A group consisting of four students - Ron, Sam, Ari and Jacki - is involved in completing a group report and presentation worth 30 per cent of the assessment in a subject. The group began enthusiastically two weeks ago but momentum has declined as they have tried to deal with the following issues.

Ari had been conducting telephone interviews on behalf of the group but had not been keeping detailed records of each call. Ron agreed to meet Sam at the library but Sam did not show up. Jacki set up a spreadsheet for recording the results without consulting the others - both Sam and Ari saw significant disadvantages with Jacki's spreadsheet. Ron is in the process of moving to another suburb where public transport is more limited. During the group meetings, Jacki likes to focus on one issue at a time while Ari likes to chat generally about ideas and presentation strategies. Jacki thinks that Ari interrupts Ron and Sam too much and wastes time - Ron and Sam are keen to learn about the topic because it is directly relevant to their future work.

All members are feeling frustrated with their experience of working in the group. There are three weeks left before the report and presentation are due and anxiety is high.

Discussion

How can the group facilitate decision-making and build interpersonal relations between the members to achieve the goal of completing the group report and presentation in three weeks? In your answer, nominate specific decision-making strategies and types of communication interactions