Instructor’s resource manual and test bank for joining together: Group Theory and Group Skills, 11e (стр. 24 )

The more directly Mr. Day involves the workers in

the change, the more likely they are to support the

change.

a. 5 d. 4

b. 1 e. 2 c. 3
Selecting a City

The purposes of this exercise are for participants to develop through role playing an understanding of the distributed-actions theory of leadership and to observe task and maintenance actions in a decision-making group. Instructions for the coordinator are as follows:

1. Introduce the exercise by stating the objectives. Then explain the following leadership actions:

a. Information and opinion giver

b. Information and opinion seeker

c. Direction and role definer

mmarizer

e. Encourager of participation

munication facilitator

g. Process observer

h. Tension reliever

2. Form groups of eight. Two members from each group should volunteer to be observers.

3. Explain the task-behavior and maintenance-behavior observation form to the observers, and instruct them to look for:

a. What leadership actions are present and absent in the group.

b. How well participation is distributed among group members.

c. What specific leadership actions each group member provides.

4. Place a large envelope containing role-playing instruction envelopes in the center of each group; give no further instructions or information.

5. After the exercise has been completed, instruct each group to discuss its experience, using the following questions as starters:

a. What leadership actions was each member supposed to role play, and how were they carried out?

b. What leadership actions were present and absent in the group’s decision making, and what were the consequences of their presence or absence?

c. What were the feelings and reactions of the group members?

d. What conclusions about leadership and group functioning can be drawn from this exercise?

6. Have each group share its conclusions with the class.

Envelope Instructions

Instructions written on the large envelope, which contains all other envelopes:

Enclosed you will find three envelopes containing directions for the phases of this group session. You are to open the first one (labeled Envelope I) at once. Later instructions will tell you when to open the second (Envelope II) and third (Envelope III).

Envelope I contains the following directions:

Directions for Envelope I:

Time allowed: 15 minutes

Special instructions: Each member is to take one of the enclosed envelopes and follow the individual role-playing instructions contained in it.

Task: The group is to select a city.

DO NOT LET ANYONE ELSE SEE YOUR INSTRUCTIONS!

(After fifteen minutes, go on to the next envelope.)

Envelope II contains the following directions:

Directions for Envelope II:

Time allowed: 5 minutes

Task: You are to choose a group chairperson.

(After 5 minutes go on to the next envelope.)

Envelope III contains the following directions:

Directions for Envelope III:

Time allowed: 10 minutes

Task: You are to evaluate the first phase of this group session.

Special instructions for the second phase: The newly selected chairperson leads a discussion on the roles and actions of group members in the process of decision making and their feelings and reactions to that process. The discussion should begin with the report of the observers.

(After 10 minutes, return the directions to their respective envelopes, and prepare for a general discussion of the exercise.)

Role-Playing Instruction Envelopes for Phase I

Here are the contents of the six individual instruction envelopes to be used in the first phase of the exercise. Each envelope contains an assigned leadership action and a position concerning which city to select. Two of the envelopes also contain special knowledge concerning the selection process.

1. Leadership Action: Direction and Role Definer

Position: Introduce and support Albuquerque. Oppose San Diego.

2. Leadership Action: Encourager of Participation

Position: Introduce and support San Diego. Oppose Albuquerque.

Special Knowledge: The group is going to select a chairperson later in the exercise. You are to conduct yourself in such a manner that they select you.

3. Leadership Action: Information and Opinion Seeker

Position: Introduce and support New York City.

4. Leadership Action: Summarizer and Process Observer

Position: Oppose New York City.

5. Leadership Action: Communication Facilitator

Position: When there seems to be a clear polarity in the discussion, suggest a compromise city, such as Minneapolis or Frameswitch, Texas.

6. Leadership Action: Tension Reliever

Position: Support San Diego.

Special Knowledge: The group is going to select a chairperson later in the exercise. You are to conduct yourself in such a manner that they select you.

7. (If needed) Leadership Action: Any

Position: Any

See following page for Observation Sheet.

Selecting a City Exercise Observation Sheet
	Group Members
Actions
Information and opinion giver
Information an opinion seeker
Direction and role definer
Summarizer
Encourager of participation
Communication facilitator
Tension reliever
Process observer

Other Leadership Exercises

1. An exercise for an ongoing group is to place the task and maintenance functions singly on 3 3 5-inch cards, shuffle the cards, and deal each member one or two of them face down. During a meeting of the group, each member then practices the task or maintenance function on the card he or she received. There must be at least two observers. After the meeting, the group discusses which functions different members fulfilled and which ones they were trying to fulfill.

2. The class forms groups of six. Each group chooses a leader and then analyzes why it selected that person.

3. Members lie on the floor with their heads toward the center of the group and begin a group fantasy about the qualities of the perfect leader for this group. When the fantasy is over, the group reviews the experience.

4. Working as a group, members paint or draw a picture of the perfect leader for their
group. Members then discuss both the process of making the picture and the picture ­itself.

Your Leadership Behavior

Now that you have completed some or all of the exercises in this chapter and have read some or all of the information presented, it may be helpful for you again to take stock of your leadership behavior. Here is a procedure for doing so.

1. Describe the task and maintenance actions in which you usually engage.

2. Describe the task and maintenance actions you would like to practice and improve.

3. Ask other members of your group to describe your usual task and maintenance actions and help you decide which ones you should practice.

4. Plan how you can practice being a process observer in order to determine which task and maintenance actions would be most helpful for the group to focus on.

5. Plan how you can encourage other group members to engage in needed task and maintenance actions.

Additional Exercises for Chapter 6: Using Power

Is Power a Personal or a Relationship Attribute?

There has been some controversy over whether power is an attribute of a person or an aspect of a relationship between two or more persons. The purpose of this exercise is to structure a critical discussion of the issue. The procedure is as follows:

1. Assignment of Positions: The class forms groups of four. Each group is ultimately to write a report summarizing its position:

Position A: Power is a personal attribute. Some people are born to wield power and some are not. Because of their innate personality and makeup, they are able to influence others and rise to positions of power.

Position B: Power is an attribute of a relationship. For power to exist, there must be both an influencer and an influencee. In most situations, who is influencing whom to what degree changes constantly according to who has relevant information and expertise. As circumstances and situations change, the relationship changes and the relative power of group members changes.

The report is to contain the group’s overall conclusions and the facts and rationale supporting its position. The supporting facts and rationale may be obtained from this chapter, the entire book, and outside reading.

2. Preparation Pairs: Each group divides into pairs. One pair is assigned Position A (power is a personal attribute) and the other pair is assigned Position B (power is an attribute of a relationship). Each pair reviews the supporting sections of this chapter, the procedure for the exercise, and the guidelines for constructive controversy (p. 33). They prepare a persuasive “best-case” rationale for their assigned position that includes as many facts and research findings as possible. Ten minutes are allowed for this phase.

3. Presentations: One member of each pair changes chairs. A personal attribute person should be seated with a relationship attribute person. The personal attribute person has up to three minutes to present the best case possible for the position, being as forceful and persuasive as possible. The relationship attribute person takes notes and asks for clarification of anything not fully understood. The relationship attribute person then ­presents.

4. Open Discussion (Refute and Rebut): There is an open discussion of whether power is a personal attribute or an aspect of a relationship. Each side presents as many facts and research findings as it can to support its point of view. Members listen critically to the opposing position and ask for supporting facts for any conclusions made by the opponent. Participants should ensure that all the facts supporting both sides are brought out and discussed. The guidelines for constructive controversy should be followed. About ten minutes are allowed for this phase.