The Handbook Of Group Communication Theory And Research

Documents and synthesizes work done in group communication scholarship's 50-year history, presenting an overview of group communication study from its beginnings in pedagogy to its status as a mature discipline with a variety of theoretical positions and methodological practices. Material is divided

This volume considers the current research of group communication scholars, provides an overview of major foci in the discipline, and points toward possible trajectories for future scholarship. It establishes group communication’s central role within research on human behaviour and fosters an identity for group communication researchers.

Theories of Small Groups: Interdisciplinary Perspectives brings together the threads that unify the field of group research. The book is designed to define and describe theoretical perspectives on groups and to highlight select research findings within those perspectives. In this text, editors Marshall Scott Poole and Andrea B. Hollingshead capitalize on the theoretical advances made over the last fifty years by integrating models and theories of small groups into a set of nine general theoretical perspectives. Theories of Small Groups is the first book to assess, synthesize, integrate, and evaluate the body of theory and research on small groups across disciplinary boundaries.

In this comprehensive, advanced introduction to group communication, the field’s leading experts summarize theory, methodological advancements, and current research in the field. This book follows a coherent structure specifying clear objectives and evidence-based practical implications for the management of groups. Each chapter provides case study examples highlighting the role of communication for group functioning. The textbook takes a particular look at recent advancements in the research on virtual teams, the role of technology in group communication, and issues of diversity and inclusion, considering group communication in various situations including health and organizational contexts. It features theory-driven descriptions, an emphasis on empirical findings, and reflections on research methods. The book is an integrative and coherent textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate group communication classes and a useful reference for students, scholars, and group communication professionals across different disciplines including communication studies, psychology, life sciences, business administration, management, and engineering. Online resources include a sample course syllabus, discussion questions, lecture slides, and a test-bank. They are available at www.routledge.com/9781032114712

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This volume considers the current research of group communication scholars, provides an overview of major foci in the discipline, and points toward possible trajectories for future scholarship. It establishes group communication’s central role within research on human behaviour and fosters an identity for group communication researchers.

Organized into six practical sections relating theory to application from an historical perspective, this text offers contributions from international scholars and practitioners who reflect the diversity of this field.

Despite the fact that focus groups are an ideal research tool for studying and employing group communication in action, many research practitioners and scholars have missed the opportunity to utilize them to their maximum benefit. Few researchers have the skills that enable them to approach focus group facilitation and analysis from a communication point of view. In this book, Dr. Christine Davis teaches readers how to take a project from an idea to the design, facilitation, and analysis stages. This book takes a unique communication perspective to apply group communication theories, knowledge of group processes, and a close discourse analysis approach to explain and understand the discursive aspect of focus groups. This book helps readers of all stages of experience - including those with no background in focus group research to those practitioners with more focus group expertise - understand how a communication approach to focus groups takes advantage of this discipline’s rich scholarship in group communication and discourse analysis. This book will teach readers how to a. understand the nature of focus group research procedures from a communication point of view; b. understand how to translate RQs into a focus group protocol; c. use knowledge of communication theory and group process to understand how to facilitate different kinds of focus groups, prevent and overcome challenges in focus group facilitation; and elicit different outcomes and techniques when facilitating a focus group; d. use knowledge of communication theory and group process to recognize the merits of different approaches to focus group facilitation; e. use knowledge of communication theory and group process to recognize good- and poor-quality focus groups; f. understand how to transcribe / code / analyze focus group data from a communication (discursive) perspective; and g. understand how to write focus group findings.