You apply the principles of interpersonal communication in many settings in your daily life. A common setting is while working in small groups or teams. This type of communication happens casually as you interact with family and friends as well as more formally when you attempt to solve a challenge at work, at school, or while volunteering for a service activity. This unit will focus on the principles of small group communication. A more thorough discussion of formal organizational communication will be addressed in Unit 4.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 8 hours.
Read Chapter 10 for an in-depth discussion of group communication and its functions, group formation, our roles in groups, and how communication facilitates production and decision-making. After you read, complete the discussion questions and write definitions for the key terms listed at the end of the chapter.
Read this chapter, which reinforces basic concepts of group communication challenges as encountered in the workplace. Attempt the exercises at the end of each section and the chapter exercises in section 9.7.
This short article explains the nature of groupthink as a deterrent to participatory decision-making in groups.
This article provides additional insight into the challenges created by the group decision process and provides tips for avoiding groupthink.
Take this assessment to see how well you understood this unit.