assumptions about Group Problem Solving and Decision Making, 229

Putting Principles into Practice, 230

Chapter Ten. Using Problem-Solving Techniques, 234

An Overview of Prescriptive Problem-Solving Strategies, 235

The Origin of Prescriptive Problem-Solving Strategies, 236

Finding a Balance between Group Structure and Interaction, 236

Groups Need Structure, 237

Groups Need Interaction, 237

Reflective Thinking: The Traditional Approach to Group Problem Solving, 238

Step 1: Identify and Define the Problem, 238

Tools for Defining the Problem, 239

Collaborating Ethically: What Would You Do?, 240

Step 2: Analyze the Problem, 241

Tools for Analyzing the Problem, 242

How to Establish Criteria, 244

Virtual Communication, 245

Step 3: Generate Several Possible Solutions, 246

Step 4: Evaluate Options and Select the Best Solution or Combination of Solutions, 246

Tools for Evaluating the Solutions, 247

Step 5: Test and Implement the Solution, 247

Tools for Implementing the Solution, 248

How to Use Reflective Thinking in Your Group or Team, 250

Question-Oriented Approaches to Problem Solving, 251

Ideal-Solution Format, 251

Single-Question Format, 252

How to Use Question-Oriented Approaches in Your Group or Team, 252

Cutting Edge Theory: Total Quality Management, 253

Case Study, 255

Beyond Technique, 256

Putting Principles into Practice, 256

Chapter Eleven. Enhancing Creativity in Groups and Teams, 259

What Is Creativity?, 260

Why Study Creativity?, 261

Myths about Creativity, 262

Creativity Myth 1: Creativity Is a Mysterious Process That Can’t Be Learned, 262

Creativity Myth 2: Only a Few Gifted People Are Creative, 262

Creativity Myth 3: Creativity Just Happens, 262

Barriers to Group and Team Creativity, 263

Premature Evaluation of Ideas, 263

Poor Physical Surroundings, 263

Too Many People, 264

Poor Timing, 264

Stinking Thinking, 264

Principles of Group and Team Creativity, 265

Appropriately Analyze and Define the Problem, 265

Create a Climate of Freedom, 265

Listen to Minority Points of View, 266

Encourage People to See Themselves and Things Differently, 266

Selectively Increase Group and Team Structure, 266

Techniques for Enhancing Group and Team Creativity, 267

Brainstorming, 268

The Nominal-Group Technique, 269

Case Study, 270

The Delphi Technique, 272

Collaborating Ethically: What Would You Do?, 272

Electronic Brainstorming, 273

Cutting Edge Theory: Cognitive Stimulation and Creativity, 274

Virtual Communication, 275

The Affinity Technique, 275

How to Use Brainstorming in Your Group or Team, 276

Putting Principles into Practice, 278

Chapter Twelve. Leadership, 283

What Is Leadership?, 284

Trait Perspective: Characteristics of Effective Leaders, 285

Functional Perspective: Group Needs and Roles, 285

Task Leadership, 285

Process Leadership, 287

Situational Perspective: Adapting Style to Context, 290

Leadership Style, 290

Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Model, 290

Virtual Communication, 293

Some Observations on the Situational Approach to Leadership, 294

Case Study, 295

Transformational Leadership, 296

Emergent Leadership in Small Groups, 297

The Minnesota Studies, 297

Collaborating Ethically: What Would You Do?, 297

Cutting Edge Theory: Leadership and Gender, 299

Leadership and Gender, 300

Leadership and Self-Deception in Organizations, 300

Leadership Training, 301

Putting Principles into Practice, 302

Appendix A. Principles and Practices for Effective Meetings, 306

Giving Meetings Structure, 308

Determine the Meeting Goal(s), 308

Identify Items That Need to Be Discussed to Achieve the Goal, 308

Organize the Agenda Items to Achieve the Goal, 308

Becoming a Meeting Facilitator: Managing Group and Team Interaction, 310

Be a Gatekeeper, 311

Focus on the Goal, 311

Monitor Time, 311

Structure Interaction, 311

How to Lead Meetings, 313

How to Participate in Meetings, 313

Putting Principles into Practice, 315

Appendix B. Principles and Practices for Communicating to an Audience, 316

Panel Discussions, 317

Symposium Presentations, 317

Forum Presentations, 318

Planning What to Say to an Audience, 318

Analyze Your Audience, 319

Have a Clear Objective, 319

Identify Your Major Ideas, 319

Support Your Major Ideas, 319

Organize Your Ideas, 320

Presenting Information to an Audience, 320

Select Your Method of Delivery, 320

Use Effective Delivery Skills, 321

Consider Using Visual Aids, 321

Using Computer-Generated Graphics, 322

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ABOUT THIS TITLE - DESCRIPTION

Known for its wealth of relevant, practical, and up-to-date information, Communicating in Small Groups provides a balance of principles and applications of group communication. With an emphasis on teamwork, technology, and ethical collaboration, the 9^th edition of Communicating in Small Groups: Principles and Practices helps students enhance their performance in groups and teams, while also giving them insight in to why group and team members communicate as they do.

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