06 Group Communication Free Online FlashCards

What makes a group a team?

A team is a group whose members depend on one another to achieve a shared goal.

What is a group role?

A group role is a pattern of behavior associated with a position or function in a group.

What do task roles contribute to a group?

Task roles move the work forward by proposing ideas, sharing information, clarifying goals, and tracking progress.

How do relationship roles support a group?

Relationship roles support cooperation through listening, inviting quieter members to speak, easing tension, and helping resolve disagreements.

What characterizes a self-oriented group role?

Self-oriented roles prioritize an individual’s needs over the group’s work, such as by dominating discussion or withholding effort.

What are group norms?

Group norms are shared expectations that guide members’ behavior; they may be explicit or implicit.

How can a group norm make disagreement constructive?

The norm “criticize ideas, not people” helps members disagree without making disagreement personal.

What is collaboration, and what helps it work well?

Collaboration coordinates members’ contributions toward a shared outcome. It improves when goals and responsibilities are clear and interdependent work is divided sensibly.

What sequence can guide group decision-making?

Define the problem, agree on criteria, generate options, compare them and consider risks, then choose an option, assign responsibility, and review the result.

Why separate idea generation from evaluation?

Generating options before judging them can prevent early criticism from shutting down contributions.

What is groupthink?

Groupthink occurs when pressure for agreement interferes with careful consideration of alternatives.

How can a group reduce the risk of groupthink?

Invite each person’s view before discussion, ask what evidence could challenge the leading proposal, or assign someone to examine its weaknesses.