A group is a collectivity of individuals who are united by a common goal. Groups may vary substantially from one another in any number of ways, including their purpose, the way in which they emerge and evolve, their structure, their longevity, and their size. Groups may be formed for task completion, economic gain, social support, personal development and change, spiritual growth, or any of a number of other reasons. They may emerge and evolve quite naturally, or they may be developed and maintained through planning and conscious effort. Groups may have a very transitory existence, or they may be stable over time. Their structure and operations can be causal, or they can be formal. Whatever the specific nature or structure of a group, communication is critical to its emergence and ongoing dynamics.

There is no single view as...