Essentials of Human
Communication, 6/e
Chapter Nine:
Members and
Leaders in
Small Group
Communication
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Chapter Nine Goals:
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Participate by performing task, building
and maintenance roles while avoiding
dysfunctional role behavior
Learn to adjust leadership style to task
and group needs
Communicate with cultural awareness
and sensitivity
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Task Roles
“Getting the job done”
Information giver/seeker
Opinion giver/seeker
Evaluator-critic
Procedural technician or
recorder
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Building and Maintenance Roles
“Serving the relationship needs of the group”
Encourager
Harmonizer
Compromiser
Follower
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Individual Roles
Aggressor
Blocker
Recognition seeker
Self-confessor
Dominator
Troller—an Internet
contributor
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Becoming a Better Team Member
o Participate
o Be group/team-oriented
o Always keep conflict “issuefocused”
o Be critically open-minded
o Ensure understanding
o Beware of groupthink
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Human Communication
Leadership in
Small Group
Communication
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Leadership Approaches
 Transformational
 Functional
Leadership is
Leadership is
responsive to dynamic
and changing situations
characterized by leaders
who possess charisma
and seek to encourage
and empower members
 Situational
 Trait Centered
Leadership identifies
people who have an
optimal mix of
personality and
professional qualities
Leadership is
demonstrated by an
individual who is able to
adjust and adapt tasks to
member situations,
maturity, and mix.
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A Model of Situational Leadership
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Leadership Styles
“How one assesses a
group’s task and
relational maturity”
Telling
Selling
Participating
Delegating
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General Styles of Leadership
Laissez-faire leader
Democratic leader
Authoritarian leader
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Functions of Leadership
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Prepare members and start interaction
Maintain effective interaction
Guide through the agreed-upon agenda
Ensure member satisfaction
Empower group members
Encourage ongoing evaluation and
improvement
Manage conflict
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Mentoring
“one-on-one relationship
between an expert and a novice”
Based on support and trust
Relationship works to empower
novice
Mentoring programs serve to
retain employees/members
Excellent practice for career
success
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Membership, Leadership and Culture
 Each culture maintains its own belief system that
influences group behavior
 Each culture has its own rules of expected and
preferred leadership
Individual and Collective Orientations
 Small groups differ in how they promote individual or
collective concerns
 It is not an “all or nothing” proposition – groups simply
operate out of a preferred orientation
 The question must be answered: How independent can
group members be if the group is to remain
interdependent?
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High and Low Power Distances
High Power Distance cultures concentrate
power and influence into the hands of a few.
Low Power Distance cultures distribute power
more evenly so people operate and see
themselves more equally.
Each approach has a significant
impact on relationships,
communication flow and personal
style.
Copyright (c) Allyn & Bacon 2008