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Introduction:
Leaders are great communicators.
Whether or not they speak particularly well, great leaders convey their messages to groups in powerful ways.
Leaders, in the simplest terms, inspire others to follow. To do so, they communicate finely tuned messages, some intentional, some
not.
Lesson 5 explores the dynamic of leadership communication in groups and organizations.
Reading Assignment: Please read, in
your course text, the chapters entitled "Communicating In Small Groups" and "Communicating in Organizations" from DeFleur et al's "Fundamentals of Human Communication" Third Edition
Study Questions: (to accompany reading assignment): Review these questions and
keep them at hand as you complete this lesson's readings. These questions will help you internalize the reading materials and apply the concepts.
Writing Assignment:
1.) Small group communication (50% of writing assignment value)
Your text states that:
Social relationships among group members are controlled by the group's rules of communication. These relationships
may be informal or may be formally specified as part of a deliberate design. In many kinds of discussion groups, the rules dictating who can transmit what kinds of messages when and to whom
emerge through a series of stages. (Chapter Review, page 173)
This implies that there are hierarchies of behavior and communication embedded into fundamentally every human group. For
this assignment, please either validate or refute this notion by doing one of the following:
Join a new group and report on its hierarchies, if any. This is easily done by joining an Internet chat group. It can
also be done, of course, by joining a real group in either a formal (such as a Toastmasters or social club) or informal (such as a sports bar) setting.
Report on your experience joining a group in the past. This can be either a formal or informal group, as well.
For either option, observe and think carefully about the summary above, from the course text. Report on the structures
and processes at work in the group, and on your personal experience interacting with them.
Your report should reflect the concepts contained in this Lesson's readings. Indicate your understanding of the readings
by applying the concepts to your real life situation.
2.) Organizational bonds (50% of writing assignment value)
Your text states that:
A specialized internal culture can be found within any organization. Members of the group share language patterns,
beliefs and orientations that set it apart from other similar groups. Furthermore, with the organizations, microcultures can develop in various units and divisions or even among small groups of
work associates. These unique cultures can support an organization, or they can be the basis of serious conflicts. (Chapter Review, page 206)
Please comment on the preceding as it applies to organizations and groups in which you have participated. As if
developing a case study, relate your experience with organizational cultures and "microcultures" that you have seen and been part of. Present your case in written form, changing any names or data to
protect the innocent and the guily. Support your case with diagrams, organizational charts or other evidence as necessary.
Your report should reflect the concepts contained in this Lesson's readings. Indicate your understanding of the readings
by applying the concepts to your real life situation.
Practice: The Nonverbal Dictionary, while primarily focused on personal body language, also provides insights into the nonlanguage factors involved with group communication.
Skimming its entries will provide a useful foundation for completing this Lesson's assignment.
Lesson Exam: Once you have completed the reading and writing assignments,
please take the lesson exam. The exam is this lesson's last component.
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