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Copyright, ii
New to This Edition, v
Preface, xxiii
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
Review, 8
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
Advantages, 12
Disadvantages, 13
Review, 15
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
Web Pages, 24
The Quality of Virtual Communication, 24
How Can You Become a Competent Small Group Communicator?, 25
The Essence of Communication Competence, 25
Case Study, 26
The Nine Core Small Group Communication Competencies, 26
Collaborating Ethically: What Would You Do?, 29
Putting Principles into Practice, 29
Practice, 30
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
Complexity, 38
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
Case Study, 43
Structuration Theory, 44
Functional Theory, 45
Review, 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
Practice, 50
Chapter Three. Group Formation, 51
Why Do People Join Groups?, 52
Interpersonal Needs, 52
Maslow’s Theory, 52
Schutz’s Theory, 54
Review, 56
Individual Goals, 57
Group and Team Goals, 57
Establishing Mutuality of Concern, 58
Collaborating Ethically: What Would You Do?, 59
Interpersonal Attraction, 59
Similarity, 60
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
Review, 64
Homogeneity and Diversity in Groups, 64
Group Formation over Time, 65
Group Re-Formation, 65
Case Study, 66
Putting Principles into Practice, 67
Practice, 68
Part II. Managing Group and Team Relationships, 69
Chapter Four. Relating to Others in Groups and Teams, 69
Roles, 71
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
Norms, 76
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
Review, 81
Status, 81
Privileges Accorded to High-Status Group Members, 82
Effects of Status Differences, 82
Review, 83
Observing Status Differences to Predict Group Dynamics, 83
Power, 83
Virtual Communication, 84
Power Bases, 85
Effects of Power on Group Process, 86
Review, 87
Power and Gender, 87
Status and Power: A Cultural Footnote, 87
Trust, 88
Developing Trusting Relationships, 88
Self-Disclosure, 89
The Development of Group Relationships over Time, 90
Case Study, 91
Review, 92
Culture, 92
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
Time, 96
Putting Principles into Practice, 98
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
Review, 105
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
Practice, 117
Chapter Six. Enhancing Group and Team Communication Skills, 120
Verbal Dynamics in the Small Group, 121
Words as Barriers to Communication, 121
Review, 123
Conversational Style, 123
Listening, 124
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
Review, 131
Eye Contact, 132
Review, 133
Facial Expressions, 133
Vocal Cues, 133
Cutting Edge Theory: Nonverbal Virtual Communication, 134
Personal Space, 135
Territoriality, 136
Seating Arrangement, 136
Review, 138
Personal Appearance, 139
Communication Environment, 139
Review, 140
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
Review, 145
Case Study, 146
Review, 147
Putting Principles into Practice, 147
Practice, 149
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
Review, 156
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
Review, 157
Cutting Edge Theory: Managing Conflict in Diverse Groups, 158
Conflict-Management Styles, 158
Avoidance, 159
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
Review, 172
Suggestions for Reducing Groupthink, 172
Virtual Communication, 174
Review, 175
Consensus: Reaching Agreement through Communication, 175
The Nature of Consensus, 176
Suggestions for Reaching Consensus, 176
Review, 180
Putting Principles into Practice, 181
Practice, 182
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
Review, 196
Using Logic and Reasoning, 196
Inductive Reasoning, 197
Deductive Reasoning, 197
Causal Reasoning, 198
Evaluating Evidence in Group Discussion, 198
Facts, 199
Examples, 199
Opinions, 199
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
Practice, 206
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
Review, 211
Review, 212
Uncertainty in Group Decision Making, 213
Group Problem Solving: Overcoming Obstacles to Achieve a Goal, 213
Problem Solving Defined, 214
Review, 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
Review, 223
Cutting Edge Theory: The Bona Fide Perspective on Groups, 224
Review, 228
Prescriptive Approach, 228
Case Study, 229
Cultural Assumptions about Group Problem Solving and Decision Making, 229
Putting Principles into Practice, 230
Practice, 231
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
Practice, 257
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
Review, 267
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
Review, 276
How to Use Brainstorming in Your Group or Team, 276
Review, 278
Putting Principles into Practice, 278
Practice, 279
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
Review, 296
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
Practice, 303
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
Review, 309
Review, 310
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
Review, 312
How to Lead Meetings, 313
How to Participate in Meetings, 313
Review, 314
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
Review, 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
Glossary, 323
Notes, 329
Credits, 353
Index, 355

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