Group Analysis Project

For the next few weeks, you will be working on a thorough analysis of a specific group of your choosing that you are a member of (or were a former member of).

The project will include a detailed analysis of the chosen group focusing on specific group elements that have been observed throughout the course of your membership. The finished product will be an essay that sufficiently presents your analysis.

Once you have settled on a group that you would like to analyze, you will explore the connections between the group communication concepts we have discussed this semester and your lived experiences within the group. Below is a list of the items that need to be addressed within your essay.

Your essay should include the following parts (the guideline I offer pertaining to length is such: provide as much information as it takes for you to clearly articulate how your group is influenced and affected by the following items):

• An introduction that gets the audience’s attention and broadly reveals the group you have chosen, and previews the topics that will discussed.
• Before you begin to analyze the group, an overview of the group and your place within that group is necessary. Focus on the 5Ws (who-how many people?; what-team, work group, social?; where?;when- for how long?;why-if not abundantly obvious) to help the reader better understand how you became a member of this group and how the group came to be. By providing a solid foundation of understanding at the beginning it makes your analysis much easier to write.
• A thoughtful analysis of the group communication concepts that are in play throughout your participation within the group. This analysis should overlap several course concepts (not limited to group communication) simultaneously. This analysis can describe what is present as well as offer solutions to what would make the group function better. The numbers in parentheses represent where these items can be found within the chapter slides; the first numbers the chapter, the second number is the slide.
• This analysis should include:
  • The Goals of the group (13; 8)
    • An overview of your individual goals (task and social)
    • An overview of the group goals (task and social)
    • Hidden agendas that are present that affect group performance
  • Roles (14; 9-14)
    • Your formal role
    • The informal roles you commonly fill (with brief examples that support your analysis)
      • Task
      • Maintenance (aka social/relational)
      • Negative roles
        • self-centered
        • unproductive
  • Interaction (13; 5)
    • An overview of the type of communication network your group has
  • Leadership (14; 5)
    • Leadership style of the group
  • Power (14; 6-8)
    • Types of power within the group
      • Types of power you have within the group
      • Relevant types of power commonly used throughout the group
  • Problem solving within the group (14; 15-18)
    • Is your problem-solving method successful?
    • Common decision-making methods used within the group
  • Proposed adjustments for the group
    • Communicative problems affecting your current group
    • What changes would you like to see pertaining to how your group currently operates that would make for a better experience for all.
  • A conclusion that summarizes your analysis experience and highlights any insights gained from the process.

The essay portion of this project is due in the dropbox the first day of presentations.

Self-Group Analysis ______/150

NAME:

TOPIC: