Group 7

Lucky Fristian Igo Ananda (2332510134)

Ridho Asa Kurniawan (2332510105)
Syah Satria Adi (2332510053)

Task 1
The Article Summary

Small Talk in Business Settings | “The Function of Small Talk in Business”

Definition, Topics & Examples Small talk is informal communication and a
 Lesson first building block for interpersonal
 Additional Info relationships. Small talk is usually used when
Lynette Jachowicz, Matthew Hamel people talk to others they dont know very
Learn the small talk definition and see the well. The goal of small talk is to establish
impact of making small talk in business rapport with someone new and get to know
settings. Explore good small talk topics and them better. Small talk plays a significant role
study some small talk examples. Updated: in business settings as it is the first step in the
11/21/2023 development of long-term business
relationships. Small talk not only helps
Table of Contents identify communalities, but can also develop
 What is Small Talk? better and deeper relationship.
 Making Small Talk in Business
Settings “The Strategies to Start Small Talk in A
 Small Talk Ideas & Tips Business Setting”
 Small Talk Examples Small talk is an essential part of building
 Lesson Summary relationships in business. Small talk also
provides an opportunity to learn more about
Show the person, and their business. Here are some
suggestions to start small talk in a business
Frequently Asked Questions setting. Start with a compliment, starting with
a compliment is a good way to establish a
What are examples of small talk? positive tone for the business; Discuss casual
Examples of small talk include conversations business topics, discussing topics can also be
around the weather, sports, and food. Any an effective way to connect with others and
topics that are light or somewhat superficial showcase expertise; Show interest in other
can work, so long as both/all participants are person, showing interest in other person can
engaged. help establish a sense of trust.

What is small talk and why is it important?

Small talk is friendly conversation between
two people who don't yet know each other
well. This friendly conversation allows for
two (or more) people to connect over topics
that are safe, i.e., topics that avoid
controversy, embarrassment, or other
undesirable reactions.

How do I start small talk?

Small talk starts with a comment to which the
other person can respond. Making a reference
to the weather, a sporting event, or food is a
good way to try to engage the other person;
asking questions that align with these topics is
another way to engage others. Small talk
involves both speaking and listening.

What is Small Talk?

Small talk is informal communication and a
first building block for interpersonal
relationships. It serves the important purpose
of allowing for low-stakes interactions as
people build initial connections and identify
common interests, similar needs, and other
mutual interests. Small talk is generally a
friendly, brief conversation with no real
agenda other than to share a pleasant
interaction with another person. Most
relationships of substance begin with some
sort of small talk.

Making Small Talk in Business Settings

Small talk plays a significant role in business
settings as it is the first step in the
development of long-term business
relationships. Small talk can help to not only
identify similarities, but can also lead to
continued communication necessary for
developing deeper and more authentic
relationships. In a business setting, these
relationships can lead to professional
opportunities, including partnerships, sales,
and promotions.
Effective small talk is not only speaking, but
listening, too. Engaging the other person in
the conversation keeps them from getting
bored and makes the conversation a true
dialogue with both people contributing.
Asking open-ended questions is one way to
engage the other person. It is important to
avoid interrupting the other person when they
are talking. Maintaining eye contact, leaning
forward slightly, and smiling (if/when
appropriate) are strategies for providing
positive nonverbal feedback that
communicates interest.

Small Talk Ideas & Tips

While engaging in small talk can be
intimidating, it is important to remember that
it is a communication skill—and people get
better with practice. The more somebody
engages in small talk, the better they will get
at it. Keeping in mind some ideas and tips
will also help one to be more effective with
using small talk. As already mentioned, it is
important to choose the right topics for small
talk. Being prepared will help; staying
informed on current events (and all of the
topics bulleted in the Good Small Talk Topics
section) is one way to get prepared. During
the conversation, it is important to
intentionally engage the other person in the
conversation and to encourage their active
participation. Asking questions and providing
affirming responses (verbal as well as
nonverbal) can help with this.
Some specific prompts that may help to
engage the other person include:
 What do you think about...
 What do you know about...
 What do you like about...
 What do you think will happen with...
Finally, identifying and observing somebody
who is skilled with small talk may help one to
improve their own skills.

Small Talk Examples

The following is an example involving Kale
and Icer. Both are new employees at the same
organization and both are attending an
orientation session with human resources.
Kale and Icer arrived a few minutes before
the start of the orientation, so they are sitting
in the training room and waiting for the
trainer to arrive. They engage in the following
small talk:
Kale : Hi, you must be new, too?
Icer
: Yeah. I'm pretty excited—this seems
like a great place to work.
Kale : Yeah, I've got a friend who works
here, and he's said only good things
about the company.
Icer
: Oh, that's good to hear. What kinds
of things has he told you?
Kale : Well, he said the people who work
here are nice and a lot of fun. He also
said the company caters lunch for all
of the employees on Fridays!Icer
: Seriously? They provide lunch every
Friday?
Kale : Yeah, they have food brought in
from that little diner down the street.
Icer
: I love that place! They have the best
sandwiches. Have you ever eaten
there?
Kale : My partner and I go there at least
once a month. If you haven't had their
apple pie, you have to try it sometime.
Icer
: Oh, if you like pie, you have to go to
the bakery on the other side of town.
They have the best pies—and the best carrot
cake!

Lesson Summary
Small talk is a short, friendly conversation
about a common topic and plays an important
role in building interpersonal relationships.
Small talk helps people to identify similarities
that facilitate future interactions. Topics
appropriate for small talk are those that lack
controversy and may include the weather,
sports, and food. Topics to avoid include
politics (because it tends to divide people) and
family situations (because a person may be
dealing with difficult and private family
dynamics). Small talk involves both speaking
and listening. In fact, one might spend more
time listening as compared to speaking in an
effort to prevent the other person from
becoming bored. It is important to engage the
other person as a speaker during small talk,
and this can be achieved through asking
questions and providing affirming
verbal/nonverbal responses.

Additional Info

What's Small Talk?

The first step to understanding how to make
small talk is to understand the definition of
small talk. Basically, small talk is a short,
friendly conversation about a common topic.
Small talk can take place among friends, co
workers, or strangers. One reason why the
ability to make small talk in business settings
is so important is because small talk allows
people to be friendly at work without getting
too personal.
Many companies and business organizations
have rules for employees about which types
of behavior and conversations are acceptable.
When small talk is used correctly, it can help
people communicate well without breaking
company guidelines or social rules.

Making Small Talk

When you have an opportunity to engage in
small talk with other people, it's important to
choose a good topic. Some of the most
common small talk topics include:
 Sports/athletes
 Music/movies/books
 Weather
 Travel/tourism
 Hobbies
 Food/restaurants
 Technology
These topics are considered safe because even
though people will have different opinions
about them, the differences are unlikely to
cause problems. For example, if you like
Italian restaurants and your co-worker likes
Mexican restaurants, this is just a matter of
personal choice and not a major issue.

Small Talk Mistakes

When you make small talk, try to avoid topics
that are personally sensitive, or that may
cause someone to become upset. Some topics
to avoid include:
Religion and politics: These topics can be
very personal and quickly lead to arguments if
people disagree, so it's best to avoid them in a
business setting.Family/relationship status:
It's okay to ask
about someone's family, but only if you
already know them. If someone's relative just
died or he or she just got a divorce, this topic
can create bad feelings between you and the
other person.
Money: Telling others how much money you
make or asking them how much money they
make is very inappropriate and should be
avoided. You should also avoid gossiping
about the financial situations of co-workers or
managers.
Jokes: Some jokes may be okay if they're
clean and inoffensive. However, don't tell
potentially offensive jokes that involve
racism, sexism, violence, and other
inappropriate workplace topics.
People can sometimes have strong feelings
about these topics. If the conversation goes
badly, you may have an awkward relationship
with that co-worker, manager, or client in the
future.

Small Talk Tips

There are several phrases you can use to
begin and keep a small talk conversation
going. For instance:
 Do you like______?
 Have you seen/heard _____?
 What did you think of _____?
 I really enjoyed _____.
 I've heard good things about _____.
 Have you ever been to _____.
 I though that _____ was _____.
 Who/what is your favorite _____?
Remember, when you make small talk, you
want to listen more than you speak; if you
talk too much, the other person may become
bored. One of the best ways to keep
conversations going is to ask questions and
listen carefully to the other person's answers.

Small Talk Examples

These small talk examples demonstrate how
small talk can be used to create a friendly,
comfortable workplace environment.

Scenario 1
It's Monday morning and Jeff, Mary, and
Sandra are in the break room making coffee.
 Jeff: Did you see the football game
yesterday?
 Mary: My husband watched it, but I
wasn't really paying attention.
 Sandra: I went to a movie.
 Jeff: Really? What did you see?
 Sandra: The new Star Battles film.
 Mary: I heard good things about that
movie.
 Jeff: Did you like it?
Sandra: It was pretty good, but I thought it
was a little too long.

Source : https://study.com/learn/lesson/small
talk-business-settings-topics-examples.html
Task 2
Summary
In business, your first face-to-face contact
with someone might come after you have
already communicated with that person by
email, by phone or even through social media
network. The way you greet these people will
be different from the way you greet stranger.
It is a good idea to remind them of your
relationship. People who met you before will
be very happy if you remember them.
Conferences, trade fairs and events are the
perfect places to network. The people you
meet there may be able to help you and your
business in the future-and you may be able to
help them too
.
SHAKE HANDS
 Shake hands to show respect.
 Greetings , not everyone shakes hands.
 Don’t shake hands for a long time
 Don’t shake hands too strong or too
weak

INTRODUCE THE NAME

 Provide your last name
 Keep calling names
 If you don’t remember the name, ask
again or introduce your name

FUNCTION OF TAG QUESTION

 Tag questions can be used to start a
conversation
 It makes the listener feel line they
have something in common with the
speaker

THE IMPORTANCE OF BODY

LANGUAGE WHEN STARTING A
CONVERSATION
Before starting a conversation with another
person, pay attention to the person’s body
language.
;
DIALOGUE

Lucky: Hi guys, I can't believe we can meet here.

Satria: Hi Luk.
Asa: Come here Luk, sit with us.
Lucky: Yeah, the weather has been really cold lately, hasn't it?
Satria: Yeah, it's gotten really cold, even though last week it was still hot.
Asa: Let's order some coffee to warm up.
Lucky: Okay.
Satria: Did you see the international music exhibition at the Jakarta Fair?
Lucky: Of course I did. It was such a fun event.
Asa: Absolutely, there were so many international musicians who came to the
exhibition.
Lucky: Yeah, I saw the Rolling Stones and the Beatles there.
Satria: The place was also really nice, comfortable, cool, and the staff were
friendly to the visitors.
Asa: Exactly, by the way, did you go to the food bazaar too? The food there was
delicious.
Lucky: What kind of food was there?
Asa: There were many, like kerak telor, kue cubit, cilor, ketoprak, telur gulung,
batagor, and many more.
Lucky: Oh, the food sounds delicious but I didn't have time to go there.
Satria: So, you have to try it next year.
Asa: That's right, we should go together next year

TASK 3A
Language focus: Talking about work Summary

Exactly
What/Where/When etc. exactly is generally used
to ask for more details about something. It can
Exactly
.
also signal that you are genuinely interested in
exactly is generally used to ask for more
learning more about someone.
details about something. It can also signal
What exactly do you do?
that you are genuinely interested in learning
However, if you stress exactly too
more about someone.
much when you ask the question, you
 Where exactly are you based?
may sound rude, as if you don’t take
 Where exactly are you from?
someone’s job seriously.
 You can also use exactly in these
questions.
Where exactly are you based? Used to
Where exactly are you from?  We use used to + infinitive to
talk about past situations and
Used to habits that are not true any
 We use used to + infinitive to talk more
about past situations and habits that  We use used to + infinitive in
are not true any more. positive statements. In
I used to work for ABC, but now I’m negative statements we use
a freelancer. didn’t use to + infinitive
I used to be a teacher.  Don’t confuse used to +
 We use used to + infinitive in positive infinitive with be used to + -
statements. In negative statements we ing form
use didn’t use to + infinitive. In
questions we use did(n’t) + subject +
use to + infinitive.
We didn’t use to go to a lot of
conferences, but now we go to at least
 four every year.

A: Did you use to work with Robert? Tips: Building a

B: Yes I did. Do you know him?
conversation step by step
 Don’t confuse used to + infinitive
with be used to + -ing form. We use Building a Conversation
be used + -ing form to talk about
things that we are familiar with or Start: "Hi, is this seat taken?"
have become accustomed to.
Positive: "This place is incredible, right?"
At first it was hard, but now I’m used
to living in Rio. Introduction: "By the way, I'm Huan Hsu."

Tips: Building a conversation step by step Positive: "Nice to meet you."

Using the key phrases in the book so far, you Question: "Are you an exhibitor or a
can build a conversation step by step. The delegate?"
guide below gives you the basic elements that
you can include in many different situations. Question: "What are you hoping to gain from
this conference?"
An easy start: Hi, Is this seat taken?
A positive comment: The venue is amazing. Question: "What do you do when you're not
Isn’t it? at events?"
An introduction: by the way, I’m Huan Hsu.
A positive comment: Nice to meet you. About Yourself: "I'm the lead engineer at
A ‘yes/no’ question: So, are you an exhibitor ABC. I'm here to meet with clients."
or a delegate?
A specific question: What do you hope to get
out of the conference? Language focus: Your
A specific question about work: What do you
do when you’re not going to events? profession
Details about yourself: I’m the lead engineer
at ABC and I’m here to talk to clients. Make sure you understand the terms for
common industries
Language focus: Your profession
 Aerospace: Spacecraft, rockets
Make sure you understand the terms for  Aviation: Planes, helicopters
common industries`. You may hear them in  Hospitality & Catering: Hotels,
sentences like: I work in … restaurants
 Construction: Buildings, houses, offices
 The aerospace business. (spacecraft  Energy: Gas, electricity
rockets, etc.)  Entertainment: Movies, theater, TV
 Healthcare: Hospitals, doctors, clinics
 The aviation business. (planes,
 Logistics: Transporting goods
helicopters, etc.)  Media: Newspapers, internet, television
 Hospitality and Catering. (hotels, Pharmaceuticals: Medicines, drugs
 restaurants, etc.)  Public Sector: Government-controlled
 Construction. (building houses, economy
offices, etc.)
 The energy sector. (the part of the
economy that deals with energy such
as gas, electricity, etc.)
 Entertainment. (movies, theatre, TV
Next steps
shows, etc.)
To effectively communicate your job in English for
 Health care. (hospitals, doctors, international purposes:
clinics, etc.)
 Logistics. (transporting goods, etc.)  Determine Your Title: Research and
 The media. (newspapers, the internet, choose a clear, accurate English job title that
television, etc.) aligns with your company's policies and
 Pharmaceuticals. (promoting a industry standards.
person or business)  Explain Your Role: Be prepared to
 The public sector. (the part of the describe your job responsibilities in a way
economy that is controlled by the that is understandable to both industry experts
government) and non-specialists.
 Leverage Company Resources: Explore
Next steps job listings on company websites and industry
job boards to gain insights into relevant job
If you want to work internationally, you will titles and descriptions.
have to talk about your job in English, so  Communicate with Colleagues: Ensure
make sure you are prepared for that moment. your colleagues and manager understand your
Remember that you are the expert in the area efforts to improve your English
in which you work. You know what you do communication skills.
and you know what is important about your
job; you just need to find the right words to
talk about these things in English.
Language Focus: Questions
 Start with your job title. Do you know
the correct version of your title in Closed Questions:
English? If you don’t, find out if your
company has a policy on job titles and  Require a "yes" or "no" answer.
ask if there is one that you should use.  You can answer cloused questions
If there isn’t, look at the titles that with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’,but if your
people use in similar positions. Could provide more information
you use any of them? Check with your
company before you use a title in Open Questions:
emails or when introducing yourself.
You could also ask a native speaker  Begin with "What," "Where,"
friend or colleague for advice. "When," "Why," "Who," or "How."
 Some titles don’t tell people enough  Require more detailed answers.
about your job, so make sure you can  Examples: What is your main focus?
describe what you do in terms that Where are your primary markets?
 people in your industry will Who is in charge of marketing at your
understand and also people who aren’t company?
in your industry.
 Check out the English websites of Building Relationships:
companies that you work for or with.
Many have a list of job opportunities  When discussing with someone in the
that may provide you with ideas for same industry, start with general
you job title and description. trends.
 Avoid focusing on immediate business
 It its important that you understand the
benefits.
job titles and job descriptions of the
 Informal conversations can lead to
people in your industry. On English-
valuable business ideas.
language job sites, search for jobs in
companies in your industry. Filter
your search according to department Polite Questions
or specialist area until you find
something that is similar to what you Using Modal Verbs:
do. Is there a job title and description
 May I ask... (very polite and formal)
that you could use? Explain to your
 Would you be interested... (polite and
colleagues/manager what you are
formal)
doing so that they don’t think you are  Could you... (more formal than "Can
looking for a new job! you...")

Language focus: Questions

It is important to ask the right questions so Remember this! Body
that you can find out what you have in language
common with others.

Closed questions Mouth: Smile

Eyes: make eye contact with the person you
 Closed questions require a ‘yes’ or are talking to
‘no’ answer. Head: Nod your head (move it up and down)
Do you travel a lot for work? Hands: Limit hand gestures in professional
Are you working on anything settings. Use an index finger subtly to signal your
interesting at the moment? desire to speak.
 You can answer closed questions with Arms: Avoid crossing your arms, as it can appear
closed off.
a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’, but if you
Legs: Sit with legs together to avoid invading
provide more information, you show
personal space, Men should avoid sitting with
your listener that you are interested in
legs wide apart.
talking to them. Feet: Men should avoid crossing legs in a way
that reveals shoe soles, especially in Arab
Open questions countries.

 Open questions start with words like

‘What’, ‘Where’, ‘When’, ‘Why’, Body: Maintain a relaxed posture. Respect
‘Who’, and ‘How’ and require more personal space by keeping a comfortable
 detailed answers. distance.
What’s your main focus?
Where are your main markets? Next Steps: Using SMART
Who’s in charge of marketing at you
company? Goals for English Learning
 If you find that the person you are
talking to works in the same industry SMART Goals: A framework used to set and
as you, discuss trends in a general way achieve objectives, originally popularized by
at first. To begin with, try not to think Peter Drucker.
too much about how you can make use
of someone. An informal conversation Applying SMART to English Learning:
can give you ideas for other business
projects.  Specific: Clearly define your goal.
Example: Focus on one chapter of this
Polite questions book for two weeks.
 Measurable: Establish a way to track
 To ask a polite question, you can use progress. Example: Complete the
modal verbs. exercises in the "Over to you" section.
May I ask if you would be interested  Achievable: Assess your skills and
in meeting after the conference? commitment. Example: Allocate 20-
(polite and formal) 30 minutes of daily study time.
Would you be interested in talking  Realistic: Set a reasonable goal based
about this in more detail? (polite and on the available material. Example:
quite formal) Each chapter provides enough content
Could you recommend someone? for two weeks.
(more formal than ‘Can you …?’)  Time-bound: Set a specific timeframe
for achieving your goal. Example:
Remember this! Body language Adjust the study period if daily study
is challenging.
 Mouth: Smile.
 Eyes: Don’t stare, but keep regular By using SMART goals, you can effectively
eye contact. plan and track your English language
 Head: Nod your head (move it up and learning progress.
down) to show that you are listening.
You can tilt your head slightly to the
side to show that you are listening, but
be careful. A tilted head and a big
smile can look like you are flirting.
 Hands: Don’t wave your hands
around too much in a professional
situation. Some people like to raise an
index finger to signal that they would
like to say something, but you can
look aggressive if you start to point
 your finger at someone.
 Arms: Don’t fold your arms in front
of your chest. This creates a barrier
and suggests that you aren’t interested
in getting know the person you are
talking to.
 Legs: When you are sitting down, try
not to infringe on other people’s
personal space. This means that you
should sit with your legs together and
not stretched out. If you are a man and
are sitting down, don’t sit with your
legs wide apart. When standing, you
will be less intimidating if you stand
slightly at an angle, to the side, and
not face to face all the time.
 Feet: A tip for men in particular: don’t
cross your legs in such a way that the
bottom, or soles, of your shoes are
visible. This is considered extremely
rude in Arab countries.
 Body: Relax and don’t stand too close
to people. There are different ideas
about personal space, so it is best to be
careful and to keep a distance of about
an arm’s length.

Next steps
Peter Drucker, an American management
consultant, was probably the first person to
use the term SMART as a business method.
Project managers use it to focus on their
objectives for a project. You can also use
SMART to help you to improve your
business English skills. As you would in a
project, decide what you want to do and make
sure that it is SMART.

S is for ‘specific’:
What exactly do I want to improve?
M is for ‘measurable’:
How can I measure my progress?
A is for ‘achievable’:
Do I have the skills to do it, and will I make
the effort?
R is for ‘realistic’:
Am I expecting to do too much or not
enough?
T is for ‘time’:
How much time can I spend on it?

Here are some suggestions for SMART

learning goals.

Specific: Focus on only one chapter of this

book over a period of two weeks. Every day
during this period focus on the key phrases or
listen to the online audio.
Measurable: At the end of the two weeks,
measure your progress. Do the exercises in
the ‘Over to you’ section.
Achievable: You should spend 20-30 minutes
studying every day. You could read, listen and
learn vocabulary or test yourself on the key
phrases.
Realistic: Each chapter has enough material
for two weeks.
Time: If you don’t have time to study every
day, give yourself more time. You will only
know how much time you really need once
you start studying.

Task 3B Task 3B
Before we define how we view small group Task A:
communication, we will begin with a big Definition of group
picture, then move to specifics. The first term A group consist of three or more people who
requiring definition is group. What differentiates are interacting with one another in such a
a collection of people from a group of people? manner that each person influences and is
Don’t worry if you have a hard time putting your influenced by each other person. Every each
own definition into words; no single definition of group have an independent goal.
of group exists among those who study groups for Definition of small group
a living. Among the variety of definitions for A group of at least three but few enough
group, we prefer Marvin Shaw’s: a group
members for each to perceive all others as
consists of “persons who are interacting with
individuals, share some identity or common
one another in such a manner that each person
purpose, and share standards for governing
influences and is influenced by each other
their activities as members.
person.”21 Shaw argued that, of all the Definition of small group discussion
 characteristics of groups, none were more A small group of people communicating with
important than interaction and mutual influence. each other to achieve some interdependent
The Artsfest Planning Committee simply goal, such as increased understanding,
collected in one place does not necessar- ily coordination of activity, or solution to a
constitute a group unless there is reciprocal shared problem.
awareness and influence among mem- bers. If, for Definition of interdependence
example, LaShonda, Jerry, and Pam each write An objective shared by members of a small
separate letters to recruit an artist to apply, Shaw group in such a way that one member cannot
would argue that no group exists yet because Jerry achieve the goal without the other members
and Pam did not influence LaShonda in
also achieve it.
recruiting particular artists. However, once the
Task B:
members begin to interact with each other and
1. Small enough for each member to be
talk about how to pool their efforts to recruit
artists, then we see a group emerging out of their aware of and have some reaction to
interaction. Interaction assumes coordination of each other. For example, discussion
group
behaviors.22 More fundamentally, interaction
2. A mutually interdependent purpose,
“requires mutual influence.”23 making the success of any one
The Artsfest committee members share a
member contingent upon the success
related key feature of a group: an interdependent
goal. Interdependence exists when all group of all. For example, sport team like
members succeed or fail together in the football club
accomplishment of the group’s purpose—in this 3. Each member has a sense of belonging
case, having a success- ful festival can be attained to the group. For example, a family
only if they coordinate their efforts. In addition, 4. The give and take of impromptu
committee members coordinated their actions so communication, involving both verbal
that artists, food vendors, volunteers, and so and nonverbal messages, as group
forth, all showed up at the right times on the members respond to and adapt their
right days. This logic extends to group members actions to each other. For example,
scattered geographically. If members interact and
project meeting
mutually influence each other by way of
newsletters, telephone conversations, 5. A sense of cooperation between
computer networks, or closed-circuit TV, they members, even in disagreements and
still constitute a group. The Artsfest committee, conflict, where they perceive that they
although not geographically scattered, are pursuing a group outcome that will
influenced each other via their e-mail, phone, be satisfactory to everyone. For
text, Skype, and Dropbox correspondence. example, group organization
The study of groups may include large 6. Interaction that occurs on a continuum
groupings (e.g., whole societies) or small ones; from purely face-to-face to virtual.
our focus is on small groups. The notion that
Most groups today use some form of
“each person influences and is
technology in conjunction with their
face-to-face group work, and even if
influenced by each other” implies
that members are aware of each their interaction is totally virtual, all
other, and from this mutual the characteristics mentioned here still
awareness we ground our apply. For example, a group in a zoom
definition of small on perceptual meeting
awareness. A small group, Task C:
therefore, is a group small enough 1. The most important aspect are
that each member is aware of and interaction and mutual influence
able to recall each other group 2. Interaction assumes coordination of
member, know who is and is not behaviors. More fundamentally,
in the group, and recognize what interaction “requires mutual in
role each is taking. Attempts to influence. For example, LaShonda,
define small on the basis of number
Jerry, and Pam each write separate
of members have never worked.
Practically, small groups are
letters to recruit an artist to apply,
usually comprised of three to seven Shaw would argue that no group exists
members with five being the most yet because Jerry and Pam did not
effective.24
influence LaShonda in recruiting
No doubt you have heard and particular artists. However, once the
used the word team and might members begin to interact with each
wonder whether there is difference other and talk about how to pool their
between a small group and a efforts to recruit artists, then we see a
team. Some scholars see teams as group emerging out of their
highly functioning groups with a interaction.
strong group identity and highly 3. The number of members does not
structured with very explicit rules always reflect the interactions that
and clearly defined member
occur within the group
responsibilities.25 Others reserve Task D:
team for groups in which Because the person in small group have a
leadership is shared, such as the common purpose and they are still connected
case with self-managed work even using virtual devices. The influence of
groups.26 In a comprehensive technology on small group are improving
review of the research into team communication and facilitating accessibility.
dynamics, Salas, Sims, and Burke Task E:
discovered a recurring theme in The terms “team” and “group” is difference it
all the different definitions of is because the two of that things have their
team: the recognition of own method to start the interaction between
interdependence between members the people and have a different purpose of
as they strive toward a group talk.
goal.27
Thus, we do not differentiate the
two terms—group and team—and
use them inter- changeably. A
small group may be called a team
(e.g., top management team), yet
function no better than other
groups of its kind. Like LaFasto
and Larson, we are interested in
groups that function well, no
matter what they are called.28
Interaction, mutual influence,
and interdependence are all
central features of a group.
Coordinating behavior requires
exchange of messages; thus, the
most central feature of human
groups is their communication.
Verbal and nonverbal exchange
among group members is where
the work of the group gets
accomplished. This exchange may
be face-to-face or may use
computer or audioconferencing
equipment. For our purposes,
small group discussion (see Table
1.1) refers to a small group of
people talking with each other in
order to achieve some
interdependent goal, such as
increased understanding,
coordination of activity, or a
solution to a shared problem.

Small enough (typically between three and seven)

for each member to be aware of and have some
reaction to each other.
2. A mutually interdependent purpose, making the
success of any one member contingent upon the
success of all.
3. Each member has a sense of belonging to the
group.
4. The give and take of impromptu
communication, involving both verbal and
nonverbal messages, as group members respond
to and adapt their actions to
each other.
5. A sense of cooperation between members, even
in disagreements and conflict,
where they perceive that they are pursuing a
group outcome that will be satisfac-
tory to everyone.
6. Interaction that occurs on a continuum from
purely face-to-face to virtual. Most
groups today use some form of technology in
conjunction with their face-to-face group work,
and even if their interaction is totally virtual, all
the characteristics mentioned here still apply.