For this assignment, you will read the scenario about a group situation and write a 2- to 3-page paper addressing the items below.
Scenario:
A paper supply company located in the Midwest has been acquired by a national paper supply company. This acquisition will give the newly formed company the opportunity to not only expand its business across the United States, but also increase personnel by 20%. While company mergers can be disruptive, strategic communication among employees can help alleviate some of the disruption.
Sally is the director of the newly formed sales force based at the new home office. With this acquisition, six new group members will be joining the sales force as managers. While a majority of Sallys group will work virtually, the six new group members will work at the new home office along with Sally.
Paul was promoted to assistant director from Sallys previous group. Paul was tasked with organizing the first meeting for the six new group members. The purpose of the meeting was to develop a strategic plan for implementing new sales goals, develop a better online presence, and build camaraderie among the new group members.
During the initial meeting, Paul encountered several challenges, including:
Achieving buy-in for new ideas from fellow employees who are different from him in age, experience, and attitudes.
Dividing up the responsibilities equally.
Being able to work with the group to meet strict deadlines.
Dealing with personality issues:
Jane and Bill are on board with the newly formed group, are willing to focus on the goals, and support one another.
Sean and Kim spend a lot of time talking about the interpersonal and emotional needs of the group rather than focusing on the goals.
Betty does not share her thoughts except to state she prefers to work on her own.
In your 2- to 3-page paper, address the following points:
Describe four common characteristics of groups.
Discuss the impact of any ethical issues that may arise in a group setting.
Explain group task roles, group social maintenance roles, and individualistic roles within the group dynamic in the scenario.
Based on the scenario, explain which predominant roles are expressed.
Discuss some of the challenges with this group.
Offer two solutions to make the group dynamic more effective.
Your paper should be 23 pages, with separate title and reference pages in proper APA format. Include a minimum of two scholarly resources. Your work should display college-level writing with attention to detail and demonstrate critical thinking skills.
