The sheer number of people in a group affects the
amount of communication. Consider the difference
between communication between two friends and
communication in a group of live people. When friends
talk, there are two people sending and receiving
messages. In a group of live, there are live people doing
the same thing. Each idea that is expressed must be
understood by four others, who may also choose to
respond. Consequently, the greater number of people in
a group, the fewer contributions any individual may
make. Because there are disadvantages to large groups,
you might assume that small groups would be the most
effective.However, groups can be too small as well as
100 large. With 100 few members, a group has limited
resources, which eliminates a primary advantage of
groups for decision making. Also, in very small groups,
members may be unwilling lo disagree or criticize each
other's ideas. I believe that five to seven members is the
ideal size for a small group.
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