262 Appendix A^ Speaking in Small Groups
• For many people, small group work is enjoyable. Some people are more moti-
vated and have more positive attitudes when they don’t have to deal with a subject
or problem alone. Also, social interactions and relationships can make teamwork
satisfying.
• Working in small groups results in the co-creation of meaning. Because of
the nature of information sharing and decision making, small groups are inherently
dialogical. Ideally, members form conclusions by bouncing their ideas off one another.Disadvantages of Group Work
Despite their advantages, group work has disadvantages that you should anticipate.
• Group work takes more time. Scheduling meetings and working around the
schedules of other busy people takes time, which often frustrates the more task-
oriented group members.
• Some do more work than others. Some team members work less than they
would if they were responsible for the entire project. This can result in tension and
resentments within the group.
• Some group members monopolize the discussion and impose their ideas on
others. Dominators can take over a group if the members aren’t careful. One rea-
son is linked to personality: some people are just more extroverted and expressive.
Another is linked to gender: women often defer to men in mixed groups.^3
• There is a tendency toward groupthink.^4 Groupthink happens when members
try to avoid conflict by subtly pressuring themselves and others to conform to a
decision, which may be irrational and unwise. On a national and international level,
several world leaders convinced their respective teams that Iraq had weapons of mass
destruction and that war was necessary to eradicate them. As we now know, they
relied on incorrect intelligence gathering; no weapons were found. Most decisions
your group makes won’t have such global implications, but you should ensure that
you aren’t making a bad decision out of politeness or unwillingness to challenge a
decision.
In summary, although group work offers many advantages, it also has disadvantages.
Groups cannot avoid the time factor, but they can use their available time wisely.
Furthermore, most disadvantages can be minimized if group members are accountable
to one another, if all members have a chance to voice their opinion, and if they avoid
agreement simply for the sake of peace.Investigative Teams
Instructors commonly ask students to team up to study a subject and present their find-
ings to the entire class. According to one study,^5 biology students learn to do “science
thinking” in small groups, and their classroom presentations hone the organizational
and speaking skills they will use throughout their careers as scientists.
Investigative reporters, students and professionals alike, also team up to probe
complex social issues. Because a seven- to ten-minute informative speech (described in
Chapter 15) can present only an overview of a controversy, you may be asked to team
up and study a significant issue in greater depth. This typically leads to more learning
and more involvement in the subject.^6 When the group shares the research burden, each
student can focus on one area. Not only do team members learn more, the class as a
whole benefits from the variety of perspectives and the in-depth coverage they hear
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