Intercultural communication teamwork and leadership/CCOM103/Groups, teams and leadership/Video signpost: Guy

View video series – Ryan Guy’s “Small Group Communication Lectures: Lectures 1-3.” These three academic lecture videos are presented by Guy, a Communication Studies instructor at Modesto Junior College in California, USA. Each video builds on information given in the preceding one so it’s best to watch them in the order they are presented. In the introductory video, Small Groups at the Heart of Society [16.25 min.] CC BY, Guy discusses effective communication in groups, when group work is a good choice, the pros and cons of communication technologies in group work, and how to be an ethical group member. Note that Guy uses the terms ‘group’ and ‘team’ interchangeably, unlike your textbook. In the second video, Groups as Structured Open Systems [17:02 min.] CC BY, Guy reviews general systems theory, and its application to groups as unique social systems of interdependent individuals. He defines the open versus closed systems continuum, giving examples of businesses that invite customer feedback versus public agencies that shut off information flow for security or legal reasons. He also touches on virtual groups, and concepts of synergy and tension in groups.