Chapter 8 Question 3

For this weeks last post I wanted to focus on a section of “The Essential Guide to Group Communication”. A few things struck me as interesting especially during this time of working with our groups. The section I concentrated on was Factors Influencing Decision Making in Group and Teams. This section listed factors that influence the process of working as part of a group. The factors are:

Understanding the variables involved in group decision making

Developing group decision-making skills

Clarifying group value and goals

Managing group expectations

Dealing with time pressures

Working through conflict

There are also many forces that are part of working in a team as well. Cognitive forces are how a person might perceive, interpret, evaluate, store, retrieve and integrate of information. Psychological forces are personal motives, goals, attitudes, and values that the team members might have. Lastely, social forces are characterized as language use and persuasion. All these forces are present in some way when people are in groups or teams and work together.

Hair, Dan, and Mary O. Wiemann. "Leadership and Decision Making in Groups or Teams." The Essential Guide to Group Communication. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2004. 37-46. Print.