Real comm2e ch10

Chapter 10

Leadership andDecision Making

in Groups

• Describe the types of power that effective leaders employ

• Describe how leadership styles should be adapted to the situation

• Identify how culture affects appropriate leadership behavior

• List forces that shape a group’s decisions

Chapter Outcomes

• Explain the six-step group decision process

• List behaviors to improve effective leadership in meetings

• Demonstrate three aspects of assessing group performance

Chapter Outcomes (cont.)

Understanding Group Leadership

Leadership is the ability to influence other’s behaviors and thoughts toward a productive end.– Influence comes from a person’s

power or from group members’ admiration and respect for the individual.

Understanding Group Leadership (cont.)

• Five Sources of Power

– Legitimate power

– Coercive power

– Reward power

– Expert power

– Referent power

Understanding Group Leadership (cont.)

• Shared Leadership

– Members feel more satisfied.

– Members are more motivated to perform.

– The group is more likely to achieve its goals.

Understanding Group Leadership (cont.)

• Leadership Styles

– Directive: controls communication

– Participative: views members as equals

– Supportive: attends to members’ emotional needs

– Achievement-oriented: sets challenging goals, high expectations

Understanding Group Leadership (cont.)

• Competence and EthicsSkilled leaders are:

• Flexible• Accountable• Credible• Competent

communicators

Understanding Group Leadership (cont.)

• Competence and Ethics (cont.)

Unethical leaders are:

• Controlling

• Accustomed to using bullying, criticism, name-calling, gossip, personal attacks, and threats

Culture and Group Leadership

• Gender and Leadership– Research does not support existence

of gender differences in leadership.

– Popular notion persists that masculine style emphasizes control

– Popular notion persists that feminine style looks to needs of group members

– Behavioral flexibility is key to finding the right style.

Culture and Group Leadership (cont.)

• Context and Power Distance– High-context cultures use less direct

communication than low-context cultures.

– Power distance affects the level at which group members participate.• Low power distance cultures offer ideas

easily.

• High power distance cultures may need encouragement to off ideas.

Decision Making in Groups

• Cognitive forces:Group members’ thoughts, beliefs, and

emotions

• Psychological forces:Group members’ personal motives,

goals, attitudes, and values

• Social forces:Group standards for behavior which

influence decision making

Decision Making in Groups (cont.)

The Problem-Solving Process1. Identify the problem.

2. Analyze the problem.

3. Generate solutions.

4. Evaluate and choose solutions.

5. Implement the solution.

6. Assess the results.

Leadership in Meetings

• Planning Meetings Effectively– Justify the meeting.– Clarify the purpose and participants.– Set an agenda.

Leadership in Meetings (cont.)

• Managing Meetings Effectively– Arrive prepared.– Keep the group focused.– Summarize periodically.– Keep an eye on the time.– Manage conflict.– Follow up.

Leadership in Meetings (cont.)

• Using Technology in Meetings– Face-to-face teams perform better

initially and are better at compromise.

– Virtual teams are better at brainstorming.

– Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS) help groups collaborate more effectively.

Evaluating Group Performance

• Informational Considerations– Is the group on task?– Are all group members participating?

• Procedural Effectiveness– Are group activities and

communication coordinated and shared?

• Interpersonal Performance– Are the relationships among group

members effective?