Group Roles

Role Fixation

Pick a particular role and refuse to change

Role Conflict

Playing roles in different groups that contradict each other

Role Status

Relative importance, prestige, or power accorded to a particular role

Informal Roles (3)

Roles not assigned/set 1) task roles: productions 2) maintenance roles: social/cohesiveness 3) self-centered roles: bad/disruptive (personal goals/for attention)

Formal Roles

Specifically designed -specific title -constructed role (CEO/CFO)

Role Reversal

Stepping into a different role

Role Defined

The pattern of expected behavior associated with parts that we play in groups

How to succeed as a newcomer (5)

1) Conduct thorough reconnaissance: know what you're fit for 2) Play role of newcomer: not acting like "you know" 3) Embrace new, distance self from old: distance yourself from old group 4) Seek mentors: having inside person 5) Collaborate with other newcomers: make connections with other newcomers

Task Roles (9)

1) Initiator-contributor: gets people going 2) Information seeker: research getter 3) Information giver: offers research 4) Opinion seeker: related to opinions 5) Clarifier-elaborator: help resolve conflicts 6) Coordinator: work coming together/edit 7) Secretary-recorder: take notes/memory 8) Facilitator: keep discussion on track 9) Devil's Advocate: treat every idea as a bad idea

Newcomer Role: Challenges (5)

1) Level of group development: how long they've been together 2) Level of group performance: new person with crappy group for new ideas (+), new person would be intrusive in a productive group (-) 3) Number of members: how many people 4) Degree of turnover: easy w/ the person w/ lots of new people vs hard if not a lot of new people regularly 5) Faith in newcomer: easier if they believe in your ability

Self-Centered Roles (7)

1) Stagehog: dominate conversation, only their ideas 2) Isolate: abandon group/stop partifipation 3) Clown: do nothing but joke 4) Blocker: refuse to consider other ideas 5) Figher-controller: aggressive/interrupt/bully 6) Zealot: interested in personal cause (off topic) 7) Cynic: very negative, everything sucks

Maintenance Roles (3)

1) Supporter-encourager: compliments/promotes goodwill 2) Harmonizer-tension reliever: resolve secondary tension 3) Gatekeeper-expediter: Facilitate communication

Helping as an established member (3)

1) Welcome new members 2) Provide an orientation 3) Mentor newcomers

Role Flexibility

Ability to read situation in a group and fit into the role(s) needed

Newcomer Role: Group Socialization

Both new and old people adjust to eachother

Role Specialization

Have a primary role established, and could be speciality

Group Endorsement

How you get to the roles (informal) 1) We make a bid for a role, group must accept it