Week 2: D2

Explain how entropy and equifinality impact small groups.

Entropy means the lack of order or a gradual decline that turns into disorder. By not having an organized group there will be chance that the group might fail. Groups normally head down this path when there is no leader to make sure everyone is doing what they are suppose to be doing. This also can happen when people in the group do not use their time wisely to complete the task. There can be distractions also within the group members that can also cause the group to fall apart. For example a group member can be distracted by how he or she had a bad day and during the meeting he or she does not want to do the assign task.

Equifinality means that things can take different routes but end up at the same conclusion. This is actually a positive thing in small groups. By having different members work on specific parts of the project it seems to be more efficient. For volleyball there is a role assign for different people like setters, hitters, or back row players. Even though there are times when we are practicing varied positions on our team we eventually come together to make our team stronger by using what we are most skilled in during our games. 

Week 2: D1

Groups are living systems based on interdependence and interrelationships.  What happens to a small group when parts of the system do not function well?  Provide two examples from your own small group experiences that show the importance of understanding interdependence and interrelationships.

Interdependence and interrelationship goes together, especially in a small group. When there is a mutual understanding and focus between the members of the group, the outcome is better.

This was important when I was working on a group project. It was a project for a film class and we had to make a “mini film”. There were about 5 of us in a group and we made sure there was communication between all of us and that we were able to rely on each other. Each one of us depended on each other to show up and be able to “act” in front of the camera so that we can get the project done. If we had one person in our group who didn’t show up like he or she was suppose to or if that one person did not want to do anything, our project would have not been successful.

Another example that this concept was crucial was when I played volleyball. There were times when we did not act like we needed each other or wanted others to be around. When this started to happen it was shown in the way we played our games. We all basically did our own thing and it didn’t work out as we lost every game in our tournament that day. I believe that if we were interdependent we could have done better in our games. 

Intro

Hey, my name is Cynthia Wong. I am currently a junior at SJSU as a Communication Studies major. I became interested in the topic of communication during my freshman year at SJSU after taking COMM20. Afterwards I took COMM41 and with these two classes I realized how much I loved studying this topic and I wanted to learn more about it.

I am a night owl as I am the most awake at night. I tend to do most of my work and am the most productive after 11PM. I also have a strange addiction to french fries; I have to have it at least once a week. Some of my hobbies include working out and traveling. Since I am a night owl I tend to go to the gym a lot between 4AM-7AM and would finally sleep afterwards. Weirdo huh?

I am excited for this class because it does seem interesting to me.  I love how this class is online because it gives me flexibility in my busy schedule or flexibility to sleep later… or in some cases earlier.