Page 12 - Effective group discussion theory and practice by Adams, Katherine H. Brilhart, John K. Galanes, Gloria J

Preface

he challenge of incorporating important new information without increasing
the length of the text continues with this 15th edition. We have worked hard to
Tremove redundancies and to streamline the information with the goal of updat-
ing the text without lengthening it.
Our focus continues to be communication: how communication creates, main-
tains, and changes a group through interaction among members and with the group's
environment. We encourage members and leaders to employ effective and ethical
principles of communication, so their group experiences are as rewarding as they can
be. We continue to highlight bona fide group theory, which we believe has contrib-
uted significantly to our understanding of how real- world groups actually work. We
also note that the technology available to help groups has become much more afford-
able and accessible than when we first started writing. To that end, we discuss groups
not as either face- to-face or virtual, but as entities that can use a variety of technolo-
gies to assist their work and as existing on a continuum from purely face- to-face to
purely virtual. We incorporate information about technology throughout the text.
When our students complete their study of small groups, we hope they will know
how to use the information and tools we present to understand why one group is sat-
isfying and another feels like torture. Most important of all, we hope they will under-
stand what they can do about it. Thus, as with previous editions, this book is based in
current research; our advice to students stems from what we know about communica-
tion and small groups.
Effective Group Discussion focuses on secondary groups, such as work groups, com-
mittees, task forces, self- directed work teams, and other small groups including virtual
ones with tasks to complete. The text provides practical tips and also serves well as a
reference source for advanced communication students, consultants, or group leaders.

Overview
Generally, the chapters move the discussion from group systems inputs to throughput
processes to outcomes. Instructors have the flexibility to skim or skip chapters or
cover them in a different order. For instance, a section in Chapter 2 covers basic com-
munication theory for students without a previous communication course, but this
section can be skimmed quickly if it reviews material students already know.
Part I presents an overview of small group and human communication theory.
Chapter 1 introduces several ideas developed in subsequent chapters: the importance
of small groups in our lives, types of groups, how many groups use technology, what
constitutes ethical behavior, and why members should become participant- observers
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