In Mixed Company Chapter Five

1
In Mixed Company Chapter Five

• Roles and Leadership in Groups

2
Group Roles

• Norms are broad rules that designate appropriate
  behavior for all group members while roles
  stipulate specific behaviors that are expected
  for individual group members.

3
Role Reversal When Students Become Teachers

• The effects of roles on perceptions can be seen
  in a dramatic way by doing a role reversal, which
  is stepping into a role distinctly different from
  or opposite of a role we usually play.

4
Role Conflict Torn Between Two Roles

• When we find ourselves playing roles in different
  groups that contradict each other, we experience
  role conflict.
• Students who have children are often faced with
  conflict between their student role and their
  parent role. Do you take the final exam or do you
  stay home with your sick child?
• The role that has the greatest importance and
  most potent effect on us is usually the one we
  choose when we have to decide between conflicting
  roles.

5
Types of Roles Formal and Informal

• In the broadest sense, roles are categorized as
  form and informal.
• A formal role is a position assigned by an
  organization or specifically designated the
  group leader. Titles such as president, usually
  accompany formal roles.
• An informal role emerges from the group
  transactions, and it emphasis functions, not
  position. A group member may fulfill leadership
  functions, that is, perform a leader, without any
  formal designation.

6
3 Types of Informal Roles

1. Task roles move the group toward the attainment
   of its goals. The central communicative function
   of task roles is to extract the maximum
   productivity from the group.
2. Maintenance roles focus on the social dimension
   of the group. The central communicative function
   of maintenance roles is to gain and maintain the
   cohesiveness of the group.
3. Self-centered or disruptive roses serve
   individual needs or goals while impeding
   attainment of group goals. The central
   communicative function of self-centered,
   disruptive roles is to focus attention on the
   individual.

7
Group Endorsement Accepting a Bid

• Individuals initially make a bid to play role.
  Group endorsement of the bid to play specific
  role must occur before a person gets to play that
  role.
• Despite their critical importance to group
  success, maintenance roles are often viewed as
  lower status in a competitive culture such as the
  Untied States.
• Those who play maintenance roles are viewed as
  the helpers, not the doers. Helpers typically
  receive less status than doers in society.

8
Role Specialization

• Once a role for a member has been endorsed by the
  group, role specialization-when an individual
  member settles into his or her primary
  role-occurs. If the group wants you to be an
  information giver then that will be you principal
  function.

9
Role Fixation Stuck Playing One Part

• Role fixation, the acting out of a specific role
  and that role alone no matter what the situation
  might require.
• Role fixation in decision-making groups can occur
  when an individual moves from one group to
  another, or it can happen with a single group.

10
Role Fixation Stuck Playing One Part

• You can demonstrate appropriate and effective
  communication in terms of group roles as follows
• Demonstrate flexibility- playing a variety of
  maintenance and task roles adapts to the needs of
  the group.
• Avoid disruptive roles- show commitment to group
  effectiveness, not self-centeredness at the
  expense of group success.
• Be experimental, try different roles in different
  groups. Dont get locked into playing the same
  role in all groups, you will become role fixated.

11
Leadership and Influence A Two Way Process

• Leadership is a social influence process.
• Communications scholars have defined credibility
  as a composite of competence (knowledge
  skills), trustworthiness (honesty character),
  and dynamism (confidence assertiveness).

12
Leader versus Manager Interpersonal versus
Positional Influence

• There are two primary differences between a
  leader and a manager.
• A leader does not ordinarily operate from
  positional authority a manager does.
• Managers typically maintain the status quo. They
  dont try to change it but they do try to manage
  it efficiently. Leaders work to change the status
  quo.

13
The Emerging Leader

• The competent communicator who wishes to emerge
  as group leader should observe the following
  suggestions.
• Dont show up late or miss important meetings.
  Groups choose individuals who are committed, not
  members who exhibit insensitivity to the group.
• Dont be uninformed about a problem commanding
  the groups attention.
• Dont manifest apathy and lack of interest by
  sluggish participation in group discussion.
  Participation is a sign of commitment to the
  group, and commitment to the group and its goals
  is part of the leadership process.

14
The Emerging Leader

1. Dont try to dominate conversations during
   discussion.
2. Dont listen poorly- Leadership is not a
   monologue its a dialogue.
3. Dont be rigid and inflexible when expressing
   viewpoints. A hardened position is plaque on the
   cortex.
4. Dont bully group members.
5. Dont use offensive and abusive language.

15
General Pattern of Leader Emergence Process of
Elimination

• In general, a group selects a leader by a process
  of elimination in which potential candidates are
  systematically removed from consideration until
  only one person remains to be a leader.
• There are two phases to the process-of-elimination
  of leader emergence
• First, roughly half of the members are eliminated
  from consideration. Quiet members are among the
  first eliminated, nonparticipation will leave the
  impression of indifference and noncommitment.
• Those who talk the most are perceived initially
  as potential leader material.

16
General Pattern of Leader Emergence Process of
Elimination

• Members who express strong, unqualified
  assertions are eliminated. The uninformed,
  unintelligent, or unskilled are next in line for
  elimination.
• Groups look for task-competent individuals who
  are committed to the group goals to emerge as
  leaders.

17
General Pattern of Leader Emergence Process of
Elimination

• Secondly, of the remaining contenders, those who
  are bossy or dictatorial and those whose
  communication style is irritating or disturbing
  to group members are eliminated.
• The group often turn to the member who provides
  solutions to the crisis and he becomes the
  leader.
• Those members perceived to be effective listeners
  can make a strong bid to be chosen leaders.
• The general tendency is for groups to accept as
  leader the person who provides the optimum blend
  of task efficiency and sensitivity to social
  considerations.

18
Retaining the Leader Role Hanging onto Power

• There are three primary qualifications for
  retaining leadership
• You must demonstrate you competence as a leader.
• You must accept accountability for your actions.
• You must satisfy group members expectations.

19
Situational (Contingency) Perspective Matching
Styles with Circumstances

• There are four leadership styles in the Hersey
  and Blanchard model that flow form the first two
  variables.
• The Telling Style (high task, low relationship
  emphasis) is directive. A leader provides
  specific instructions regarding task and closely
  supervises the performance of followers but
  places minimal focus on developing social
  relationships with followers.

20
Situational (Contingency) Perspective Matching
Styles with Circumstances

• The Selling Style (high task, high relationship
  emphasis) is also directive. A leader using this
  style explain and clarifies decisions but also
  tries to convince followers to accept directives.
  
• The Participating Style (low task, high
  relationship) is nondirective. Leader using this
  style encourages shared decision making with
  special emphasis on developing relationships in
  the group.
• The Delegation Style (low task, low relationship)
  is nondirective. A leader using this style allows
  the group to be self-directed.
• The key to leadership effectiveness is matching
  the appropriate style to the group environment.

21
Functional Perspective Leadership
Responsibilities

• The functional perspective views leadership in
  terms of certain functions, or responsibilities,
  that must be performed for the group to be
  successful.
• Leader-as-completer, leaders are thought to
  perform those essential functions within a group
  that other members have failed to perform.
• Vital functions viewpoint, sees leaders
  performing key responsibilities different in kind
  and/ or degree from other members.

22
Group Procedural Responsibilities

1. Plan an agenda
2. Handle routine housekeeping details
3. Prepare for next meeting

23
Task Responsibilities

1. Initiate a structure
2. Seek information
3. Give information
4. Offer informed opinions
5. Clarify, summarize, and elaborate

24
Social Responsibilities

1. Facilitate involvement and communication
2. Harmonize
3. Express Feelings