Page 128 - Effective group discussion theory and practice by Adams, Katherine H. Brilhart, John K. Galanes, Gloria J

The Members and Their Roles 111

©Frank Gaertner/Shutterstock As groups get larger, they

are harder to coordinate,
have less equal
participation rates, and are
less satisfying than smaller
groups.

Thelen’s principle of least-sized groups: A group should be as small as possible, so Least-Sized Group
long as it has all the expertise and diverse points of view necessary to complete the The principle that the
task well. 4 ideal group contains
Somehow, we must strike a balance between diversity and size. A tiny group of as few members as
only three members may feel constrained and tense, but a large group may feel possible so long as
5
chaotic because it is much more complex. Larger groups have more uneven partic- all necessary
6
ipation, with a tendency for one person to do more talking. In addition, leader- perspectives and
ship becomes more centralized and formal, with leaders having to focus on keeping skills are
order. Member satisfaction and cohesiveness decrease, but competitiveness, represented.
aggression, withdrawal, and fragmentation of work increase. These negative
7
effects can be overcome with a teambuilding program, which we discuss in
8
Chapter 8.
Other factors being equal, a group of three to seven members is best for partici-
pant satisfaction and cohesiveness, with some advantage for smaller groups. Groups
9
of three to seven were much more productive and advanced as a team than groups of
nine or more members, but smaller groups of three or four members were the most
productive and advanced with five being the ideal number. This size is small enough
for informal interaction, gives everyone a chance to speak up, keeps down social loaf-
ing (nonparticipation), and makes consensus easier to achieve, yet provides the diverse
information and points of view needed for quality decisions. In practice, many groups
are larger for reasons that have little to do with efficiency or effectiveness (such as for
political reasons). Our advertising group was the perfect size for effective group work.

Personal Traits
A small group’s most important resource is its members. Your personal traits are
major factors that help determine whether a group succeeds or fails. Hirokawa and his
colleagues analyzed stories group members told to explain why groups succeed or

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