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Chapter 8: Small-Group Communication
Essay Questions
1. List and explain the reasons noted in your text why you should study small-group communication.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Remember
2. Define small-group communication. Make sure you include what is implied by the words small, interact, and interdependence.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
3. Explain why knowledge of small-group communication can help you in business and industry employment.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
4. How do men and women differ in terms of how they interact in groups?
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
5. Explain the different purposes of task statements, maintenance statements, and self-centered statements in small-group communication.
Provide an example of each type of statement.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
6. How can gender, ethnicity, and culture impact communication in small groups?
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
7. Discuss and give examples of task functions and maintenance functions. Which is more important for accomplishing the group’s goal?
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
8. Explain the differences between assigned and emergent groups. Give an example of each type.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
9. Explain how trust, cohesiveness, and supportiveness contribute to group climate.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
10. What constitutes “ethical behavior” during small-group communication?
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
11. Drawing from your own experiences, describe three examples of group norms.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
12. What is groupthink? How is it detrimental to small-group communication?
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
13. What are the differences between a designated leader and an emergent leader of a small group, and what is the effect of each on the group?
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
14. Give an example of a question of fact, a question of value, and a question of policy.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Apply
15. What are the characteristics of a good discussion question?
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
16. When planning a meeting, what are some tips to increase the meeting’s effectiveness?
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Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Remember
17. Name three styles of leadership explained in the book. What are the advantages of each?
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Remember
18. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a group decision support system?
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
19. Identify and describe three of French and Raven’s five sources of power.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
20. What are some leadership competencies noted in the text?
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Remember
21. Give an example of a formal role and an informal role.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
22. Explain the concept of within-group diversity and why it is important to group culture.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
23. What are observable characteristics of group culture? Provide at least two examples of observable diversity.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
24. What implicit characteristics are related to group diversity? Provide at least two examples of implicit characteristics that could influence
group culture.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
True/False Questions
25. One reason why you should learn about small groups is because humans need groups to meet needs they cannot meet as individuals.
26. In terms of communicative competency, effective leaders attempt to force their own ideas into group discussions.
27. An example of a formal role is when the treasurer of an organization pays the monthly bills.
28. An example of a role is an encounter played by a person who nearly always breaks the tension by making a joke or lightening up the
discussion.
29. A person can play only one role in a particular discussion.
30. Individuals in small-group communication must perceive that they have a mutually interdependent purpose.
31. If a group member wants to keep voting on an issue until his or her choice is selected, the member is performing a self-centered function.
32. If you’re part of a group formed specifically to solve a problem, you are in an emergent group.
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© 2013 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any
manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
Answer: F
Bloom’s level: Understand
33. An example of a norm in small-group discussion might be that everyone sits in a circle with no one in an obvious leadership seat.
34. Within-group diversity consists of observable characteristics and implicit characteristics.
35. Group leaders must identify the group’s task and create group member cohesion, among other duties.
36. “The municipal government, the city, should provide garbage collection—not private haulers.” This statement is an example of a question of
fact.
37. “One problem I see with Cindy’s idea…” is an example of a coordinating statement.
38. Leadership involves communication that influences the group to move toward its goals.
39. The statement “I don’t care; whatever you want to do is fine with me” is likely to be uttered by a democratic leader.
40. The least directive style of leadership is democratic.
41. A designated leader is someone who has been appointed or elected to a leadership position.
42. Leaders have expert power if they have earned certificates or degrees in the subject areas for which they are providing information.
43. The statement “I think Sarah’s point is well made and we should look at it more closely” is an example of a supporting statement.
44. Group norms are less difficult to create in computer-mediated environments.
45. All of the following reasons are listed in your text as to why you should study small-group communication except
a. Groups are everywhere.
b. It is more fun to do things with a group of people rather than as an individual.
c. Small groups are a means of participating in the democratic process.
d. Groups meet needs that people cannot meet as individuals.
46. Which of the following is most likely an example of an assigned group?
a. a group of students studying for an exam
b. a group of friends at a party
c. a group of students asked by the principal to clean the playground
d. a group of students practicing for basketball tryouts
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© 2013 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any
manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
47. Which of these groups may be classified as a secondary group?
a. roommates
b. friends you socialize with regularly
c. SGA Committee on Improving Campus Parking
d. coworkers who regularly share coffee breaks
48. All of the following are needs fulfilled by primary groups except
a. achievement
b. belonging
c. inclusion
d. affection
49. Which of the following is most likely an example of a primary group?
a. a group of workers solving a problem
b. a group of students preparing a presentation
c. a group of women playing cards
d. a group of workers building a house
50. Approximately what percentage of workers report in polls that their time spent working in meetings could be more productive?
a. 35%
b. 55%
c. 75%
d. 95%
51. According to research cited in your textbook concerning group size, how many people should be in a small group to increase the likelihood
that it will be a productive group?
a. 1 or 2
b. 3 or 4
c. 5 or 6
d. 7 or 8
52. The ability to withhold from followers what they want is called
a. reward power.
b. punishment power.
c. referent power.
d. expert power.
53. When other members value the knowledge or expertise of a person, that person has
a. reward power.
b. punishment power.
c. referent power.
d. expert power.
54. When other members of a group admire and respect a person, that person has
a. reward power.
b. punishment power.
c. referent power.
d. expert power.
55. Which of the roles described is more an informal role than a formal role?
a. John’s role of balancing the checkbook as the club’s treasurer
b. Cecelia’s role of taking notes as the club’s secretary
c. Frank’s role of maintaining order as the club’s parliamentarian
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d. Kathleen’s role of “taskmaster” because of her ability to maintain focus and not be sidetracked by frivolity and side talk
56. Which of the following statements illustrates a task function statement?
a. “Do whatever you want, I don’t care.”
b. “It doesn’t help to call each other names. Let’s stick to the issues.”
c. “I think Tara’s point is well made.”
d. “Let’s make a list of what we still need to do.”
57. Which of the following is not an example of a group norm?
a. The leader of the group always sits at the far end of the table during meetings because that is where she is expected to sit.
b. The leader has a very large vocabulary so she practically needs an interpreter for others to understand her.
c. Meetings of the group almost always last for an hour―no more and no less.
d. There are no formal speeches for this group; they always act informally, joke, use slang, and laugh a lot.
58. Which of the following is not a defining characteristic of a small group according to the textbook?
a. Behavior of the group is based on norms, values, and procedures accepted by members of the group.
b. Each person in the group has a sense of belonging or membership.
c. Each person’s success is contingent upon the success of the group in achieving its goal.
d. All of the communication interaction in the group is oral, verbal communication.
59. According to the definition of a small group in the book, which one of the following would not be defined as a small group?
a. five people who voluntarily serve in the Metro Civil Rights Commission to propose policy to the City Council
b. six people working for the same company on various projects in different departments
c. nine women who meet once a month on a Thursday in a support group for victims of wife abuse
d. four old men who meet weekly in the back of a local tavern in their “club” that promotes crime watch
60. Which of the following would not be considered a leader according to definitions presented in the text?
a. a person who influences the behavior and attitudes of others through communication
b. someone who becomes an informal leader by exerting influence toward achievement of a group’s goal but who does not hold the formal
position or role of a leader
c. one member persuading another to sabotage a group goal
d. someone who has been appointed or elected to a leadership position
61. The following are types of interpersonal influence of power except
a. reward.
b. punishment.
c. expert.
d. pride.
62. Which of the following statements regarding gender and group interaction is true?
a. Men use more exclamation points in online discussions.
b. Women prefer more formal speech forms.
c. Men are more influential.
d. Women are better leaders.
63. Which concept of group leadership assumes that interpersonal influence is the primary skill needed by an effective group leader?
a. trait approach
b. communicative competencies approach
c. style approach
d. functions approach
64. The statement “I don’t care; whatever you want to do is fine with me” is most likely to be uttered by a
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a. laissez-faire leader.
b. democratic leader.
c. autocratic leader.
d. emergent leader.
65. The key characteristics of a Group Decision Support System are efficiency and
a. cost.
b. support.
c. anonymity.
d. training.
66. Within-group diversity is influenced by observable characteristics and
a. sex characteristics.
b. race characteristics.
c. age characteristics.
d. implicit characteristics.
67. Which situation invites an emergent leader?
a. The company has just announced impending personnel reductions, and a small group of recently hired employees have gathered to discuss
strategy.
b. The company is bringing in a new vice president to be part of the upper management team.
c. The company, named for the family, which founded it, has just announced that the boss’s daughter will be the new CEO.
d. The company has a personnel committee that is always headed by the director of personnel with regional directors as its members.
68. Did the President of the United States really have intestinal flu or was it a more serious malady? This is a question of
a. value.
b. fact.
c. policy.
d. interest.
69. Which of the following is an implicit characteristic of group members?
a. age
b. race
c. individuals’ worldviews
d. personal artifacts
70. Americans have a cultural bias that favors which leadership style described in the book?
a. autocratic leadership
b. laissez-faire leadership
c. republican leadership
d. democratic leadership
71. The great Tennessee basketball coach, Pat Summit, is able to motivate her players because she has charisma and her players respect her a
great deal. What type of power might she possess?
a. reward power
b. punishment power
c. referent power
d. expert power
72. The great Tennessee basketball coach, Pat Summit, is able to win so often because her team understands what the opponent is trying to do on
offense and defense. Pat Summit is a master at knowing what types of plays the other team is going to run during the game. What type of
power might she possess?
a. reward power
b. punishment power
c. referent power
d. expert power