Group DiscussionChapter 5

The Nature of Group Discussion

• Group Discussion: interpersonal communication involving three or more people with a common purpose– Effective group work relies on

cooperation.• Cooperation: an act or instance of

working or acting together for a common purpose or benefit

Discussion Groups• Committee: small subgroup of a

larger organization that has been given a specific task or set of tasks to perform.– Examples:

• A business has a budget committee• A baseball team has a snack

committee• Round-table discussion: a closed-

group session in which information sharing or enlightenment of those taking part is usually the object.– Examples:

• A group of distinguished cancer doctors meet regularly to discuss treatment options, success stories, etc.

Discussion Groups

• Panel: a group that discusses a topic in front of an audience.– Examples:

• A counselor, assistant principal, and a college recruiter discuss college readiness in front of a group of high school students.

• Panel-forum: a group discussion that is opened to questions or comments from the audience.– Examples:

• A counselor, assistant principal, and a college recruiter discuss college readiness in front of a group of high school students and answer specific questions from the audience.

Discussion Groups• Symposium: a series of short,

uninterrupted public speeches, often involving a panel of experts.– Examples:

• 5 teachers and principals give individual speeches on education in America to a group of community members.

• Symposium-forum: a symposium that is opened to questions or comments from the audience.– Examples:

• 5 teachers and principals give individual speeches on education in America to a group of community members and answer specific questions from the audience.

Factors that Affect Group Discussion• Size: how big or small the group

is.– Examples:

• 14 member group that only has enough work for 4 people.

• Cliques: small groups within a group that isolate others.– Examples:

• Sarah, Joann, and Mark isolate the other 6 members of the group, making it hard for the group to work together.

• Personal Goals: – Examples:

• Mary wants to be head of a department at work. She works against the current leader in order to show that she is a strong leader. She does not put the group goals first.

Factors that Affect Group Discussion• Physical Environment: the meeting

place and resources available.– Examples:

• Maria’s book club has to change places every week, so they don’t have a consistent turn out.

• Seating Arrangement: where everyone sits (ex: head of the table).– Examples:

• Tom and Heather do not get along well. If they are seated next to each other during a meeting, they will bicker the entire time.

• Time: how long the meetings are; the length of time to accomplish a goal.– Examples:

• Joshua’s group only has 6 months to collect enough rain samples for their research project.

LIFE CYCLE

FormingStormingNorming

Performing

Forming

• The infancy stage of a group in which members become acquainted with one another and leadership roles are established

Storming

• The adolescent stage of a group in which members challenge goals and approaches in an effort to express individuality

Norming

• The cohesive stage in the formation of a group when members learn to function effectively as a group

Performing

• The final stage in the formation of a group when members bond and work together effectively and harmoniously

Leading a Group

• Types of Leadership:– Appointed Leader: a leader that

is assigned the position to lead• Examples:

– The teacher tells Caleb that he is the leader of his group project.

– Emergent Leader: a leader that arises out of how the group works together• Examples:

– Over the course of the group working together, Abby naturally takes leadership because of her skills.

• Leadership Roles:– Beginning the Discussion

• Examples:– Finding a meeting place– Getting group together

– Regulating Communication• Examples:

– Making sure the group stays on task/topic

– Concluding the Discussion• Examples:

– Finalizing the details– Organizing the continued

discussion

Outcomes of Discussion

• Consensus: the agreement of all group members about a solution or decision.

• Compromise: a settlement in which each member or group of members agrees to give up part of the solution or decision they want, retaining some other part of the solution they favor.

• Majority vote: a decision agreed to by over half the members of the group.