Group Behaviour Essay 4154EDN assignment 代写
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Group Behaviour Essay 4154EDN assignment 代写
4154EDN – Assignment 1
Group Behaviour Essay – Criteria and standards
Criteria |
Outstanding
100 - 85 |
Very High Achievement
84 - 75 |
High Achievement
74 - 65 |
Satisfactory
64 - 50 |
Unsatisfactory
49 - 0 |
Chosen aspect of group behaviour
Weighting 10%
|
In addressing this criteria your essay presents a; |
Clear understanding and definition of the selected aspect of group behaviour
that is comprehensively explainedusing a broad range of related concepts, theories and illustrative examples from the literature
|
Clear understanding and definition of the selected aspect of group behaviour that is explained using a range of related concepts and theories from the literature |
Clear understanding and definition of the selected aspect of group behaviour using some appropriate concepts and theories from the literature |
Definition of the selected aspect of group behaviour using relevant literature |
Limited and unclear definition of the selected aspect of group behaviour with little to no support from relevant literature. |
Description of the groups examined
Weighting 15%
|
In addressing this criteria your essay presents a; |
Clear and comprehensive description of the two groups using a broad range of identifying concepts and characteristics that are fully justified, explained, illustrated by example and supported by the literature
|
Clear and comprehensive description of the two groups using a broad range of identifying characteristics that are explainedand supported by the literature |
Clear description of the two groups using a range of identifying characteristics that are explained and supported by the literature |
Description of the two groups using some well explained identifying characteristics from the literature
|
Limited and unclear description of the groups due to little to no use of group defining characteristics |
Analysis and illustration of functional and dysfunctional behaviours
Weighting 30%
|
In addressing this criteria your essay presents a; |
Comprehensiveidentification, description, illustration and explanation of a broad range of relevant functional and dysfunctional behaviours that operate within each of the groups to differentiate their performance. This achieved by using an appropriate range of concepts and theories from the literature to support your claims
|
Clear identification, description, illustration and explanation of a range of relevant functional and dysfunctional behaviours that operate within each of the groups to differentiate their performance. This achieved by using a range of concepts and theories from the literature to support your claims
|
Clear identification, description and explanation of some relevant functional and dysfunctional behaviours that operate within each of the groups to differentiate their performance and uses concepts and theories from the literature to support your claims
|
Description and explanation of some functional and dysfunctional behaviours that operate within each of the groups. Some relevant concepts and theories from the literature are occasionally used to support your claims
|
Unexplained set of insufficiently describedbehaviours that do not adequately differentiate the groups and are insufficiently supported by the literature |
Argued case for the similarities and differences of the two groups
Weighting 35%
|
Your essay presents a; |
Clear and detailed argument that comprehensively explains and justifiesthe similarities and differences between the two groups on the basis of the group behavioural aspect selected. The broad range of highly relevant concepts and theories used throughout are critically deployed to support and justify yourinsightful claims and conclusions
|
Clear and detailed argument that explains and justifies the similarities and differences between the two groups on the basis of the group behavioural aspect selected. The range of highly relevant concepts and theories used throughout are critically deployed to support and justify your claims and conclusions
|
Clear argument that explains and justifies the similarities and differences between the two groups on the basis of the group behavioural aspect selected. The concepts and theories used throughout support and justify your claims and conclusions
|
Argument that explains the similarities and differences between the two groups on the basis of the group behavioural aspect selected. Some relevant concepts and theories areoccassionally used to support your claims and conclusions
|
Insufficient and unclear explanation of the similarities and differences between the groupsthat draws on little to no appropriate literature to support the few conclusions presented |
Essay presentation
Weighting 10%
|
Your essay presents a case that |
Is cohesively structured and succinctly argued
Thoroughly integrated a diversity of acknowledged sources in its support
Consistently adhered to the English academic conventions of grammar, paragraphing, punctuation and spelling,
Accurately adhered to a recognised referencing system |
Cohesively structured an argument
Integrated a variety of acknowledged sources in support of its case
Mainly adhered to the English academic conventions of grammar, paragraphing, punctuation and spelling,
Almost always adhered to a recognised referencing system
|
Coherently structured an argument
Supported the primary claims made with some acknowledged sources,
Mostly followed the English conventions of grammar, paragraphing, punctuation and spelling,
Mostly accurately followed a recognised referencing system
|
Structured an argument
Used some acknowledged sources to illustrate some key points,
Mostly followed the English conventions of grammar, paragraphing, punctuation and spelling,
Indicated with some inaccuracies the details of sources used
|
Made some statements related to the topic tasks that;
Were not supported by acknowledged sources,
Very loosely followed the English conventions of grammar and spelling,
Occasionally and inaccurately indicated the sources of information used |
Mark –
Comments -
Group Behaviour Essay 4154EDN assignment 代写
Assignment 1: 4154EDN - Group and Organisational Behaviour
Introduction
This paper will examine communication as an element of group behaviour in order to analyse and discuss selected functional and
dysfunctional behaviours that occur both in an online support group (OSG) and a small work group within a larger organisation at the
National Communication Exchange (NCE). Firstly, this paper will examine communication generally, secondly provide a detailed
description of the two groups, thirdly provide examples of functional and dysfunctional practices that are deemed to support or hinder
communication and finally, argue that based on the analyses of the two groups they are more dissimilar than they are similar.
In order for individuals to communicate effectively certain skills are required to ensure that the message is both conveyed and received
as originally intended, that is, understood by all parties. There are different definitions and theories about what communication is and
how it functions, however there is general consensus amongst the readings concerning the process of communication itself. When
writing about this subject, Salas, Sims and Burke (2005) tell us that, “…communication is the exchange of information between two
or more individuals irrespective of the medium (p. 567), or in other words, whether communication occurs verbally, non-verbally or
electronically, communication can be said to have occurred. Investigating this concept further, Seth and Sethi (2009) posit that
interpersonal communication occurs when “…people swap information, feelings and impart [sic] through verbal and non-verbal
messages” (p. 32). From a different perspective, specifically that of a work group, Jehn and Shah (1997) write that communication
“involves both task-related communication…and non-task related communication” (p. 778); that which is both social in nature and
that which is rooted in the day to day communication utilised by employers and employees within a workplace. These definitions
illustrate a key difference in the focus of both social, interpersonal and work group communication.
When attempting to come to some kind of conclusion about communication and the way in which it is enacted in different arenas there
is a process, which is helpful to consider. According to Robbins, Judge, Millett and Boyle (2014) in order for communication to take
place the following practice must be seen to occur, starting with the senders, or initiators requirement for meaning making, “…a
purpose, a message to be conveyed between a sender and a receiver” (p. 271), then the sender “…encodes the message…and passes it
thorough a medium (channel) to the receiver who decodes it” (p. 271) as a consequence of this transaction, communication is deemed
to have occurred, see Exhibit 1.
Exhibit 1
(Source: Organisational Behaviour, 2014)
A comparable description of this communication process is described by Seth and Sethi (2009) who state that the, “fundamentals of
interpersonal communication are communicators, message, noise, response, background and channel” (p. 32) which is almost
indistinguishable from the process just described, in fact it appears this model is ubiquitous across a range of social and work related
communication models.
If we were to focus on a specific aspects of this model, for example the ‘channel’ that has been described at this juncture it is
significant to note its importance as an essential element in the communication process, this is because it provides an indicator for how
information is conveyed between the sender and the receiver. Having a solid concept of the channel is beneficial as it leads to
knowledge about various options including choices about message delivery. For instance Robbins et al. (2014) state that, “…face-to-
face conversation scores highest in channel richness [sic]…. whereas impersonal written media such as formal reports and bulletins
rate lowest in richness” (p. 282). This is because in a face-to-face setting all of the verbal and non-verbal queues are on display so this
is determined to be a rich channel whereas written communication includes significantly fewer queues, and as such is open to greater
interpretation and considered low in richness (see exhibit 2). As such if I wanted to ensure the highest channel richness in my
communications I may would decide upon face-to-face communication to ensure I get the best possible return on effort expended
dependent on the circumstances.
Exhibit 2
(Source: Organisational Behaviour, 2014)
It is clear that communication is a complex concept, with a wide variety of variables that can influence communication either
positively or negatively. In fact Salas, Sims and Burke (2005) tell us that poor communication is a certain predictor of poor team
performance; it is not for nothing that Seth and Sethi (2009) write that communication is “…the lifeblood of an organisation” (p. 32),
therefore a greater understanding of communication and some of the functional and dysfunctional practices that occur will be of
benefit to anyone interested in positive performance in either a work or social environment. Following is a comprehensive description
of the two groups I have selected to discuss in this paper.
Online Support Group
The OSG was specifically established for members who have access to a computer and the Internet to gain assistance and support for
depression and anxiety they are experiencing in their lives. When considering whether or not this online support group is really a
group at all, Rheingold cited in Brown, Broderick and Lee (2007) helps us to gain clarity by writing that, “online communities form
when enough people carry on computer-mediated nonprivate discussions long enough, with sufficient human feeling, to develop what
are considered “social relationships” with other online participants…” (p. 3). In the computer-mediated environment of this online
support group, members have been active contributors in some instances for more than ten years, and the type of information that is
disclosed in this forum is specifically non-private, often relating directly to personal stories of suffering, or loss and the frequent
request for emotional support in times of distress. It is clear to see within this group, interpersonal communication occurring
frequently, indeed as Cummings, Butler and Kraut (2002), tell us, “…interpersonal communication is an important use of the Internet
[sic], if not its most important use” (p. 103). In this specific environment, members, post information, questions or requests, other
members read the information and respond with advice, support or perhaps questions of their own.
Work Group
The second group is a work group and as such its function is quite different to the online support group. This work group at the NCE
consists of four permanent staff members and six contract interpreters who are brought in as required by the work-force management
team. Their main function is to work cooperatively, or interdependently to provide access to the telecommunications network for Deaf
people who use Australian Sign Language (Auslan). Does this collection of like minded individuals constitute a team? To answer this
question Salas as cited in DeShon, Kozlowski, Schmidt, Milner, and Wiechmann (2004), offers the following definition, a team is
“…a set of two or more people who interact dynamically, interdependently, and adaptively toward a common and valued goal…” (p.
1035). The common goal at the NCE is the same for each member of the group, connection to the telecommunications network for
Deaf callers. In a similar vein Hartley (1997), writes that “…a group exists when: people define themselves as members of it and when
its existence is recognised by at least one other” (p. 20). As a member of this team I can state that this recognition exists amongst this
group of peoples. Moving on to the concept of interdependence, Guzzo and Dickson (1996), write that groups can be defined as
groups when they “…see themselves and…are seen by others as a social entity, who are interdependent because of the tasks they
perform as members of a group…” (p. 308). In this work group for example if one team member is unavailable to assist another staff
member complete a call by offering expert assistance, advice or relief then the Deaf caller will not receive the best service possible
and telecommunications connections may not occur or substandard service may eventuate. In this way the team members cannot
function without the assistance of the others and can be seen to act interdependently.
Online Support Group Analysis
This section will focus on identifying, describing and explaining a range of functional and dysfunctional behaviours relevant to the
OSG. One of the dysfunctional behaviours explicit in this group is that users are restricted to using a low richness channel as opposed
to high channel richness such as that found in face-to-face communication. As touched on previously Robbins et al. (2014) tell us that
face-to-face communication scores highest in channel richness because, “…it transmits the most information per communication
episode” (p. 282). Due to the fact that all interactions must occur in an online environment and members reside all over the world the
prospect of meeting face-to-face is severely restricted, and therefore I assess this channel as being low in richness and as a
consequence dysfunctional.
Turning to a practice that is functional or supports good communication in the OSG White and Dorman (2001) posit that large online
forums, “…often produce large volumes of postings” (p. 695) and this is certainly the case in the OSG where there is plentitudes of
much information to sort through and evaluate that the member would most certainly be overwhelmed if there was no structure within
the site itself. Robbins et al. (2014), tell us that if the amount of information available is too much for an individual to be able to
process competently this leads directly to information overload (p. 284) which is a barrier to effective communication. However the
site moderators by providing a systematic structured approach to information storing and sorting, have provided an environment that is
easy to navigate through and quickly locate information that is relevant for the member. This communication is also asynchronous and
as a consequence there is the time to assess information and decide on responses at leisure, there is no stress or pressure to respond to
communications quickly or within a tight timeframe. Given this I assess this behaviour as being functional.
National Communication Exchange Analysis
This section will focus on identifying, describing and explaining a range of functional and dysfunctional behaviours relevant to the
NCE. It is important to note that the interpreters who work at the NCE do so in a high stress environment, this is due in large part to
the constant flow of new calls coming in the NCE via an auto-queue system. There is very little time for interpreters to read electronic
communication such as emails. However the practice within the NRS is to provide copious amounts of information via this medium
on a daily basis. Normally this would be ameliorated to some extent by staff having the opportunity to talk through the
communications with one another. As noted twice in this paper already, face-to-face communication is the richest of channels in terms
of sense making and meaning, however the work environment precludes this practice occurring. Salas, Sims, Dana and Burke (2005)
tell us that, “as team members encounter stress, the amount of communication often decreases…” (p. 567) as is the case at NCE. This
is obviously not optimal given that communication from management often includes updates to processes and policies, information
which would be of value both to the interpreter and as a consequence the Deaf callers. As a consequence there are significant
breakdowns in understandings about practices undertaken by the interpreter on the floor as opposed to what should be happening as
per the latest email communiqué. Given the reasons stated above I assess this communication practice as dysfunctional.
A practice, which I judge to be functional, is that all interpreters who work at NCE are provided with clear group and individual goals.
Guzzo and Dicskon (1996) tell us that when “…group and individual goals conflict, dysfunctions can result” (p. 315). However at
NCE These goals are aligned across both the group and the individual and therefore do not conflict. This is because the
communication processes that surround this practice are clear and timely. All staff are provided with a timetable that details exactly
how and when their individual performance will be monitored and the meeting time for group goal updates and sharing. The team
leader of the NCE ensures that each interpreter has received the message. This practice of following up on initial communications by
the team leader is known as closed loop communication, and Salas et al. (2005), make clear effective teamwork includes,
“…engagement in closed-loop communication” (p. 559). Importantly this communication practice leads to shared mental models
without which teams may perform badly. Robbins et al. (2014) state that, “effective teams share accurate mental models…” which
they go on to posit is, “knowledge and beliefs…about how the work gets done” (p. 256). The benefits of shared mental models are
clear to see, in fact Salas et al. (2005), write that, “…teams that share similar mental models communicate more effectively…” (p.
566). Given the time and effort put into ensuring this process occurs on a regular basis, I assess it as being a support to communication
and therefore, functional.
OSG and NCE Analysis
To conclude, this paper will expand on the position, based on my analysis stated in the introduction, that these two groups are more
dissimilar than they are similar. The work group at NCE is similar to the OSG only in the way that a loose collection of people who
have come together for a common purpose are. The workplace is a strategic environment and as a consequence the communication
behaviours demonstrated in each group have different purposes. The OSG group exists solely to offer emotional support and provide
information to its members whereas the NCE and the interpreters employed by this company exist with a strategic environment.
Charness, Rigotti and Rustichini (2007) tell us, “…players who are members of a group and who identify with it, behave differently in
strategic environments than players who are not” (P. 1340). As has been demonstrated, this is quite a significant difference and as a
consequence supports my argument that these two groups operate in fundamentally dissimilar ways.
When looking at the channel chosen to communicate information the OSG is by its very nature, as an exclusively online environment
confined to low channel richness. On the other hand it has been demonstrated that NCE staff members are exposed to the full
spectrum of communication channels from low to high, in the guise of emails, written communiqués through to planned face-to-face
communication with a team leader to provide feedback on performance and are engaged in goal setting with the team. Another key
difference between the two groups in relation to communication, as noted above, is the fact that members of the OSG deal with
asynchronous communication as opposed to the NCE staff having to attempt to manage synchronous communication. White and
Dorman (2001) write that one of the benefits of asynchronous communication is that users can access communication “…at times
most convenient to them” (p. 694). This is yet again a key difference that points to the two groups dissimilarity and as a consequence
they are found to be more dissimilar than similar.
References
Charness, Gary, Rigotti, Luca, & Rustichini, Aldo. (2007). Individual Behavior and Group Membership. The American Economic
Review, 97(4), 1340-1352. doi: 10.2307/30034095
Cummings, Jonathon N., Butler, Brian, & Kraut, Robert. (2002). The quality of online social relationships. Commun. ACM, 45(7),
103-108. doi: 10.1145/514236.514242
DeShon, Richard P., Kozlowski, Steve W. J., Schmidt, Aaron M., Milner, Karen R., & Wiechmann, Darin. (2004). A Multiple-Goal,
Multilevel Model of Feedback Effects on the Regulation of Individual and Team Performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89(6),
1035-1056. doi: 10.1037/0021-9010.89.6.1035
Drushel, Bruce E. (2013). HIV/AIDS, Social Capital, and Online Social Networks. Journal of Homosexuality, 60(8), 1230-1249. doi:
10.1080/00918369.2013.784114
Guzzo, Richard A., & Dickson, Marcus W. (1996). Teams in organizations: Recent research on performance and effectiveness.
Annual Review of Psychology, 47(1), 307.
Jehn, Karen A., & Shah, Priti Pradhan. (1997) Interpersonal Relationships and Task Performance: An Examination of Mediating
Processes in Friendship and Acquaintance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72(4), 775-790
Robbins, Stephen., Judge, Tim., Millett Bruce & Boyle Maree. (2014) Organisational Behaviour, 7 (e) Pearson Australia
Pescosolido, Anthony T. (2003). Group Efficacy And Group Effectiveness: The Effects of Group Efficacy Over Time on Group
Performance and Development. Small Group Research, 34(1), 20-42. doi: 10.1177/1046496402239576
Salas, Eduardo, Sims, Dana E., & Burke, C. Shawn. (2005). Is there a “Big Five” in Teamwork? Small Group Research, 36(5), 555-
599. doi: 10.1177/1046496405277134
Sethi, Deepa, & Seth, Manisha. (2009). Interpersonal Communication: Lifeblood of an Organization. IUP Journal of Soft Skills,
3(3/4), 32-40.
White, Marsha, & Dorman, Steve M. (2001). Receiving social support online: implications for health education. Health Education
Research, 16(6), 693-707. doi: 10.1093/her/16.6.693
Group Behaviour Essay 4154EDN assignment 代写