Written for the small group communication course, Effective Group Discussion combines the most recent research findings relevant to understanding small groups with the practical tools students need to become productive group members. This text's implementation of research and theory in the systems approach framework provide students with a unique understanding of the scholarship in this field. This leading text is about secondary groups of all kinds: work groups, committees, task forces, self-directed work teams, and other small groups whose objectives include finding solutions to problems, producing goods, and creating policies. Gloria Galanes has become the lead author and brings a vast knowledge of computer-mediated group communication and culture that is reflected in this edition.