Chapter 10 Outline: Part I

In most cases groups can produce more solutions to a problem than can individuals.
1. enjoy the advantages of greater resources, accuracy, commitment, and diversity.
2. Groups are justified if the job is beyond the capacity of one person, if individual tasks are interdependent, if there is more than one possible decision or solution, and if there is potential for disagreement.
Effective problem-solving groups maintain positive relationships, and they develop in stages.
1. , the degree to which members feel connected with and committed to the group, helps a group to be effective.
2. Shared or compatible goals, progress toward those goals, and shared norms and values boost cohesiveness.
3. The absence of a perceived threat between members, interdependence of members, a perceived threat outside the group, shared feelings of attraction and friendship, and shared group experiences also contribute to cohesiveness.
4. In the
  of group development, members approach the problem and each other tentatively. Once members understand the problem, they enter a
  . Give-and-take discussions should then progress to a sense of unity and cooperation; thus, the
  develops as the members become a group and move toward a single solution. Once the group works together, the members support and defend each other in the
  .