Review Last Weeks Key Points

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Review Last Weeks Key Points

• What is Communication
• Why is it important
• What do we need to do to get good at it

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What is Communication

• A process of acting on Information
• Interactive- takes at least two
• Interaction can be verbal or not
• Communication between two people is filtered at
  least four times.
• Personal filters called paradigms
• Outside distractions called noise

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Group Behavior and Communication is important

• We are social animals and we function in groups
• Primary family and friends
• Secondary work groups
• We spend most of our time at work and at home in
  small groups

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We arent born with an ability to communicate, we
must learn it

• In order to do that, we must be motivated to
  learn
• then we must acquire the knowledge available
• Then we must acquire skill

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The Learning Process

• We must proceed from
• Unconscious Incompetence
• Conscious Incompetence
• Conscious Competence
• Unconscious Competence

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Chapter Two

• Communication Theory

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What is a theory?

• theory (the'?re thîr'e nounplural
  theories1. a. Systematically organized
  knowledge applicable in a relatively wide variety
  of circumstances, especially a system of
  assumptions, accepted principles, and rules of
  procedure devised to analyze, predict, or
  otherwise explain the nature or behavior of a
  specified set of phenomena.

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How do we make one?

• First we observe a phenomenon
• Define patterns and relationships-systematize
  phenomenon
• Develop an explanation of what we have observed
• Predict future events

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Lets make a theory

• Phenomenon
• Class starts at 7PM
• 10 of the class is in their seats at 7PM
• 15 in their seats at 710PM
• 75 in their seats at 712PM
• 90 in their seats at 715PM
• No one comes in after 715PM
• There is always a traffic jam on the 405 fway and
  never a traffic jam on the 91freeway

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Theory

• Data
• 10 of students plan to get to class early
  regardless of traffic. 5 attempt to get there
  early but get stuck on the 405 60 attempt to
  get there on time but dont plan for traffic on
  the 405 15 plan to arrive 15minutes late 10
  of the class is always absent.
• Theory
• the majority of students will arrive late for
  class because of poor traffic planning or
  cultural disposition to be late.
• I wont say anything important before 715

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What do theories do?

• Explain why things happen the way they do
  Explanatory
• Help people make intelligent decisions about the
  future. Predictive

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How do Theories Relate to Small Groups?

• Diagnose needs of small groups
• Understand why some groups are effective and
  others are not
• Design courses of action to improve the
  efficiency of small groups -

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Types of Theories

• Descriptive Theories
• Describe how groups function
• Explanatory function
• Describes the group process
• Prescriptive Theories
• Provides actions or method to achieve results
• Predicative- If you do A then B will occur

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Words and Language in Small Groups

• Actions within groups are complex and uncertain
• Words and language lower the level of Uncertainty
  and allows us to make sense of our complex
  world.- clarify relationships
• Without words and communication, we are only
  guessing

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In some sense, our world may not exist without
words

• The act naming something brings it into existence
• Until then, in your world, it doesnt exist

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Umberto Maturana on Language and Reality

• Each person creates and constructs his or her
  own world of experience through the distinctions
  he or she makes in language

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Things dont exist until you name them

• Let me tell you about this idea I have for a way
  to talk to machines called computers. I call it
  DOS

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Theories that Explain and Predict Small Group
Dynamics
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The Social Exchange Theory

• Explains why groups stay together
• Based on Cost and Benefits - Economic theory
• When the benefit derived from group membership
  exceed the costs the group will stay together.
• Why stay in this class?

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Rules Theory

• Members of the group must share rules that
  structure behavior
• A rule defines appropriate behavior
• It is volitional, otherwise its a law
• It is prescriptive, there are penalties for not
  following the rule
• Contextual dont carry a gun to work unless you
  are a cop.

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Rules or Norms

• Rules define appropriate behavior
• Behavior determines rules
• Rules determine behavior

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Systems Theory

• Systems Theory is descriptive
• Groups are systems
• Consists of elements, relationships, boundaries
  and context
• Feedback loops control the action of the system

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Symbolic Conversion Theory

• How individuals form relationships with the
  groups they join
• The role of stories, myths and fantasies on the
  shared sense of identity within the group
• Founders story
• Groups develop unique personalities, cultures and
  identities
• The groups personality is identified through the
  stories the members tell
• Allows the personality to be shared

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Structuration Theory-

• How group develops structure and how it changes
  over time.
• The factors that influence the development of
  structure
• Member characteristics
• External Factors-size, resources, environment
• Rules and Resources

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Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of Small
Groups

• Social Exchange Theory-Group membership remains
  attractive based on rewards exceeding costs
• Rules Theory-Successful communication requires
  shared followable rules that structure
  interaction
• Systems Theory-Small groups are open systems
  drawing information from outside and using
  feedback loops to maintain stability
• Symbolic Convergence Theory-The development of
  group consciousness and identity through story
  and myth
• Structuration Theory- Members develop social
  systems using rules and resources

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The Group Process

• Groupness and Process

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Process

• Ever changing, progressing over time, toward some
  goal

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Groupness

• Interdependence and interaction among members
• Group exists apart from its members
• A group is a system characterized by
• Structure-pattern of relationships among its
  components
• Function-interdependence based on what the
  members do
• Evolution of the system over time
• Feedback loops-one event affecting another to
  maintain stability or promote change

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The Group and its Environment

• the environment is constantly changing and the
  group is constantly reacting to that change
• Change and instability is a fact of life
• Large number of variables affect how and how well
  the group functions
• Entry Elements
• Process Elements
• Outcomes

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Computer Mediated Communications

• New problems for working in groups
• Groups are social settings
• How does the computer affect the social dynamic
  within the groups
• How is communications affected by distance
• culture, non verbal communications