a.
Group is composed of three or more people who want to accomplish specific tasks or goals. Group has three prominent characteristics, which are size, purpose and primary or secondary nature.
b.
- Interdependence: The
mutual dependence of group members on one another.
- Common
Goal: The
driving force that brings people together to form is a common goal.
- Group
Personality: When
people come together in a group, they form a collective identity that becomes
the group personality.
- Commitment: Commitment is the desire of group members to work together to complete their task to the
satisfaction of the entire group.
- Cohesiveness: Cohesiveness,
an extension of commitment, is the attraction that group members feel for each
other and their willingness to stick together.
- Group
Conflict: The
truth of the matter is that whenever people come together in any communicative
context there is bound to be conflict of some sort.
- Social
Facilitation: The tendency for a person to release
energy that would not be released if the individual were acting alone is called
social facilitation.
- Gender
Differences: Research
shows that groups consisting of both men and women are more likely to be
dominated by men talking than by women talking. Women
tend toward offering positive responses to others’
comments,and
in general, tend to express their subjective opinions more readily than men. When
groups are in competition with one another, it appears that women are more
cooperative with their opponents than are men. When
groups are small in size, women prefer to work with other women, while men don’t
have a gender preference.
- Group
Size: A
group is composed of a number of people who are brought together or who come
together voluntarily and who share a common goal, task, or purpose.
- Norms: Norms are
the expected and shared ways in which group members behave.
First of all, group members should attach importance to group and be aware of forming group
–centered behavior. Additionally, here are some detailed actions.
- Relevance: Members’
comments should pertain to the topic and goals of the discussion at hand and
should deviate only when tension needs to be released.
- Relatedness: The
goal of relatedness is to make sure that contributions tie in with what has
been said before and what is apt to be said next.
- Timeliness: To
give more impact to a good idea you should, introduce it at a favorable time so
that it gets the group’s full attention and consideration.
- Sufficient
Length: Choosing
the best length for a comment requires good judgment. The goal is to make sure
that the comment you contribute is long enough to make your point.
- Clarity: Always
remember that meanings are in people, not in words. Thus, you cannot assume
that everyone in the group will understand your idea in the same way that you
do. To
avoid misunderstandings, define your terms and provide examples to ensure a
common ground.
- Informativeness: Make
sure that your statement are accurate and objective. This requires having a
good understanding of the topic and doing prior research. Cite
source of information when appropriate, and select sources that are not biased.
- Openness
to evaluation: Criticism
should not be ignored or avoided. At the same time, members must remember that
evaluation can be constructive only when they focus on the contribution and not
on the person.
- Provocativeness: Asking
questions, challenging ideas, and disagreeing can be valuable contributions as
long as their goal is to make the final group product the best one possible.