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Week 5 Journal topic: Discuss experiences with decision-making in groups

Week Six: Members & Composition

Mon, Feb 9: 2 copies Ind Response, Draft Group essay D in class

Wed, Feb 11: Hypothesis generation exercise (using variables from Ex #1 & #2)

3 copies Group essay D due by 4:30

Fri, Feb 13: Lecture on group composition.

Journal: Post on Motet by 3 PM or turn in written journal by 5 PM Friday

Topic: Discuss how diversity/homogeneity has affected groups you have been in

Week Seven: Communication & Technology

Mon, Feb 16: First draft research report due--1 copy.

2 copies Ind Response, Draft Group essay E in class

Wed, Feb 18: Discussion of how to improve research reports

3 copies Group essay E due by 4:30

Fri, Feb 20: Lecture on computer-mediation in groups

Journal: Experiences with computer-mediated, phone, and face-to-face interaction

Week Eight: Group structure

Mon, Feb 23: 2 copies Ind Response, Draft Group essay F in class

Wed, Feb 25: GROUP EXERCISE #4

Choose topic for final paper. Post on Motet by 5 PM or give to Dr. Arrow in class

3 copies Group essay F due by 4:30

Fri, Feb 27: Second (final?) draft of Research report due. Lecture, group structure

Journal: How roles and norms differ in different groups

Week Nine: Power, conflict, influence

Mon, March 2: 2 copies Ind Response, Draft Group essay G in class

Wed, March 4: GROUP EXERCISE #5

3 copies Group essay G due by 4:30

Fri, March 6: First draft final paper. Lecture on power, conflict, influence.

Journal: Positive and negative uses of power/influence/conflict in groups you've been in

Week Ten: Putting it all together

Mon, March 9: No essay this week. Presentation of research results..

Optional: Final rewrite of research report

Wed, March 11: Overview and integration

Fri, March 13: Final paper workshop session. Bring 2 copies.

Journal: Post on Motet by 3 PM or turn in written journal by 5 PM Friday

Topic: Group skills you developed or improved by working in your groups

Finals Week: FINAL PAPER due Monday March 16, by 3 PM

See over for essays D-G

D: Week 6, focus on membership composition

1. From the cases of performing groups in part 4 of Hackman, Choose a specific example in which familiarity among members either (a) helped or (b) hindered group functioning. Explain whether the effect of familiarity in this example is (a) consistent with or (b) inconsistent with a particular finding or claim in one of the packet readings for this week.

2. Choose a specific example (from a DIFFERENT case than your first example) in which diversity in knowledge, skills, or demographic attributes (gender, age, race, culture) either (a) helped or (b) hindered group functioning. Explain whether the effect of diversity in this example is (a) consistent with or (b) inconsistent with a particular finding or claim in one of the packet readings for this week.

E: Week 7, focus on communication & technology (groups as information processing systems)

1. For each case in part 5, identify one example of problematic communication among group members.

2. Choose the case where you believe providing an electronic communication system (e-mail, bulletin boards, Motet conferencing) has the best chance to improve communication in the group. Base your choice on the packet readings for the week, and explain WHY you think electronic communication might be a valuable supplement to face-to-face communication for this group.

F: Week 8, focus on group structure (leadership, roles, norms)

1. Identify which of the four groups covered in the two cases best illustrates (a) leader emergence based on a dominant personality and/or a demographic attribute such as age or gender and (b) [can be a different group] the development and use of expert roles.

2. Pick two groups and identify which of the four quadrants of norm development (Bettenhausen & Murnighan, packet X) fits each group best.

G: Week 9, focus on power relations (groups as political systems)

1. (a) Give an example of beneficial conflict in one of the cases, and classify it as relationship or task conflict according to Jehn's (packet X) definitions, (b) identify an example of the use of reward or punishment power (Tjosvold, packet Y), and (c) pick a specific influence attempt and identify which of Yukl & Tracey's (packet Z) nine tactics it most closely resembles.

2. Make a specific recommendation for improving group functioning in one of the cases by applying an idea in one of the three packet readings for this week.

Guidelines for the Research Report

SCHEDULE:

Mon, Feb 16: First draft research report due--1 copy.

Fri, Feb 27: Second (final?) draft of research report due.

Mon, March 9: Optional: Final rewrite of research report

NOTE: I will not accept a paper as final unless it is at least the second draft, and you have turned in a first draft for comments and suggestions.

TOPIC: The research report will focus on one of the two group exercises (depending on the variable of interest, you might even look at both):

Exercise #1: "Do your best" versus specific goal, brainstorming task

Exercise #2: Individual, collective, and individual decisions on Hazards & Survival task

FORMAT: Paper should be 6-10 pp. double spaced (counting title page and references), and should follow APA format.

ORGANIZATION: The paper should (1) introduce the study, citing relevant literature (2) propose one or more hypotheses for the exercise based on the literature (3) describe the study design [methods section] (4) present results [descriptive, and if feasible, inferential statistics] (5) State whether the results support the hypothesis[es] or not and (6) discuss the outcomes.

NOTE: Both exercises are flawed [true of most studies, but particularly true for these because of the informal data collection]. Be sure and identify the limitations in your discussion section, and suggest how the study design could be improved.

AUTHORSHIP: You may complete the paper individually or in pairs. A clear division of labor is essential for dyadic papers, and the nature of each author's contribution should be specified in an endnote. or in a group.

MATERIALS: The materials for the report will be the instructions for the task and the data generated by the exercise. Three copies of the data are on reserve at the library. Instructions used for the task are included with the data. I will also link these to the class page.

SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

If you want to look at extra variables that aren't in the data but are easily accessible (for example, the usual size of the groups or their early membership change history), let coach or professor know and we will make this available to you.