Key Terms
Chapter 15: Group & Team
| Small Group Communication | exchange of information among a relatively small number of persons, ideally five to seven, who share a common purpose, such as doing a job, solving a problem, making a decision, or sharing information |
| Group | collection of individuals who influence one another |
| Individualistic Orientation | tendency to stress self or personal goals and achievements over group goals and achievements |
| Collectivistic Orientation | tendency to put aside individual goals for the well-being of the group |
| Project Team | individuals who represent different specialties and are assigned to coordinate the successful completion of an assigned task |
| Work Team | group of people responsible for an entire work process or segment of the process that delivers a product or service to an internal or external customer |
| Focus Group | special form of work team that tries to find out what people think about specific ideas, issues, or people |
| Interdependence | the fact that group members are mutually dependent |
| Commitment | desire of group members to work together to complete their task to the satisfaction of the entire group |
| Cohesiveness | attraction that group members feel for one another and their willingness to stick together |
| Groupthink | dysfunction in which group members see the harmony of the group as being more important than considering new ideas |
| Norms | expected and shared ways in which group members behave |
| Group Culture | pattern of values, beliefs, norms, and behaviors that are shared by group members and that shape a group's individual personality |
| Social Loafing | tendency for individuals to lower their work effort after they join a group |
| Grouphate Phenomenon | dislike for groups |
| Newsgroup | an online bulletin board where people can read and post messages about topics of their choice |
| Teleconferencing | use of telephones and speakerphones to connect people in different locations |
| Videoconferencing | an extension of teleconferencing that includes picture and sound |
| Interactive Computer Conferencing | similar to videoconferencing except that the interaction occurs via computer |
Chapter 16: Participating Group & Team
| Leadership | influence process that includes any behavior that helps clarify or guide the group to achieve its goals |
| Leader | person assigned or selected, or who emerges from a group, to guide or provide direction toward reaching the group's goals |
| Task Needs | needs related to the content of the task and all behaviors that lead to the completion of the task, including defining and assessing the task, gathering information, studying the problem, and solving the problem |
| Maintenance Needs | needs related to organizing and developing a group so that the members can realize personal satisfaction from working together |
| Task-oriented Leaders | leaders who gain satisfaction from performing the task |
| Relationship-oriented Leaders | leaders who gain satisfaction from establishing good interpersonal relationships |
| Autocratic Leaders | leaders who keep complete control and make all decisions for the group |
| Democratic Leaders | leaders who guide and direct the group, but share control and remain open to all views |
| Laissez-faire Leaders | leaders who give complete decision-making freedom to the group or to individual members and often become figureheads who remain only minimally involved |
| Group Task Roles | roles that help the group accomplish its objective |
| Group Building & Maintenance Roles | roles that help to define a group's social atmosphere |
| Self-centered Roles | roles that are generally counterproductive or destructive to
a group because they tend to hinder group progress |
| Agenda | list of all topics to be discussed during a meeting |
| Question of Fact | question that asks whether something is true or false; its answer can be verified |
| Question of Interpretation | question that asks for the meaning or explanation of something |
| Question of Value | question that asks whether something is good or bad, desirable or undesirable |
| Question of Policy | question that asks what actions should be taken |
| Brainstorming | technique used to generate as many ideas as possible within a limited amount of time |
| Conflict | expressed struggle between at least two interdependent parties who perceive incompatible goals, scarce resources, and interference from others in achieving their goals |
| Principled Negotiation | procedure that helps group members negotiate consensus by collaboration through the expression of each differing need and a search for alternatives to meet those needs |