Small group communication skills are increasingly vital both in a wide variety of college classes and in the professional world where organizations hold meetings and create teams as part of day-to-day problem solving. After a brief introduction to communication theory, this concise and insightful text explains the role of group communication within organizations and in other settings. It then moves on to explain the various roles in a group environment and useful guidelines for acting as an effective leader, avoiding groupthink, and achieving optimal results. With new content on communicating in organizations, leadership and decision making in groups, the latest in communication technology, and advice and tips for using mediated communication, the third edition of the Essential Guide to Group Communication provides valuable and current guidance to today’s students.

Dan O’Hair is dean of the University of Kentucky College of Communication and Information. He is past presidential professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Oklahoma and past president of the National Communication Association. He is coauthor or coeditor of eighteen communication texts and scholarly volumes and has published more than ninety research articles and chapters in dozens of communication, psychology, and health journals and books. He is a frequent presenter at national and international communication conferences, is on the editorial boards of various journals, and has served on numerous committees and task forces for regional and national communication associations.

Mary Wiemann is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Communication at Santa Barbara City College. A longtime educator of beginning college students, she contributes a strong teaching perspective to her books. Mary’s book chapters, journal articles, student manuals, instructor manuals, and online instructional materials all reflect her commitment to making effective communication real and accessible for students. A recipient of awards for outstanding teaching, Mary is also a communication laboratory innovator and has directed classroom research projects in the community college setting. She is a frequent presenter at the National Communication Association convention, where she has held a number of offices in the Human Communication and Technology Division.

Andrea M. Davis is an Associate Professor of Communication at Western New England University. Her research areas include health communication, pedagogy, and communication and space. She regularly teaches Small Group Communication, Research Methods, Health Communication & Gender and Communication.

1. Foundations of Communicating in Small Groups and Teams
????? What is Communication?
                      What is Group Communication?
                      What Are the Benefits of Effective Group Communication?
                      How Does Group Communication Differ from Other
                      Forms of Communication?
2. Participating in Small Group Communication
                      What Makes a Good Group Member?
                      What Makes a Good Group?
                      Techniques for Improving Communication in Groups
                      Special Group Types and Techniques
                      Evaluating Competence in Group Communication
3. Leadership and Decision Making in Groups and Teams
                      The Role of Leadership in Group Communication
                      Factors Influencing Decision Making in Groups and Teams
                      The Process of Decision Making in Groups and Teams
                      Evaluating the Decision-Making Competence of Groups and Teams
4. Communication in Organizations
                     The Need for Effective Communication in Organizations
                     How Does Organizational Communication Differ from
                     Other Types of Communication?
                     Developing Effective Skills in Organizational Communication
                     Summary