Small Group and Team Communication (3rd Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Favorable Review
Review: This book, Small Group and Team Communication, is a descriptive hands-on guide to success in a group setting. The authors intend to highlight the methods by which groups can achieve success, the problems which groups may encounter, and factors which enable groups to complete their tasks. Besides small group and team communication, various other methods of communication are discussed; nonverbal communication, the use of language, diversity in groups, the norms and behaviors of groups, the roles which certain people play in a group, and the characteristics that are necessary for success.
This book is readable and easy to understand; it has scenarios and discussion questions at the end of each chapter which solidify the material for the reader. These activities aid in the comprehension of the text. It may be necessary to have some prior knowledge of communications before reading this book; it would serve as a backdrop for further appreciation of the ideas represented. This book could very easily be used as a textbook for a communication course; it covers a great deal of ground on the topic of communication. The chapters are organized according to facets of group communication, such as decision making and problem solving, listening and feedback, creativity in small groups, diversity, four phases of group development, norms and roles, and conflict management, to name a few.
This book uses a great deal of references and ideas which are discussed in most communication texts. It brings together the various approaches and ideas that are in circulation about group communication and ties them together in a comprehensive and inclusive manner. There is a glossary, index, and it even includes popular testing methods to determine a person's skill and role as a group member.
I would recommend this book to professors for use in the classroom, and also as a resource for a research paper on group communication.