Families, friendship circles, work teams, committees, and sports teams are all examples of groups. Individuals belong to many types of groups. The quality of people's everyday lives depends in important ways on the groups to which they belong. Much of the work and many of the decisions that shape the world depend on the actions that groups take. Groups are important because they influence the way in which people experience and understand the world. The study of group communication helps further the understanding of how groups function in influencing individuals and society. Additionally, the study of groups can lead to innovations in such things as technology, government, and organizational policy.

Defining a Group

To understand groups, there must be some way of determining what makes a collection of people a group. The number of members can be used to distinguish groups from other forms of social...