Page 193 - Effective group discussion theory and practice by Adams, Katherine H. Brilhart, John K. Galanes, Gloria J

176 Chapter 7

as leaders, thus in turn strengthening their own view of themselves as leaders. Emer-
32
gent leadership is a combination of acting skillfully and believing you are a leader.
Designated leaders, on the other hand, do enjoy the status given them by their legiti-
mate power. In face-to-face groups, their designated status as leader precedes their
behaviors—perhaps because they are more aware members are expecting them to act
33
like leaders. Acting contrary to expectation could spell trouble for them. Remember
that each group’s situation is different. The type of task, the personalities, and the
preferences of the members influence the kind of leadership enacted by a group.
Second, if your group does not have a designated leader, one will emerge. Here’s
what to do if you don’t want to emerge as your group’s leader: 34
■ Miss as many meetings as possible.
■ Say very little in group meetings.
■ Volunteer readily to be the group’s recorder.
■ Do what you are told by other members.
■ When you do contribute to the group, be dogmatic, verbally aggressive, and act
like you know it all—especially early in the group’s history.
■ When you can, play the role of joker.
■ Show disdain for leadership.

Leadership Emergence in Virtual Groups In previous chapters, we have pointed out
that groups are increasingly integrating computer technology into their group work,
anywhere from partially to completely. This technological reality forces us to question
its impact on leadership processes in these groups. What does leadership look like in
virtual groups, where members rarely if ever meet face to face? 35
The old school of thought did not hold much hope for leadership in online task
groups because computer-mediated communication lacked the nonverbal behavior
believed necessary for the social dynamics of leadership. Designated leaders would
not be able to act like leaders, and emergent leaders were unlikely. The physical traits
associated with leaders may not be seen online, and certainly, status spatial cues (e. g.,
seating arrangements) cannot be used to warrant perceptions of leadership. However,
we know from the preceding discussion that particular communication behaviors are
associated with leadership: amount and kind of communication. These behaviors are
certainly accessible for perceptions of leadership online.
In the first study of its kind, Wickham and Walther explored perceptions of lead-
36
ership in both leaderless virtual groups and designated leader virtual groups. They
found evidence of emergent leadership and also discovered that members quite easily
could identify their leaders. In fact, often at least two members get identified as emer-
gent leaders, and leaderless groups reported more agreement on who the leaders were
compared to groups with designated leaders. In virtual groups, compared to face-to-
face groups, the legitimacy of being designated a leader does not carry the same
weight. Online behaviors enacted by members can override their designated positions.
What behaviors do members report as important to their perceptions of who is
leader? Hands down, the frequency of communication was significant to perceptions
of leadership, just as it is in face-to-face groups, especially when paired with the trust
and liking online members are capable of creating (see CMC and cohesiveness in

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