Group Communication
Reviewed by Marian Newell MISTC LCGI [2000]
Although group communication is not a core skill for technical communication,
most of us work in groups for at least some of the time. These may consist
of documentation professionals, such as authors, illustrators and editors,
or they may be related to projects or contracts, with a much wider range of
people. Improving our understanding of how people communicate in groups can
help us to work more effectively in teams.
The book is divided into twelve chapters in three parts. The first assesses
the study of groups: reasons for doing it, definitions and methods. The second
part reviews research findings on aspects of how groups work: development,
influence of members, leadership, structure, problem-solving, decision-making
and interaction between different groups. The final part looks at applications
for groups in work and study environments.
This is a readable book, with clear explanations of concepts and research
in the subject and plenty of everyday examples relating these to real life.
Many of the ideas described are presented in team building and management
courses but a book provides the opportunity to discuss the recommendations
in more detail, as well as referencing the research on which they are based.
Group communication is also covered by Argyle's Psychology
of Interpersonal Behaviour (Chapter 7) and Hargie et al's Social
Skills in Interpersonal Communication (Chapter 13).
Hartley is Senior Academic in Communication Studies at Sheffield Hallam University.
He is the author of Interpersonal Communication (Routledge 1993).
Routledge, 1997, ISBN 0-415-11160-9
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