Small Group Theories free essay sample

Theories are built when we observe a phenomenon and witness a repeated pattern of events for which warrant explanation. Theory is simply the organization of information to explain and ultimately predict a phenomenon. A scientific theory allows us to make reasonably precise predictions. Theory: A Practical Approach to Group Communication Theory helps us recognize the presence of conditions that call for certain actions. Explanatory Function helps to understand a process and the ways in which different facets of it are related. (diagnosis) helps make sense of the processes involved when people interact with others in a group. Communication is the driving force that moves groups toward their goals. Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of Small Group Communication Small group theory attempts to explain and predict small group phenomena. Social Exchange Theory Groups remain attractive to their members as long as the rewards of group membership exceed the costs. Rewards include fellowship, job satisfaction, achievement, status, goal achievement, personal need fulfillment. Costs include frustration, mental effort, anxiety, embarrassment. Cohesiveness and Productivity are directly related to how rewarding the group experience is to its members. Rules Theory For successful communication to take place, group members must share followable, prescriptive rules that structure their interaction. Rules can be understood as if-then statements. Underlying principle is a condition-action structure of rules. A Rule is a followable prescription that indicates what behavior is obligated, preferred, or prohibited in certain contexts. Group theory and research refers to rules as norms. Once established, group norms direct the groups activities. Understanding rules theory and its application to small groups can help you to encourage norms which are productive and avoid those that are dysfunctional. Systems Theory The small group is an open system composed of interdependent elements-that receives input, processes the input, and yields anoutput. Systems theory provides the most prevalent approach to the study of small groups. It represents the most promising perspective on small group communication (flexible, large # of variables that influence small group interaction). Symbolic Convergence Theory Group members develop a group consciousness and identity through the sharing of fantasies or stories which are often chained together and have a common theme. Explains how certain types of communication shape a groups identity and culture, which in turn influence other dynamics such as norms, roles, and decision making. Over time groups develop a collective consciousness with shared emotions, motives, and meanings. A fantasy theme consists of the common or related content of the stories the group tells. A fantasy chain is a string of connected stories that revolve around a common theme. Structuration Theory People use rules and resources in interaction to structure social systems. Helps explain why and how groups develop the rules and behavior patterns they adopt. Especially useful in helping understand group communication within broader organizational cultures. New Technologies and Small Group Communication Theory New information technologies are restructuring how we communicate. Group Decision Support System (GDSS) any computer-based information system used to support intellectual collaborative work. GDSSs include technological support for agenda setting, rules for discussion (parliamentary procedure), and communication technologies that allow multiple users to interact simultaneously. New technologies will increasingly reshape how groups make decisions and solve problems. Technology does not necessarily result in any particular group outcome; it is how the group works technology into its interaction that has the impact. A Descriptive Approach to Small Group Communication The constellation model is a comprehensive framework that suggests features and relationships critical to an understanding of small group communication. The framework depicts small group communication as a constellation of variables, each related to every other. Communication establishes and maintains the relationships among these essential variables. The seven essential variables are communication, leadership, goals, norms, roles, cohesiveness, and situation. Small group communication theory seeks to explain the relationships among these and other variables and to make predictions based on such explanations. Putting Principles into Practice Scientific theories explain consistencies in communicative behavior that researchers have observed within small groups. Theories allow us to predict the probable consequences of various actions. Observe groups of which you are a member. As you do apply the following theories: Social exchange theory to describe satisfaction levels. Systems theory to organize interpretations of group actions. Symbolic convergence theory to understand the group personality (rules, roles, decision making). Structuration theory- to increase your influence in any group. The practicality of our theories is measured only by how we can use them to be more effective group leaders, members, and scholars. Exercises List of Informal Theories about Ordinary Day Rules that Govern Behavior in Groups: If . . . Then The Importance of Situation (context) Class Simulation