Sociology - Group Effectiveness - Essay Example

Additionally, reviewing how leadership roles within an organizational culture influences the creation of an environment in which effectiveness is a product of exchanges and interaction. Effective Group Communication The primary purpose of a group (organization) is to create an entity that is sustainable and profitable (Conrad & Poole, 2005). For an organization to develop and implement internal systems enabling the group to accomplish their goals and objectives requires the coordination of people, technology, and operational procedures that align the internal activities with the strategic objectives.

A discussion about effective communication is incomplete without providing a definition of communication to clarify the understanding and underscore the significance of effective communication in groups. Communication is vital for a group’s longevity and its importance crosses and transcends industry lines. Conrad and Poole (2005) define “Communication as a process through which people, acting together, create, sustain, and manage meanings through the use of verbal and non-verbal signs and symbols within a particular context” (p. 3). De Janasz, Dowd, and Schneider (2001) make the assertion that “Communication is a two-way street, communication is a fluid, evolving process involving the sending and receiving of messages between two or more people” (p. 104). .

However the process of reinventing the company through the use of effective communication practices increased the group’s effectiveness and performance. For decades the company was thought to as one of the worst carriers in the industry and routinely the company’s performance failed because of consumer reports and satisfaction ratings (Bethune & Huler, 1998). Industry peers regularly ridiculed the airline for its inability to provide an acceptable level of service. Whereas the company’s external image was in shambles upon closer inspection its internal environment revealed a cancerous condition that was plaguing each department within the company’s structure (Bethune & Huler, 1998).

Despite multiple changes in leadership and unsuccessful internal changes in efforts to rectify the conditions of the declining airline the organization suffered losses in revenue and market share throughout the 1970s and 1980s (Bethune & Huler, 1998). Tasks and Maintenance Roles for Effectiveness Leadership is responsible for a group’s performance, if the group fails to meet the expectations and desires of the stakeholders those in leadership positions are removed. Klempa (2006) cites three factors that hinder effectiveness in groups: “1) poor management, in terms of efficient work planning and organization; 2) poor leadership, in terms of management demonstrating and leading change; and 3) poor internal communications” (p. 32). Undeniably leadership has significant influence on operational procedures.

Inside Continental prior to effectual changes and the re-design of communication networks found employee morale vile, customers’ opinion disparaging, suppliers and vendors