CHAPTER 10 COMM107 Participants those members of a group who interact to bring about the actions of the group Leaders those who guide the group Leadership refers to those who influence the group to accomplish its goal Cultural Differences in Groups People from different cultures possess varying attitudes about making independent decisions and being group participants applying procedures for working in groups making decisions following procedural structure and using information Individualism is stressed in the US it stresses personal loyalty before group loyalty the US Cultures and Groups Confucianism is basic philosophy of much of the population Confucian principle of I requires that a person be affiliated and identify with a small and tightly knit group of people over long periods of time East Asian countries Long term relationships work b c group members aid and assist each other when there is a need those who assisted others will have to depend on those they aided Collective societies group adherence is stressed have a clearer sensitivity about how groups operate many of these groups are located in Asia An example of a nation that stresses group culture is Japan where individualism is submerged and expression occurs in hidden ways the individual s sense of identity is the group Contrasts in Cultural Group Decision Making The traditional western problem solving sequence has 4 segments 1 identify the problem 2 search for solutions 3 test those solutions 4 put a solution into practice The final decision is often based on a majority vote for the membership Centralized decision making process Mexicans specifically use this they often view authority as being inherent within the individual not his or her position Cultural Contrasted in the Role of Info for Groups European American negotiators tend to compartmentalize issues focusing on one issue t a time instead of negotiating many issues together In the US the final decision takes on a form of proposal counterproposal negotiating in which the plan or solution is presented and then a counteroffer is made Male and Female Roles in Groups Women are more likely then men to engage in caring personal communication Women tend to exceed men in collaborative participative communication that enables others Men more than women are encouraged by group to contribute their expertise Men are considered to be more competitive than women but women are becoming more competitive The Group Participant Difference between effective follower from ineffective follower enthusiastic intelligent and self reliant participation Entire group is responsible and accountable for final decisions Silent majority those who say nothing during the decision making process Communicating as a group member Group maintenance focuses on the social dimension of the group the central communicative function of maintenance roles is to gain and maintain the cohesiveness of the group Group task roles making sure the group accomplishes its goal o Treat others with respect o Maintain a positive attitude o Encourage others o Pay attention to nonverbal messages o Pay assume an active role o Initiate ideas o Encourage diverse ideas o Use reasoned thought o Stay open minded o Be aware of hidden agendas the group as a whole o Be cognizant of time constraints Hidden agenda an objective or purpose that goes beyond that constructive interests of Dealing with manipulative group members 90 of people who are members of groups are reasonable most of the time About 9 of the people are difficult to work with People want attention and if they cant get it positively they will get it negatively Some ways people try to manipulate the group 1 the impossible people it is practically impossible to work constructively with them o Buttering up o Guilt o Repetition o Selective memory o Bullying The Group Leader and Group Leadership Leader may be elected appointed volunteer or may emerge by taking control Leadership is everyone s business The ability to influence others opinions and actions is known as leadership It can be demonstrated by one or more people in a group enforcing obedience and or the ability to influence others to perform Leadership power stems from various sources in the dynamics of a group Leadership power identified by 5 sources in which leaders gain power o Legitimate power inspiring a sense of responsibility in followers o Reward power providing followers with things they desire o Coercive power taking away rewards to administering sanctions and punishments o Expert power providing others with information and advice o Referent power providing others worth self efficacy worth or approval Coercion the act of forcing another person to take an action he or she does not want to do Leadership power can also be identified as the ability to influence others to perform or produce results this kind of power does not use force or coercion Transformational leadership the person takes on the role of transforming agent a transforming agent can change both the behavior and the outlook of his or her followers this person keeps the interest of the group and its goals in mind o This approach closely resembles the way most managers operate getting others to perform or produce by offering rewards or punishments in the process Super leadership people lead themselves and thereby release the self leadership energy within each person Type of leaders Autocratic leader dominates and directs a group according to personal goals and objectives regardless of how consistent or inconsistent these goals are o This leadership style is direct and controlling o Participants are more orientated towards productivity and goals o The strength of the autocratic leader is that things get done and decisions are made quickly Participatory leader facilitates a group according to the goals of its members and allows them to form their own conclusions o This leadership style encourages input from other o Emphasis on how the decision is reaches and that everyone has a voice o Tend to make decisions in a slow thoughtful process o Participants must be good listeners and cooperative o Advantage everyone feels included o Disadvantage requires time and patience which are sometimes in short supply when there is pressure to get a job done and a solution in place Free rein leader laissez faire leader nondirective and empowers group members to do their own thing o Leader is relaxed and supportive o Participants are free to take the action they
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