COMM 1F90 Lecture 19: Lecture 19.docx

• School: Brock University
• Department: Communication Studies
• Course: COMM 1F90
• Professor: Marian Bredin

Document Summary

Groups are defined in terms of four characteristics: interaction, interdependence, size and type. Interaction: groups interact, communicate, and work together, interaction can be verbal and non-verbal, interacting involves working together, vs. co-acting or simply engaging in the same activity as others. A big department or subunit of an organization is not necessarily a group: interdependence and self-definition must exist among members of the marketing department" to be defined as a group. Size and groups: primary groups: smaller and highly interactive, 3-20 members, secondary or reference" groups: are larger, more impersonal, eg. Professional associations, unions, political parties, a corporate department, community, or religious groups. Types of groups: formal groups: planned, part of organizational strategy, not initiated or controlled by group members, eg. Planning groups, committees, etc: informal groups: spontaneous, exist with organizations alongside formal ones, eg. Lunch bunch car pool, local associations or interests in common: learning groups, problem solving or task group, social groups, growth groups.