What is considered a group?

what are the advantages of oral communication and disadvantages?

+ The info can be conveyed quickly, immediate feedback, there is an exchange making it easier to convey emotion.

What are the symptoms of groupthink?

1) Perception of invulnerability 2) Collective Rationalization 3) Unquestioned Inherent morality 4) Stereotyped views of out-groups 5) Self-censorship 6) Pressure placed on dissenters 7) Illusory unanimity

The communication process

A sender has something they need to communicate, they pick a channel in which to send it to the Receiver. Once the Reciver gets the message and makes sense of it they then create a feedback look to make sure you understood their message correctly Noise is anything that disrupts or hinders the understanding of the message.

Group property: Roles

A set of expected behavior patterns that are associated to someone who occupies a given position in a social unit

social identity theory

A theory that suggests people place part of their self-worth based on the group we consider ourselves to be a part of.

Group property: Cohesiveness

Degree to which group members like each other and are motivated to stay in the group.

What makes a group formal or informal?

Formal groups are groups that are defined/designed to fit in a organizations structure (like a committee or board) Informal groups are like friend groups and social groups that form naturally

Group property: Size

Has a lot of it depends variables (such as its purpose and level of difficulty for the task at hand) Can lead to social loafing If the group is designed to collect info or gain diverse inputs you may want the group size to be bigger However if the task is more about being productive with the information at hand then a smaller group would probably be better.

High performance norms with High Cohesiveness

High productivity

Lateral Communication

Horizontal communication, communication that is between people on the same level

What are Hygiene factors and what do they influence?

Hygiene factors are working conditions like pay, security, and interpersonal relationships. these factors influence levels of dissatisfaction

Grapevine communication

Important area for employees (it is the level in which gossip takes place). The grapevine is where a lot of info is shared be it small talk or more important matters

what are the 5 functions within a group or organization?

Management Feedback Emotional Sharing Persuasion Information exchange

Low performance norms with Low Cohesiveness

Moderate to low productivity

How can you deal with gossip and rumors in the workplace

Most solution are involved around informatiuon sharing. 1. Share the information you have and if asked about something you dont know be honest with them and let them know you dont know 2. Explain: EXPLAIN, EXPLAIN, EXPLAIN, discuss what decisions are made and why they are made, as well as the plan moving forward. 3. Respond to rumors noncommittally, and then verify for yourself the truths you can.

Why do we care about motivation?

Performance = Motivation X Ability X Environment

What are some ways to prevent social loafing?

Set agreed upon goals for the group. increase intergroup competition (competition amongst other groups) Offer rewards Carefully chose group size

What does the "The Punctuated-Equilibrium model" show

Suggest that in reality groups tend to be more dynamic and more cyclical. In the first phase, things go fairly slowly as people feel each other out. (performance tends to be really low) There is then a transition phase that takes place usually once the group has taken up half of their time. At this point, the group begins to transition increasing performance up until phase two begins. This leads to a steady flow of performance followed by another sudden rush to complete the project.

Motivation

The processes that account for a persons intensity, direction, and persistence of effort toward attaining a goal.

what is theory X

Theory X is a Authoritarian approach to management. You tend to be very hands on and micromanage you're employee to make sure they're doing things right. Employees of a Theory X manager tend to dislike their work and have little motivation

What is Theory Y

Theory Y managers use a participative management style. They trust their people to take ownership of their work and do it effectively by themselves.

What is written communication usually good for?

conveying facts and instructions (especially complicated instructions)

What are the stages of group development (aka Tuckmans model)

forming: First meeting, Formality present, and anxiety storming: Butting heads, contending point of views, sub groups form norming: Increase in commitment, norms become established, leader/facilitator becomes present performing: Accomplish task adjourning: Debrief, acknowledge accomplishments, Ceremony This model was made from observations of groups undergoing therapy

Vertical communication

its is communication that is downward or upward. A boss communicating with his employees

Low performance norms with High Cohesiveness

low productivity

High performance norms with Low Cohesiveness

moderate productivity

What are Maslow's hierarchy of needs?

physiological, safety, social, esteem, self-actualization (this list goes from bottom to top)

social loafing

the tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable ex. The Wringleman effect (tug of war effect)

Communication

the transfer and understanding of meaning