Study Guide—Final Exam Multiple choice and T/F questions only; 80 points

Group communication (Ch. 14—on conflict, 15, 16, notes, handouts, D2L documents) What is the definition of a small group which constitutes a project team?
What are the characteristics of small groups?
What are the systems principles that apply to small group communication (Pp on D2L)
The four phases of decision making (the names and characteristics; the fact that they occur several times in the course of a project as far as the storming, conforming, performing phase)
Primary tension (the tension that exists initially because group members do not know each other well) What does the term “group culture” refer to?
The advantages of team work (“Lessons from Geese”) interdependence, commitment, cohesiveness What functions do norms have? What is the definition of a norm? Implicit vs explicit norms? What are the three role categories a group may have? You also need to be able to identify specific roles under each category ( task roles, building and maintenance roles, self-serving roles)
How can deviance be dealt with effectively? What are ineffective strategies? What is a group’s task dimension? How can the level of productivity be determined? What is a group’s social dimension? How can the level of cohesion be determined? What are typical leadership roles?
Differentiate the three different leadership styles (democratic, autocratic, laissez-faire), describe each style and explain in which situation each is justified.
What stereotypes and barriers do females receive when they are in leadership positions? What expectations do males have to fulfill to avoid negative labels? What double standards explain these labels (gender and communication is discussed in Ch. 16; summary in D2L document on gender and leadership)
What different communication networks may arise? Differentiate centralized and decentralized networks
The different ways of managing conflict effectively; the four ways of reaching decisions (full consensus, compromise, voting, decision by authority rule—the advantages and disadvantages of each, when each one is appropriate)
Positive types of conflict (substantive and procedural conflict) vs. the negative types of conflict (conflict introduced by deviants or motivated by factors such as jealousy, disliking specific group members, etc.)
Principled negotiation as a way of addressing conflict over ideas (substantive conflict) and procedural conflict effectively—define the term and recognize examples What ethical issues come into play when managing conflict? What are effective contributions of group members? (“Group centered behaviors”) What is an agenda? What is groupthink? When does it occur? Discuss the various dimensions. What can be done to reduce/avoid groupthink?
Conducting effective meetings
Ethics and conflict
What are Robert’s Rules of Order? Bylaws?

Interviewing (Notes, handouts, D2L documents)
What are preparation steps prior to the interview?
What are the functions of the introduction in an information gathering interview?
What does the interviewer need to do in the question and answer period besides asking the primary questions?
What are the functions of the conclusion of an information gathering interview?
What is a structured interview? An unstructured interview?
What are the rules for open and closed questions?
What do closed questions include?
What is a direct vs. and indirect question? A neutral vs. a leading (=directional question)? When should each be used? What does effective listening entail? What are the main sections in a persuasive interview? Why does the interviewer need to create a dialog? How and why are questions to be integrated in all the steps? What functions does the introduction have? What needs to be accomplished in the need step? Why is it important to specify criteria before moving into the solution step? What