4. Distribute positive points
a. Cooperative/power sharing choice
b. Profit sharing pay systems are similar to this choice.
Those in power must make decisions. Those choices will largely determine future
outcomes. Seizing resources from another group builds resentment and hostility.
Remaining in power usually requires some risk-taking. Playing it safe can reveal timidity
and inability to adapt to change. Adopting a cooperative, power-sharing approach has the
advantage of building social credits and lessening motivation among less powerful groups
to retaliate against the group in power. Choice #2 and #3 above taps into the group
polarization effect.
Phase #2: Trivial Pursuit Quiz
A. Information and expertise are power resources. If a group member knows the
answer to one of the questions, he or she becomes a “hero” and earns points for
the group. Status increases.
B. Cooperation is preferable to
and produce synergy. Groups often make this phase competitive when it
need not be (competitive mindset).
Phase #3: Blind Draw (5 Rounds)
A. Creates possibility of a power shift. Sometimes loss of power is a matter of luck.
B. Will power shift produce retribution? Payback time for competitive choices
made earlier in the exercise?
C. Will powerful group offer less powerful groups a chance to gain points? Will
powerful group choose to play it safe by giving the draw to other groups, thereby
not risking possible negative draws.
Phase #4: Talent Show
A. Personal qualities act as power resources.
B. Some groups just have more charisma, more “stars” who can connect
with an audience. Increases status within the group and the class when
a great performance by an individual or group is given (empowerment).
C. Competition is not always avoidable. Talent show is a contest.
Phase #5: The Egg Drop
A. Big lesson in cooperation (power sharing). Groups that work together
not against each other, usually do better on the egg drop. Sharing
resources to protect all the eggs can be quite productive.
B. Power and creativity are linked. Creativity is often rewarded.
C. Dominant members tend to bully the group into one design without
centrate on only what can go right
with their designs, not what might go wrong and require design changes.
Phase #6: The Auction
A. Competitive strategy of trying to outbid other teams is a loser.
B. Cooperative strategy of working together (one team each round bids a
single point and other teams bid zero) produces a potential 3700 points
minus 10 points for bids. Teams have to trust each other and work
together throughout.
TV Nation, Vol. 2.
A. Show the segment about 10 minutes into the video that shows Janeane
Garofalo organizing a group to invade a private beach in Connecticut.
Segment runs about 5 minutes. Students will find this video amusing
and instructive. Videos available from amazon.com.
B. Outstanding example of the issue of power distance fought over within
the United States. The question is
and virtually all students in class answer a loud No. The clear power
and the interlopers who try to invade but are turned away by police and
the Coast Guard will spark interesting class discussion. Students are
ooty response to Garofalo and her
invading group. Power distance exists between groups and individuals
in the United States, but America is a low-PD culture because the
majority of Americans do not respond positively to those who attempt
to maintain the distance. In 2001, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled in
favor of those protes
NOTE: Many segments from TV Nation, Vols. 1 & 2, illustrate the clash that occurs when
power is imbalanced (see especially Vol.1 segm
sure of some of these power imbalances
shows the power of information. Some inequalities change when exposed to the light of
the segment on the issue of a pancreatic
transplant in Vol. 1).
A. Purposes:
1. To teach students the difference between aggressiveness, passivity,
and assertiveness.
2. To help students appreciate the mostly nonverbal nature of
assertiveness.
3. To provide an opportunity for students to learn the assertiveness skill.
B. Time required: approximately 25 minutes
C. Instructions:
1. Divide the class into dyads (pairs).
ically stand up ONLY when the
pleading, questioning, or begging, B will remain seated and give
If the statement is too much of a
command, sounds like an order, A will remain seated and give
Do not allow any words to be used
obey by sitting down only if it sounds assertive. Do not allow any
Feedback should be given any
process until B has stood up and sat down several times.
4. Roles will now switch. B will issue th
5. Break the class into groups of 6-9 members. Have each member, in
member should be told to make an independent judgment whether
the statement was said assertively, aggressively, or passively. Group
members will obey only when the statement is deemed assertive.
Sometimes all group members will obey simultaneously and
sometimes compliance will be sporadic. Each member must get every
Again, group members obey only if the statement is deemed
assertive. Feedback should be provided frequently to the member
making the statements.
D. Processing:
1. Note that groups will sometimes comply all together. When all
nonverbal cues communicate assertiveness (tone of voice, facial
expressions, eye contact, gestures, posture), all group members will
comply. When mixed messages are communicated from
contradictory nonverbal cues (i.e., downcast eyes but confident vocal
tone) the compliance is more sporadic. Which nonverbal cues are
most noticeable to individual group members will play an important
part in a determination of the aggressiveness, passivity, or
assertiveness of the statement. For example, if you are sitting next to
the member issuing the statement,
eyes so tone of voice will become more salient. Someone sitting
directly across from the member making the statement, however, may
find eye contact more salient than tone of voice.
2. Assertiveness is mostly nonverbal
be inherently commands, thus
aggressive. Yet this exercise clearly demonstrates that the verbal
through tone of voice, lack of eye contact, soft-spokenness, and so
forth. Thus, what you say is often not as important as how you say
ng to be assertive.
3. The multiple nonverbal cues that together comprise assertiveness,
aggressiveness, or passivity should be discussed. The
list might be distributed after the exercise
has been completed but before discussion takes place.
ELEMENTS OF ASSERTIVE COMMUNICATION
NONVERBAL ELEMENTS
Eye Contact
Inadequate eye contact is usually interpreted as exhibiting
anxiety, dishonesty, shame, boredom, or
embarrassment. Direct eye contact typically communicates
self-confidence and directness (assertiveness).
Facial Expressions
Facial expressions should match verbal statements. Smiling while displeased or
smirking when anxious gives a mixed message. Frowning may communicate
aggressiveness.
Gestures/Posture
Fidgeting, nervous shifting from one foot to another, slumped shoulders, or bent over
posture often communicate passivity. Similarly, frantic gesturing, energetic stabbing
motions with the hand, clenched fists and wild waving of the arms may be
interpreted as aggressiveness. Strive fo
appearing to have consumed five cafe espressos. Poise is interpreted as assertiveness.
Poise means you are under control physically.
Vocal elements
aising your voice at the end of a declarative statement
ivity. Consider other vocal
aspects as well.
too loud comes across as aggressive.
appears nervous, out of control, lacking confidence.
Distance
Too close, especially with strangers app
2-3 feet apart for normal social conversation.
VERBAL ELEMENTS
Despite the mostly nonverbal nature of assertiveness, there are some verbal aspects to
consider. Think before you speak. Saying whatever comes to mind may appear anxious,
even fearful. Strive for clarity. A jumbled verbal message can seem passive, lacking in
statements. For example:
CHAPTER TEN
Conflict Management in Groups
A. Purpose: To give students an opportunity to analyze their own conflict
management approaches and skills and to receive feedback from group members.
(This exercise works best when conflict styles and principled negotiation have
already been discussed in class.)
B. Time required: approximately 30 minutes (if questionnaire is filled out
in advance)
C. Instructions
1. Have students access Web site:
www.qvctc.commnet.edu/classes/ssci121/questnr.html
fill out the questionnaire as honestly as possible, score it as instructed,
and bring a printed copy to class on the day this exercise will be
conducted.
3. Be sure all students have scored the questionnaire accurately before
proceeding. Scoring instructions are included on the Web site.
4. Have groups form. Give groups about 15 minutes to discuss the
results of the questionnaire. Have students focus on principled
negotiation, matching their results with the principles identified by
Fisher and Ury in the text.
D. Processing
1. Discuss with class how useful they think the questionnaire was. Did it
provide useful information for assessing their own knowledge and
skill on conflict management?
2. Discuss with the class what likely happens when group members
have different levels of knowledge and skill for managing conflict.
How should groups deal with such diversity?
II. “Conflict Case Studies” exercise
A. Purposes:
1. Require students to apply theoretical material on conflict styles.
2. Require students to apply theoretical material on negotiating
strategies.
B. Time required: About 40-50 minutes.
C. Instructions:
1. Divide class into groups of 5-7 members.
2. Distribute the two case studies (see following pages).
3. Have groups indicate how best to handle these conflicts, applying the
text material on conflict styles and negotiating strategies.
CASE STUDY #1
The scene is Piedmont College in Lost Horizon, Connecticut. Piedmont College sports an
admirable academic reputation nationally. It has a student body of 10,000 (exclusively
commuters). Its student newspaper, The Scorch, has excellent facilities for on-campus
printing.
A group interested in publishing a campus literary magazine, The Crucible, has received
$200 each from 3 departments on campus (English, Speech, and Journalism) to begin work
on the magazine. The purpose of the magazine is to promote student creativity and act as a
vehicle for student literary expression.
The Problem
It is too costly to publish The Crucible off-campus and The Crucible has a very tight
budget. Since The Scorch has excellent printing facilities, the staff at The Scorch offered
the use of its facilities for preparing and printing The Crucible (for a nominal fee of $200
per issue). The point of conflict arises each week on Tuesday and Wednesday prior to the
publication of The Scorch (issues come out on Thursdays). There isn’t enough room at The
Scorch office to accommodate both groups at once. The staff of The Crucible has to work
at least twice a week (pasting up articles, headlines, graphics) using The Scorch’s facilities.
The Scorch staff has become increasingly angry by the “infringement” of its rights by The
Crucible staff.
In addition, one of the machines used in preparing photographs for publication has been
broken due to carelessness. No one will own up to having broken the machine. The Scorch
had to foot the repair bill ($525.00) since the machine was originally purchased to publish
The Scorch, and must be used for this purpose each week.
If The Scorch staff refuses to allow The Crucible staff to continue to use the facilities of The
Scorch, the literary magazine will fold. Yet, the equipment cannot be jeopardized by
carelessness.
You’re the arbitrator of this conflict. What would you suggest?
The Analysis
A. Both groups should confront the problem directly. Working together rather than
pointing fingers is appropriate.
B. An integrative solution is possible.
CASE STUDY #TWO
The Problem
A primary school teacher (3rd grade) has had some discipline problems in the classroom.
Several students have been chronically disruptive. The teacher has disciplined them in
various ways (e.g., verbal reprimand, extra homework, detention after school) with little
success. The students’ clownish antics threaten to turn the classroom into a zoo.
As a “last resort” the teacher sends the disruptive students to the principal whose policy is
that a little corporal punishment (spanking) will solve most problems of disruption (“Spare
the rod, spoil the child”). The teacher is uncomfortable with this policy, abhorring violence,
but desperate people do desperate things. The spankings temporarily reduce the disruption
but it is beginning to increase once again. To make matters worse, now the entire class
sees the teacher as an insensitive ogre. In addition, some parents have verbally accosted the
teacher over the phone for sending their kids to the principal to be spanked. When the
teacher retorts that the parents should instruct their children to “toe the line,” the teacher is
told to “lighten up” and learn to accept a little “harmless playfulness.”
The teacher is beginning to lose motivation to continue teaching. The classroom has
become a battlefield and large amounts of time are spent disciplining students. Little
learning is taking place. Parents are upset with the teacher, the students are upset with the
teacher, and the teacher hasn’t a clue how to proceed.
All right, you brilliant conflict managers, help this poor beleaguered teacher.
What should the teacher do?
The Analysis
A. The only communication style used by the teacher has been
B. Confrontation needs to take place between the teacher and the disruptive students‘
parents. The parents, if made to see that their children are preventing learning from
taking place in the classroom by their disruptive antics, may lend assistance to
the teacher. If not, nothing is lost. Confrontation also needs to occur between the
C. There needs to be greater emphasis on positive reinforcement of admirable behavior
than has taken place. In addition, the class should be made more interesting. In
terms of principled negotiation strategies, the interest of the teacher is to make
order out of what has become chaos. The interest of the students is almost
assuredly to have a more exciting, stimulating class. Boredom breeds discontent
and disruption. Emphasizing the positive accomplishments of students and
striving to make the class more exciting would help meet the
interests of both parties in this conflict.
III. Excerpt from the movie, Ordinary People
A. Show clip about mid-film where Conrad (Timothy Hutton) and his dad
(Donald Sutherland) bring a Christ
Tyler Moore) enters the living room while Conrad and his dad trim the
room after a
terrible fight has ensued. Give class brief background on what has
B. This is a powerful, disturbing excerpt that illustrates well several
communication styles of conflict management and their likely results.
Most students have never seen this movie so it will be a fresh
experience.
about quitting the swim team, but
boration (descriptive first-person
singular language). Instead, she seems to be attacking him
(competitive/power-forcing).
n with Conrad, who is lying on his
dad confronts his son in an
empathic, collaborating way. Conrad
(competing style) so he clams up once again.
IV. Excerpt from the movie, Saving Private Ryan
A. Following a discussion of anger management, show a 5-minute clip
from the movie Saving Private Ryan. The clip is approximately 70
B. This scene depicts an extremely intense situation that is masterfully
diffused by Captain Miller. As men under his command erupt into rage,
he remains completely calm (asymmetrical). He diverts attention from
the increasingly chaotic situation
potentially disastrous pickle his troops have created for themselves.
frustration by recognizing that they
are on a mission that seems to make no sense. By talking about who he
is and how he feels about being in the war, Miller validates what all of
the men are feeling.
V. Excerpt from movie, The Negotiator.
A. Choose any scene in movie where either Samuel L. Jackson (beginning
of movie) or Kevin Spacey (later in movie) act as negotiators trying to
defuse a hostage situation.
B. Each negotiator works hard at being asymmetrical, trying to divert
attention, validating, probing, and problem solving. Shows that we can
train ourselves to respond to the anger of others without
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Technology and Virtual Groups
I. Theory and practice
A. Discuss media richness and media synchronicity theories with class.
B. Break class into 4 groups of about equal size.
C. Ask each group to choose a single, specific group for analysis (jury, work group,
etc.). Apply both theories to a face-to-face and to a virtual version of the chosen
group. Consider pros and cons of each version of the chosen group using the two
theories for analysis.
D. Report group conclusions to the entire class. Make a list on the board of group
conclusions.
II. Text-messaging: Pros and cons
A. Break class into groups of 5-7 members.
III. Text-messaging, audio conferencing, and videoconferencing activity
A. Discuss text material on text-messaging, audioconferencing, and
videoconferencing. with the class.
B. Break class into groups of 5-7 members. Have each group discuss individual
experiences that either support or contradict the research findings about these
three versions of virtual groups.
IV. The inherent limitations of technology demonstration/discussion
A. Purpose: To explain the bias of technologies and how electronic
technologies have an inherent bias for speed of information transmission,
contributing to information overload.
B. Time required: Approximately 5-10 minutes plus discussion
C. Instructions
1. Bring a box to class filled with these items: a hammer, a screwdriver,
a fork, a pencil, a pocket calculator, a pager, a Palm Pilot (if available),
and a cell phone (borrow one from
has one).
2. As you show each item to the class, ask what function it has (i.e., a
hammer is meant to do what? Pound nails.)
3. Ask if it can do other things. Ask if it can be used for communication
(typically participants will say
D. Processing
1. Every technology, simple (hammer) or complex (Palm Pilot) has a
technological bias. Hammers are meant to pound nails, screwdrivers
are meant to twist screws, a pencil is made to write, a pager is meant
to signal, a cell phone is meant for verbal communication, etc.). Each
technology, or tool, can do other things but not very well. Thus, each
technology has an inherent bias
function.
2. Electronic technology (cell phones, faxes, ATMs, television and
computers in particular) have tant transmission
of information and data. Transmitting enormous amounts of
information and data at the speed of light is what computers do best.
3. Electronic technologies have increased the pace of life (see Closer
impatient waiting even a nanosecond for a response from
machines or from people. Gathering data (information overload)
often becomes more important than allocating time for reflection,
critical analysis of the information, even for sorting through the
gigaheaps of information, much of it useless and irrelevant.
go slower. That contradicts their
technological bias. You could merely tap a nail with a hammer, but it
would make the hammer a relatively ineffective tool in most
discussion may seem interminab
standards. Nevertheless, careful, thoughtful consideration of
problems and their solutions is critical. Learning to cope with
information overload is a vital task for groups.
5. So with this inherent bias of each technology, what complications does
this make for working in all types of virtual groups? Discuss with class
and list the complications on the board.
GRADING
FORMS
GROUP SYMPOSIUM
Group Critique
TOPIC:_______________
I. Organization (10 points) ___________
A. Clear division of labor
B. Balanced division of time between members
C. Clear, concise, precise presentation of information
D. Comments:
II. Content (10 points) __________
A. Evidence of research
B. Documentation cited to support claims where necessary
C. Information provided that is relevant to main focus
D. Comments:
III. Attention/Interest (10 points) _________
A. Visual Aids used
B. Effort made to keep interest
C. Comments:
IV. Performance/Delivery/Style (10 points) ________
A. Eye contact
B. Body movement
C. Poise/energy/enthusiasm
D. Comments:
Group Total Score: _________
GROUP SYMPOSIUM
Individual Critique
Name: _________________ Topic: ____________________
I. Organization (15 points) __________
A. Clear purpose statement
B. Main points previewed
C. Signposting
D. Kept within time limit
E. Comments:
II. Content (15 points) _________
A. Documentation used where necessary to support claims
B. Evidence of research
C. Logical and complete presentation of information
D. Comments:
III. Attention/Interest (15 points) _________
A. Attention step used in introduction
B. Use of visual aids where appropriate
C. Effort made to maintain interest of audience
D. Comments:
IV. Performance/Delivery/Style (15 points) _________
A. Used extemporaneous style of speaking
B. Eye contact direct and plentiful
C. Body movement
D. Poise
E. Comments:
Total Individual Score: _________
Combined Group and Individual Score: _________
SYMPOSIUM (Movie Analysis)
Evaluation Form
NAMES: _______________ ______________ _______________ ______________
_______________ ______________ _______________
MOVIE CHOICE:________________________
I. ORGANIZATION (20 points):________________
A. Did presentation flow smoothly?
B. Were video clips handled effectively? Were too many shown for too long?
C. Was distribution of responsibilities relatively even?
D. Were points clearly made?
II. CONTENT/ANALYSIS (40 points):______________
A. Was the analysis broad ranged?
B. Was the analysis accurate?
C. Were too many video clips shown with too little analysis?
III. ATTENTION (20 points):________________
A. Was the presentation interesting?
B. Was there a concerted effort to keep the attention of the class?
C. Did the efforts to maintain attention blend well with the content of the
project or was it distracting?
IV. STYLE/DELIVERY (20 points):______________
A. Was the extemporaneous style used throughout?
B. Was there any reading? Was it excessive?
C. Were presentations animated/enthusiastic or monotonous?
FINAL GROUP GRADE:______________