Chapter 10 : Small Group Communication

Chapter 10 : Small Group Communication 

In the chapter we will explore these major topics:

1. Small groups and Teams

- The Small Group

•    A small group is collection of individuals who are connected to one another by some common purpose, are interdependent, have some degree of organization among them, and see themselves as a group. The small group stage are five : opening, feedforward, business, feedback, and closing. Beside  that, Small group also have some formats such as: round table, panel, symposium, and symposium-forum.

- The Team

• A team is a particular kind of small group. As such it possesses all of the characteristics of the small group, as well as some additional qualities. Drawing on a number of small group researchers in communication and organizational theory, we can define the team as a small group constructed for a specific task, whose members have clearly defined roles, whose members are committed to achieving the same goal, and that is content focused.

- Virtual Groups and Teams

• Virtual groups and teams can define as small group and team interaction also takes place online, among geographically separated members who communicate as a group via computer or phone connections.

- Power in the Small group

• The six types of power covered in the self-test are legitimate, referent, reward, coercive, expert, and information or persuasion power.

    2.  Idea-Generation Groups

• The idea-generation groups are small groups that exist solely to generate ideas and often follow a pattern called brainstorming. Brainstorming is a teachnique for bombarding a problem and generating as many ideas as possible. 

         - Brainstorm Rule 1 : Don't Criticize

         - Brainstorm Rule 2 : Strive for Quantity

         - Brainstorm Rule 3 : Combine and Extend Ideas

         - Brainstorm Rule 4 : Develop the Wildest Ideas Possible

    3. Personal Growth Groups

• The Encounter Group 

         - Encounter groups, also known as "sensitivity groups" or "T[Training]-groups," for example, constitute a form of  psychotherapy; these groups try to facilitate members' personal growth and foster their ability to deal effectively with other people.

• The Assertiveness Training Group

         - The assertiveness training group aims to increase the willingness of its members to stand up for their rights and to act more assertively in a wide variety of situations.

• The Consciousness-Raising Group

         - The consciousness-raising group aims to help people cope with the problems society confronts them with the members of a consciousness-raising group all have one characteristic in common ( for example, they may all be women, unwed mothers, gay fathers, or recently unemployed executives ).

     4. Information sharing groups

• Educational or Learning Groups

        - the members pool their knowledge to the benefit of all, as in the popular their knowledge to the benefit of all, as in the popular law and medical student learning groups.

• Focus Groups

        - A different type of learning group is the focus group, a small group assembled for a kind of in-depth interview.

     5. Problem-Solving Groups

• Step 1 : Define and Analyze the Problem

        - Duration, Causes, and Effects

• Step 2 : Establish Criteria for Evaluating Solutions

        - Practical criteria and value criteria

• Step 3 : Identify possible Solution
• Step 4 : Evaluate Solutions
• Step 5 : Select the Best Solution