Authors Joann Keyton and Stephenson J. Beck present a communicative framework—one that emphasizes the creation and management of messages as well as the reception and perception of meaning— for the investigation of groups and teams. The book also elaborates on the strategic and contextual nature of group interaction. The book is structured around five key elements of groups, all pieces of a puzzle, that can be used to evaluate group effectiveness. These are: group size, interdependence of members, group identity, group goals, and group structure. Throughout the book, and in pedagogical...