Examined relationship between group members' (N=36) approach to group sessions and group session climate and relationship between length of time in group and agenda quality. Found average ratings of interpersonal and here-and-now dimensions of agendas were significantly related to average perception of group climate as more engaged and less…

De Valk examines three group dynamics that challenge every trainer: groups that are too large, groups that are reluctant to talk, and groups that talk about everything but the issue at hand. Beary describes nine ways in which trainers can use questions to enhance the learning process. (JOW)

Work teams can be highly motivating and can reduce overhead costs. Teams with clear, limited objectives and the right skills, feedback, and incentives will perform well. Personality difficulties, resistance to change, and lack of training can short circuit their effectiveness. (SK)

Describes the stages of a team performance model: orientation, trust building, goal/role clarification, commitment, implementation, high performance, and renewal. (SK)

A survey of 328 volunteers serving on sports committees in Australia found that organizational commitment was higher in organizations with open decision making, conflict resolution, and attention to group process. Positive, effective committee functioning led to lower turnover. (SK)

In adaptive schools, working groups grow, develop, and learn from experience, becoming more effective as they go. Three premises about group development include the following: each group is unique, some groups mature, and attrition need not block development. Four guidelines for successful group meetings include decide who decides, define the…

Presents five strategies to help school social workers form groups during school hours. Advantages and disadvantages of each strategy are discussed, as well as how the formation of the group influences the nature of the group work. (Author/GCP)

Argues that optimal theory provides the needed non-Western perspective for a better understanding of group development in groups comprised of culturally diverse members. The Optimal Theory Applied to Identity Development is applied to Trotzer's stages of group development as a means of assisting group leaders to become more…

Reports on a study that explores human information behavior in command and control contexts in the military. Highlights include interwoven situational awareness; the need for dense social networks; contested collaboration; and insights into human information behavior in dynamic and complex group work contexts. (Author/LRW)

Contributes to scholarship advancing understanding communication by identifying theoretically coherent and empirically robust dimensions (separation, concurrency, and flexibility) underlying work group members' perception of time. Finds that work groups differ in theoretically meaningful ways with regard to time orientation and that their varied…

Comparison of student teams working on class projects and workplace teamwork finds similar characteristics of successful and unsuccessful teams. Differences include the relatively short duration of classroom groups, organizational culture, team formation, leadership, accountability, diversity, and type of task. (SK)

Explored how athletics meets the challenges associated with creating a community out of difference and how its processes can serve as a model for higher education. Interviews revealed traits that facilitate community-building: team members share a common goal; engage in intense, frequent interaction; share adversity; have a common enemy; and…

Describes a workshop to prepare business administration students for working in project groups, including orientation, reflection on experiences with groups, and a case study. Contains 19 references, the case study, and a handout of recommendations for improving group process. (SK)

A series of 10 workshops was held to identify racial problems and improve relations in a public service agency. The workshops focused on identifying cultural/historical myths underlying stereotypes and facilitating small group interaction to address work-related racial problems. (SK)

Uses the Cold War rhetorical vision as a paradigm case illustrating the emerging theory of group consciousness, part of Symbolic Convergence Theory. Explains that three streams of communication (consciousness creating, consciousness raising, and consciousness sustaining) characterize the life cycle of a rhetorical vision. Demonstrates that…