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Group Communication Analysis Paper

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Purpose:

As a result of this assignment, you will be able to analyze the effects of roles, leadership, group decision-making styles, and your own personal communication skills in order to understand their relationship to an effective small group communication process.

Specifically, the assignment is designed:

• To aid you in your understanding of the group process and its individual components--such as decision making, roles, leadership, and norms.
• To help you, through an understanding of the basic group process, to become aware of your own functions and chartacteristics as a group member so that you may determine your strengths and weaknesses.
• To help you analyze other group members so that you may learn how to respond appropriately in the group setting.
• To help you, through an understanding of the above, find ways in which you can become a more cooperative, more effective group member.

This paper is due at the beginning of class WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 1997

Length:

Procedure:

You have been a part of a group since the beginning of the semester and have participated in several discussions and activities. As you have participated thus far, you have no doubt been making mental notes about the group members, norms, and roles which are present in your group, decision-making methods of the group, leadership emergence, and your own participation in these group exercises. You should be thinking about your group and how you have been handling these activities as you begin to write this paper.

First, write a brief introduction discussing the name of your group (why did you choose the name you did?), naming your group members, and discussing the general tasks (activities) your group has accomplished.

Next, select a small group theory (social exchange theory, rules theory, systems theory, symbolic convergence theory, or structuration theory) and describe the theory in detail. What are the major features of the theory you have selected? How is your theory better/different than other theories of group communication?

Third, present and describe the interaction and dynamics which have been occuring in your small group relative to the seven constellation variables of effective group communication (communication, leadership, goals, norms, roles, cohesiveness, and situation). See pages 45-47 in Beebe and Masterson for additional information.

1. In describing the interaction and dynamics of YOUR GROUP, do all of the following:
2. Define task and maintenance roles. Who filled these various roles in your group? Did these roles and the people who filled them change during the course of the activities? Use examples to discuss the various roles of the group.
3. Describe the kind of leadership which has emerged during the activities. That is, define the leadership method and use examples to discuss how the leadership was carried out. Choose the style which you prefer and support your choice.
4. What decision-making methodology was used for the exercises/activities in which your participated? Which method worked best? Worst? Why?
5. Discuss your personal progress in the learning of group skills since the class began. Identify weaknesses and strengths. Discuss changes in your skills as the days have progressed. Use specific examples to support your opinion.
6. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your group in the various areas of effective group communication. Which areas have improved? Which ones haven't? Why?
7. Conclude this section of your paper by commenting on the strengths and weaknesses of this assignment. How did the assignment particularly help you? What could be improved? How?

The final section of your paper should apply the theory you presented earlier in the paper to a thorough analysis of the communication you have just explained. Be specific.

Evaluation

Your paper will be evaluated using the following five criteria:

• The degree to which you define and apply the theory to your analysis of the communication occuring in your group.
• The degree to which the above information is thoroughly and accurately discussed.
• The degree to which supporting materials such as examples and illustrations are used effectively in your paper.
• The degree to which you show an understanding and application of the group communication process.
• The degree to which language is used effectively in the paper and ideas are expressed with clarity.

The expectations of this paper include:

• solid organization
• introduction
• thesis
• body
• conclusion
• correct grammar
• no spelling errors

Before you hand in your paper, check to make sure that you are satisfied with your evaluation of the paper using the above criteria.