Isa Engleberg is a Professor of Speech Communication and Director of the Humanities Resource Center at Prince George's Community College in Largo, Maryland. She is coauthor of two other Houghton Mifflin Communication titles: Presentations in Everyday Life, with John Daly, and Working in Groups, with Dianna Wynn. In NCA she has served as President, Chair of the Research Board, and as a member of the Administrative Committee. She has planned many NCA conferences and has published more that 30 articles in a variety of publications. Isa has won numerous teaching and service awards, including NCA's Outstanding Community College Educator award and the President's Medal at Prince George's Community College.

1. Introduction to Group Communication

Succeeding in Groups

Defining Group Communication

The Process of Group Communication

Types of Groups

Advantages and Disadvantages of Working in Groups

Balance: The Guiding Principle of Group Work

GroupWork: It Was the Best of Groups; It Was the Worst of Groups

GroupAssessment: Essential Group Elements

2. Group Development

The Life Cycle of Groups

Forming: Balancing Individual and Group Needs

Storming: Balancing Conflict and Cohesion

Norming: Balancing Conformity and Nonconformity

Performing: Balancing Task and Maintenance Dimensions

Adjourning: Balancing Engagement and Disengagement

Balancing Needs, Norms, and Roles

GroupWork: Classroom Norms

GroupAssessment: Group Attraction Survey

3. Group Member Diversity

Heterogeneous Groups

Personality Dimensions

Cultural Dimensions

Gender Dimensions

Generational Dimensions

Balanced Diversity

GroupWork: Personality Preferences

Group Assessment: Identifying Cultural Dialectics

II. Interaction Skills

4. Confidence in Groups

Group and Member Confidence

Communication Apprehension

Strategies for High Apprehensives

Strategies for Low Apprehensives

Assertiveness

Balancing Ability and Confidence

GroupWork: Sorting the Symptoms

Group Assessment: Personal Report of Communication Apprehension (PRCA-24)

5. Verbal and Nonverbal Communication in Groups

Two Essential Tools

Language and Meaning

Team Talk

Language Difficulties

Adapting to Language Differences

Improving Verbal Communication

The Importance of Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal Behavior

The Nonverbal Environment

Nonverbal Communication and Culture

Creating a Supportive Communication Climate

Balancing Language and Nonverbal Behavior

GroupWork: Context, Context, Context

Group Assessment: Auditing Team Talk

6. Listening in Groups

The Challenge of Listening in Groups

Types of Listening

Group Roles and Listening

Improving Listening

Listening to Differences

Taking Notes in Groups

Self-Listening in Groups

Balanced Listening

GroupWork: Practice Paraphrasing

GroupAssessment: Shafir's Self-Listening Test

7. Conflict and Cohesion in Groups

Conflict in Groups

Constructive and Destructive Conflict

Conflict Styles

Conflict Management Strategies

Group Cohesion

Adapting to Differences

Balancing Conflict and Cohesion

GroupWork: Win as Much as You Can

Assessment: Ross-DeWine Conflict Management Message Style Instrument

III. Achieving Group Goals

8. Group Leadership

What Is Leadership?

Leadership and Power

Becoming a Leader

Leadership Theories

The 4M Model of Leadership Effectiveness

Diversity and Leadership

Balanced Leadership

GroupWork: The Least-Preferred Coworker Scale

GroupAssessment: Are You Ready to Lead?

9. Structured and Creative Problem Solving in Groups

Group Decision Making

The Need for Procedures

Structured Problem Solving

Creative Problem Solving

Problem-Solving Realities

Balanced Problem Solving

GroupWork: Game Building

Group Assessment: Problem-Solving Competencies

10. Argumentation in Groups

Why Argue?

Argumentativeness

The Structure of an Argument

Presenting Your Arguments

Refuting Arguments

Adapting to Argumentative Styles

Balanced Argumentation

GroupWork: Got Water?

Assessment: Argumentativeness Scale

11. Goal Setting and Motivation in Groups

Goal Setting

Member Motivation

Group Motivation

Assessment and Feedback

Rewards and Punishment

Balancing Mission and Motivation

GroupWork: Your Guiding Motive

GroupAsssessment: Group Motivation Inventory

IV. Participation Tools

12. Planning and Conducting Meetings

Meetings, Meetings, Meetings

Planning the Meeting

Preparing the Agenda

The Chairperson's Responsibilities

Dealing with Difficulties

Adapting to Difficult People

Preparing the Minutes

Evaluating the Meeting

Balanced Meetings

GroupWork: Meet the People Problems

Group Assessment: Post-Meeting Reaction (PMR) Form

13. Making Presentations in Groups

Presentations in Groups

Presentation Guidelines

Group Presentations

Questions and Answers

Presentation Aids

Balanced Presentations

GroupWork: A Practice Presentation

Group Assessment: Presentation Rating Scale

14. Technology and Virtual Groups

Technology and Group Communication

Group Communication Media

Groupware

Collaborative Presentation Technology

Group Diversity and the Digital Divide

Balancing Technology in Groups

GroupWork: Computer and Teleconference Simulation

GroupAssessment: Virtual Meeting Evaluation

Online Chapters

A: Informed Groups

Becoming a Well-Informed Group

Note Your Sources

Sources of Information

Evaluating Information

Using Information Effectively

Balancing Information Quality and Quantity

GroupWork: Research Scavenger Hunt

GroupAssessment: Information Checklist

B: Parliamentary Procedure

The Rules of the Game

Parliamentary Procedure's Principles and Players

Basic Rules of Order

Informal Rules

Balanced Procedures

GroupWork: The Mascot Debate

GroupAssessment: Parliamentary Procedure Assessment Instrument