Small Group Communication in Organizations PRESENTED FOR Dr. Haslina Bt. Halim Lecturer of Communication for Managers (SCCG 5013) GROUP MEMBERS Majini

Small Group Communication in Organizations

PRESENTED FOR Dr. Haslina Bt. Halim

Lecturer of Communication for Managers(SCCG 5013)

GROUP MEMBERSMajini Bayau (802302)

Honorious Raymond (802301)Henry Ebun (801984)

Julin Marusid (803735)

20th March 2010

Topics of Presentation

1. Meaning and Scope (Henry)

2. Group Variables (Julin)

3. Small Group Networks (Majini)

4. Leadership & Group Effectiveness (Hon)

1. Meaning and Scope

1.1. Definition of a Small Group Three Characteristics

i. Size - Three or more people

Most researchers define a small group as having at least 3 and no more than 12 or 15 members.

Needs to have at least 3 members, otherwise it is not a small group.


1.1. Definition of a Small Groupii. Interaction

- Face-to-Face InteractionGroup's members must be able to communicate freely and openly with all of the other members of the group. Groups will develop norms about discussion and group members will develop roles which will affect the group's interaction.


1.1. Definition of a Small Groupiii. Goals

- A Common Goal or Task

A group must have a common purpose or goal and they must work together to achieve that goal. The goal brings the group together and holds it together through conflict and tension.


1.2. Definition Of Communication The definition of communication is shared in the

Webster's Dictionary as "sending, giving, or exchanging information and ideas," which is often expressed nonverbally and verbally.

The exchange of thoughts, messages, or the like, as by speech, signals or writing. To express oneself in such a way that one is readily and clearly understood.

Communication is shared feelings / shared understanding. If you can honestly achieve that goal, you are communicating.


1.3. Use & Value Of Small Groups 68% of Fortune 1,000 companies use self-managing or

high-performance teams. Average supervisor spends around 40% of the

workweek in meetings & conferences. An average executive spends almost 700 hours a year

in meetings! Most large companies attribute major cost savings to

solutions provided by such working-groups or Quality Circles.


1.4. What is Small Group communication?

i. Small group communication is, of course, the communication that is carried out within a small group. A small group is generally defined as a group that consists of at least three members and at the maximum around twelve to fifteen members. A group that has just two members or more than fifteen members would not come in the category of a small group.


1.4. What is Small Group communication?

ii.Communication is about expressing and conveying your thoughts, feelings, opinions and ideas to another person or persons. Good communication skills can help you keep your head and confidently take charge of unfamiliar situations.


1.4. Small Group communication

iii. People are more likely to listen to you, whatever you have to say, if you can express yourself well, and this is particularly useful in influencing and negotiating important personal, social or business matters. It also comes in handy in resolving conflict and dealing with difficult people.

iv. Some people are born with effective communication skills; others need to develop them.


1.5. Why Work In Small Groups?

“Groups usually produce more and better solutions to problems than do individuals working alone.”


1.6. Why Do People Join A Group?i. GROUP SYNERGY

Refers to the idea that two heads (or more) are better than one; OR "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts," which also refers to group synergy Groups are often capable of producing higher quality work and better decisions than can an individual working alone.


ii. SUPPORT & COMMITMENT

Group may be more willing to take on a large project than would an individual With increased ability to perform work, group can provide encouragement and support to its members while working on a big project.


iii. INTERPERSONAL NEEDS

Individuals often join a group to meet their interpersonal needs William Schutz has identified three such needs: Inclusion, Control, and Affection Inclusion is the need to establish identity with others – the need to be accepted by others.


iv. CONTROL

Control is the need to exercise leadership and prove one's abilities. Groups provide outlets for this need Some individuals do not want to be leaders. For them, groups provide the necessary control over aspects of their lives Affection is the need to develop relationships with people. Groups are an excellent way to make friends and establish relationships.


1.7. TWO TYPES OF SMALL GROUPS

Objective of a small groups is to complete some kind of tasks or to promote interpersonal relationships between group members. Many groups, however, fulfill both of these functions;


i. SOCIAL GROUPS

While all groups will have both social and task dimensions, some groups are predominantly social in their orientation Examples of these groups would be families and social clubs These provide for our safety & solidarity needs and they help us develop self-esteem.


ii. WORK GROUPS

Work groups function to complete a particular task The task dimension is emphasized. Group members pool their expertise to accomplish the task Examples - Workplaces, Campus Organizations, or Juries etc. As per Ivan Steiner, there are several types of Work Groups


1.8. THREE TYPES OF WORK GROUPSi. ADDITIVE WORK GROUPS

All group members perform the same activity and pool their results at the end.

An example of this would be gathering signatures for a petition drive or mobilizing support for a particular cause.


ii. CONJUNCTIVE WORK GROUPS

* Members perform different, but related tasks that allow for completion of a goal.

* Every group member must complete their individual task in order for the group task to be completed.

* Example of this would be an assembly line, in which each worker performs tasks that together build a completed car.


iii. DISJUNCTIVE TASK

Members meet to determine the best alternative for a problem or issue. There are two types of disjunctive tasks:

Judgment Task : Group members must choose one correct answer from all alternatives

Decision-Making Task : Group members must choose best alternative from a set of options. There is no one correct answer for a decision-making group.

2. Group Variables

2.1. DefinitionGroup variables are network properties such as number of levels, connectedness, etc. Research have identified a number of variables which have relation to or impact on the overall organizational communication effectiveness and performance. For example, high degree of cohesion contribute to improvement in communication and better chance of achieving the group goal or objective.

2. Group Variables

2.2. Variables in Small Group Vs Big Group

Size of GroupIn small group, members of the group have the ability to have direct interpersonal, two-way communication with other group members - become less as the size of group increases.Mass communication are normally one-way communication with no immediate feedback or impact.

2. Group Variables

i. The Intended AudienceIn small group, message are delivered to limited people (usually predetermined or specified).In mass communication, message are delivered to unlimited people (including those not intended to receive the message).

2. Group Variables

ii.Interpersonal – Shepherd & Weschler)

(e.g. Status, Level of Organization Structure)

People who work together in small group encounter fewer difficulties between members, show good understanding and high conformity and satisfaction.

Communication is slower in bigger group as number of level increases and network becomes longer.

2. Group Variables

iii. Cohesiveness of relationshipIn small group, there is a high level of communication effectiveness due to close relationship between members ( such as in a team, task force, etc). In receiving message, any given person in the audience react not merely as an isolated personality but also as a member of various to which he belong and with which he communicates. Big group may not stay or stick together. In big group (masses), it is difficult to measure effectiveness as ‘there is no direct relation with the audience’.

2. Group Variables

iv. Mutual DependencyIn small group, members are dependent on each other to perform, lead to better and more effective communication.

v.Importance of Group GoalLevel of importance determine the need and frequency of communication. Small group such as team and task force usually have defined goal and date line that lead to effective communication.

2. Group Variables

2.3. Importance of Group Variables

Group variables is an important factor to consider in determining the group size for effective communication such as in building a team or task force.

3. Small Group Networks

A network is a set of message processing linkages among a defined set of people in which the character of the linkages is specified.

Network build around job requirement. Structured by social interaction. Shared goals, interest, responsibility

etc.


3.1. Network Development Network begin to form as

individual meet and get to know each other.

Well-developed network is where all members of the group participate in the interaction


3.2. Stages of DevelopmentStage 1 Consist of getting acquainted, expressing initial point of view and forming linkage relative to the task at hand, directly related to the goal of the group.


3.2. Stages of DevelopmentStage 2 Conflict phase where task, roles, responsibilities are considered. At this stage, expression of different point of view lead to polarization.


3.2. Stages of DevelopmentStage 3 - Emergence phase where

group begin to take on an identity.

Stage 4 - Reinforcement phase where cooperation among individual in the group increases


3.3. Development of Linkages

Harold J Leavitt, 1951

Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 3

No linkages

Primary network

Developed network

Integrated network


3.4. Group Communication Network Pattern

Circle Wheel



Chain All Channel



Integrated


3.5. Types of Networki. Task Network

Develop more quickly and become stable sooner than other kinds of network.

ii. Authority NetworkMuch slower to develop and never reach the maturity level of the other kind of network.


iii. Social NetworkNaturally develop ‘within’ an organization at fast phase and can reach a high level of network cohesiveness.

iv. Grapevine NetworkNaturally occurring networks that are familiar to ‘all members’ of the organization.


v. Formal NetworkCommunication channel established by the organization and are accepted by members of the organization. It is task oriented communication that follow the authority chain. Information flow;

Downward communication (Chain network)

Upward communication (Chain network) Horizontal communication (Circle network)


v. Formal Network (continue)

Centralized NetworkFormal network in which info passes

through a central position to control communications upwards and downwards throughout a business (Y-Chain, Chain & Wheel). Decentralized Network

Information is generally passed through to all members of the organization (Circle & All Channel).


vi. Informal Network Unofficial communication network in an organization not controlled by management (Grapevine/Integrated network).

It is faster than formal channels. Perceived as more believable and reliable. It is about 75% accurate. Employee use the grapevine to acquire the

majority of their on the job information.

4. Leadership & Group Effectiveness

4.1. Statements

Meeting boring!

Too many meetings, never enough decisions.

Meetings can be a complete waste of time if they are not managed properly.

Are you this type of a Leader!

Three Styles of Leadership Communication

Aggressive (I Win / You Lose)* Expressed in a forceful & hostile manner.

* Alienating messages such as you-statements & labelling.- Blaming other person & accusing them of being wrong/at fault.

Passive (You Win / I Lose)* Putting your needs last. Don’t express your thoughts/feeling.

Assertive (I Win / You Win)* Clearly expressing what you think, how you feel & what you want.

* Make reasonable requests of other people.* Avoiding conflict & maintaining good relationships.

4.2. What is Leadership Communication?

Leadership communication (LC) is the controlled, purposeful transfer of meaning by which leaders influence a single person, a group, an organization, or a community. LC uses the full range of communication skills and resources to overcome interferences and to create and deliver messages that guide, direct, motivate, or inspire others to action.

- Deborah J. Barrett - LC, 2006

4.3. Developing Leadership Communication

i. Brainstorming

Internal discussion with yourself- Jotting down subject and ideas related- Without concern for merit, order or logic- Attempt to isolate the pros and cons

Well-facilitated brainstorming group session

- Same rules applied


ii. Mind Mapping Create visual representation of your

ideas- Write down all the ideas that come to mind in relationship of a topic or idea.- Avoid filtering, editing or evaluating so mind

roam freely from topic to topic- Later regrouping some topics and removing

others. Start new page of collecting facts and data of each of the supporting topics


iii. Journalist’s Questions @ 5W + 1H Questions that journalists answer when generating

ideas for a story. Helpful in business communication particularly on

policy, process or procedural topics

Example - Writing a memo describing a change in co. policy

using the 5W + 1H


What should you write in the memo? - 5W + 1H

To whom does the policy apply? What exactly is the policy? What has changed? Why is the policy in place? Why have the changes

been made? When does the policy take effect? Where would people needing more information,

obtain it? How would they obtain it?


iv. Decision Tree (DT) DT is a way to break a topic into its parts so that you

can see how the subtopics relate and whether you have the right support and enough support.

Resembles Mind Mapping, but is more structured and depends on an internal question-and-answer dialogue to be most effective.For instance, in developing supporting topics, you need data and facts for each topics. Once done the DT, you have very complete argument and ready to develop communication strategy to deliver it.

4.4. Six Thinking Hats

This powerful technique, developed by lateral thinking pioneer, Edward de Bono, will help you to look at decisions from many perspectives.

Imagine that you have to wear a series of different coloured hats, one after another, in order to look at an issue from every angle.

White Hats

- Focus on the data, look for gaps, extrapolate from history or examine future trends.


Red HatsUse intuition and emotion to look at problems.

Black HatsLook at the negative and find reasons why something may not work. If an idea can get through this process, it is more likely to succeed.

Yellow HatsThink positively. This hat’s optimistic view helps you to see the benefits of a decision, providing a boost to the thinking process.


Green HatsDevelop creative, freewheeling solutions. There is no room for criticism in this mode. It is strictly positive.

Blue HatsOrchestrate the meeting. You are in control in this hat. Feel free to invite a new “hat” to speak to keep ideas flowing.

4.5. 3 Rules of Small Group Meeting Etiquette

Start on time and end on time.

The leader needs to lead. This means keeping speakers on point and keeping the progress going.

Type up and circulate key decisions within one day.

4.6. Five Rules for Group Effective Meeting

Listen well and speak if you have something valuable to contribute.

Creativity is good. Uncooperative criticism is bad. Compromise is necessary.

Attack the problem or issue, not the person you disagree with.

Stay on topic.

Don’t hold back, bullshit or sugar-coat issues.

4.7. Establishing Emotionally Intelligent Teams

Teams and groups have emotional moods, and emotions are contagious.

As a leader, you cannot afford to have a team whose mood is unhealthy or full emotional conflict.

Therefore, it is critical for a leader to help groups establish norms that focus on building and maintaining healthy relationships

4.7. Establishing Emotionally Intelligent Teams

Benefits of Emotionally Intelligent Team Members More frequent and effective communication. Greater self-awareness and self-management among team members, which leads to

decreased conflict, or healthier conflict. More trusting relationship, which increases performance. The ability to address negative emotions before they become toxic to the team. Reduced stress and anxiety. Increased capacity and professional development for all team members.

4.7. Conclusion Mastering the skill of effective communication is one of the

keys to happier, healthier and joyous relationships with the people you work with, for instance, in the meeting or group discussion.

Poor communication often creates tension and bad feelings within relationships.

As a leader, make work life easier and less frustrating for all your fellow employees and help to make your organization more successful.

Q & A SESSIONGROUP MEMBERS

Majini BayauHonorious Raymond

Henry EbunJulin Marusid

Documents

Small Group Communication in Organizations PRESENTED FOR Dr. Haslina Bt. Halim Lecturer of Communication for Managers (SCCG 5013) GROUP MEMBERS Majini