This chapter discusses groups and group communication. It defines groups as collections of people who share relationships and work toward common goals. Groups develop over time through forming, storming, norming, and performing stages. Group size affects communication, as larger groups are more formal and allow less individual contribution. Networks within groups determine how members interact. The chapter also identifies various group roles that members play and factors like cohesion, norms, and individual differences that influence group communication effectiveness.

1. Chapter 9
Communicating
in Groups

2. • List the characteristics and types of
groups and explain how groups
develop
• Describe ways in which group size
affects communication
• Identify the influence of networks on
groups
Chapter Outcomes

3. • Define the roles individuals play in a
group
• Identify key issues affecting group
communication and effectiveness
Chapter Outcomes
(cont.)

4. Understanding
Groups
• A collection of more than two people
who share some kind of relationship
• Communicate in an interdependent
fashion
• Collaborate toward a shared
purpose

5. Characteristics of
Groups
• Groups possess:
– A shared identity
• identify as part of the group
– Common goals
• either specific or general
– Interdependent relationships
• the behavior of each member affects the
behavior of every other member

6. Group Types
• Primary groups:
– Family and friends
• Support groups:
– Address personal problems
• Social groups:
– Offer relationship opportunities
• Problem-solving groups:
– Address specific problems

7. Group Types (cont.)
• Study groups:
– Task-oriented
• Focus groups:
– Research-based
• Teams:
– Carry out a project or specific
endeavor
• Self-directed work teams
– Skilled workers who accomplish a task

8. Group Development
• Forming stage:
– Determine who will be in charge
– Define group’s goals
• Storming stage:
– Determine what roles members will play
– Deal with conflicts

9. Group Development
(cont.)
• Norming stage:
– Establish agreed norms governing
expectations
• Norms: recurring patterns of behavior or
thinking that become the “usual” way of
doing things in the group
– Solidify roles
– Leader emerges

10. Group Development
(cont.)
• Performing stage:
– Members work together to achieve
goals and overcome hurdles
• Adjourning stage:
– Members reflect on accomplishments
and failures
– Determine next steps as a group

11. Group Size and
Communication
• Larger groups lead to…
– More formal interactions
– Limited opportunities for individual
members to contribute
– Less intimate communication
– More time-consuming interactions
– More complex relationships

12. Group Size and
Communication (cont.)

13. Size, Cliques, and
Coalitions
• Larger groups lead to…
– Emergence of cliques (coalitions)
• Small subgroups of individuals who have
bonded together within a group
– Development of countercoalitions
• Subgroups that position themselves
against each other on issues

14. Group Size and
Social Loafing
• The larger the group…
– the more likely social loafing is to
occur
• Failing to invest the same level of effort in
the group that you would put in if working
alone
• Affects participation and communication in
groups
– the more difficult it is to assess
individual contributions to the group

15. Group Networks
• Networks are patterns of interaction
governing who speaks with whom in a
group and about what.
– Centrality: the degree to which an
individual sends and receives messages
from others in the group
– Isolation: a position from which a
group member sends and receives fewer
messages than other members

16. Group Networks (cont.)
• Types of Networks

17. Understanding Group
Roles
• Information giver:
– Offers facts, beliefs, personal experience,
or other input during group discussions
• Information seeker:
– Asks for additional input or clarification of
ideas or opinions
• Elaborator:
– Provides further clarification of points,
often adding to what others have said

18. Understanding Group
Roles (cont.)
• Initiator:
– Moves the group toward its objective by
proposing solutions, new ideas, or
suggestions
• Administrator:
– Keeps the conversation on track
• Elder:
– Online group member who has participated
a long time; respected by newbies

19. Understanding Group
Roles (cont.)
• Social roles include:
– Harmonizers: smooth tension
– Gatekeepers: ensure everyone
contributes
– Sensors: express group feelings and
moods to recognize the climate

20. Understanding Group
Roles (cont.)
• Antigroup roles include:
– Blockers: use destructive
communication
– Avoiders: change the subject, express
cynicism
– Recognition seekers: boast for
attention
– Distractors: go off on tangents
– Trolls: insert irrelevant, inflammatory
comments

21. Understanding Group
Roles (cont.)
• Role conflict:
– Occurs when group expectations are
incompatible with a member’s behavior
– Makes group communication
challenging

22. Additional Factors
Affecting Group
Communication• Cohesion:
– The degree to which group members
have bonded and consider themselves
one entity
– Necessary for a positive group climate
• Groupthink:
– When group members strive to maintain
cohesiveness, minimize conflict by
refusing to critically examine ideas,
analyze proposals, or test solutions

23. Additional Factors
Affecting Group
Communication (cont.)• Norms:
– Determined by the group; imposed by
its members
– Unproductive norms may hinder
communication
• Clarity of goals:
– Define in terms of problem
– Establish performance standards,
resources, contingencies, reporting

24. Additional Factors
Affecting Group
Communication (cont.)
• Individual differences:
– Cultural factors
• Individualistic vs. collectivist
• Gender and sex differences
– Communication apprehension
• Low self-esteem
• Status differences
• Unbalanced participation