Synthesizing What You Have Learned Throughout the Chapter, How Do

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The Answer is Ideal answers should emphasize the following connections: •Interaction becomes more formal and less intimate, so members feel less connected to one another; they may wonder whether interdependence exists ("Does what I say matter to others?"). This may lead to members feeling less enthusiastic about participating (social loafing). Strong answers might also identify that having a best friend in the group increases commitment to the work. •Each member has limited opportunities to contribute. It's hard to feel enthusiastic in this case, and members may want to move on to a group where they have more opportunities to contribute. •Interaction consumes more time. Members may lose steam if the process is slowed or may simply not have time to continue working with the group, leading to higher turnover. •Relationships become more complex. If those relationships become strained, there will likely be lowered enthusiasm for the work of the group. •Cliques and countercoalitions may form. Cliques may leave some people feeling left out and, therefore, less enthusiastic and less likely to continue to work with the group. Countercoalitions may have an even stronger negative effect on cohesion-members simply aren't all working together toward a common goal anymore. •Social loafing may occur and slow productivity. If one's contributions aren't noticed, and there aren't opportunities to communicate intimately, then some members may demonstrate less commitment and less enthusiasm toward the group's goals. •The all-channel network makes all members central to the communication process with nobody in a position of isolation. This may reduce social loafing as well as the development of cliques and countercoalitions, and it may keep the communication intimate. However, it is very time consuming and may bog the group down as there would be no clear leader and everyone would be jockeying for space to communicate. •The wheel network might effectively keep everyone involved in the communication process and at nearly equal levels of centrality if there is a strong communicator who can function well in the position of centrality at the center of the wheel.

Synthesizing What You Have Learned Throughout the Chapter, How Do

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