`Unit - 2

What is a Group Discussion?

Group discussions are a very important aspect of group

communication. Group discussions are a creative and dynamic activity, which
stimulates reflective thinking among the members. Group discussions may be
defined as an activity in which a small number of persons meet face-to-face and
exchange and share ideas freely or attempt to reach a decision on a common issue.

Group discussions are unstructured and less formal compared to meetings or

conferences wherein specific roles are assigned to the participants. In a group
discussion, an individual’s thought process is influenced by the views and opinions
of the other members. It also depends on where and in which direction the mood of
the discussion moves. In a group discussion, each participant is free to speak his
views. A successful discussion involves both listening and speaking

Characteristics of Group Discussions

Some of the salient features common to all group discussions are as follows:

(i)  Interface: A basic feature of group discussions is the interaction among

the various members of the group. They see, hear and communicate with
each other orally by paying attention to each other.
(ii)  Leader and Members: Group discussions are effective only when there
is a group of members and a leader. The leader has to summarize facts and
information, integrate them, stimulate thinking and agree to a unanimous
solution of the problem. The members of the group become actively related
to each other in their respective roles.
(iii)  Participation: The effectiveness and efficiency of a group
discussion depend, largely, upon the active participation of the members.
(iv) Interpersonal Attraction: Another characteristic feature of a group
discussion is interpersonal attraction. As long as interaction continues, the
likes, dislikes, behavior and temperament of members are known to each
other. Among them, empathy develops and as such, they share each other’s
problems.
(v)  Pressure to Conform: In a group discussion, there is always an element of
pressure to conform to norms. The pre-defined and established standards are
always enforced and followed.
(vi)  Conflict: A conflict is a difference or disagreement among the members of
the group, which often arise during deliberations and discussions. A conflict is
inevitable and usually develops when alternative solutions are present. It can
stimulate the members to find new solutions to the problem. Thus, conflict is not
necessarily bad. However, if it arises due to the political behavior of the members
it will have dysfunctional consequences.

Purpose of Group Discussions

Group discussions may serve various purposes. Some of them are:

(i)  To reach a solution on an issue of concern

(ii)  To generate new ideas or new approaches to solving a problem

(iii)  For selecting candidates after the written test for employment or for admission
to educational institutes

(iv) To provide us with an avenue to train ourselves in various interpersonal skills

Advantages of Group Discussions

The advantages of group discussions are as follows:

(i)  It provides a deeper understanding of the subject.

(ii)  It improves the ability to think critically.

(iii)  It provides different approaches to solving a problem.

(iv)  It helps the group in taking a decision.

(v)  It gives an opportunity to hear the opinions of other persons.

(vi)  It enables a participant to put across his/her viewpoint.

(vii)  It enhances confidence in speaking.

(viii)  It can change your opinion and show you things from a different perspective.
 Dos and Don’ts of participating in Group Discussion
As you have to participate in a Group Discussion. Several questions spring across
your mind. You want to know what actions, gestures can get you positive points,
and what can cost you the selection. Here is a list of Dos and Don’ts of
participating in the GD.

Dos of participating in a GD:

o Listen to the subject carefully

o Put down your thoughts on a paper
o Initiate the discussion if you know the subject well
o Listen to others if you don’t know the subject
o Support you point with some facts and figures
o Make short contribution of 25-30 seconds 3-4 times
o Give others a chance to speak
o Speak politely and pleasantly. Respect contribution from other members.
o Disagree politely and agree with what is right.
o Summarize the discussion if the group has not reached a conclusion.
o
Don’ts of participating in a Group Discussion

o Initiate the discussion if you do not have sufficient knowledge about the given
topic.
o Over speak, intervene and snatch other’s chance to speak.
o Argue and shout during the GD
o Look at the evaluators or a particular group member
o Talk irrelevant things and distract the discussion
o Pose negative body gestures like touching the nose, leaning back on the chair,
knocking the table with a pen etc.
o Mention erratic statistics.
o Display low self-confidence with shaky voice and trembling hands.
o Try to dominate the discussion
o Put others in an embarrassing situation by asking them to speak if they do not
want.

Why Group Discussion? Importance

Today, almost in every organization, it is a fact that various groups exist and it is because
of their effective discussions, important decisions are taken.
 Similarly, group discussions have become a popular and convenient means of selection
and placement. They precede interviews. This is because a large number of candidates
apply for a job.
It becomes difficult to assess the personality and the worth of the candidates. Further,
when a candidate is made to appear before a panel of selectors or interviewers, he may
become tense and diffident. It becomes impossible to judge a person’s suitability for the
job in question.

Group discussions take place among the candidates themselves. It is a discussion on a

given subject. The atmosphere is informal. The selectors act as observers or moderators.
They observe and note down the personality traits of the participants. UPSC, State Public
Service Commissions, Service Selection Boards, Universities and IIMs generally hold
such Group Discussions as a selection tool.
Guidelines for Effective Group Discussion

Participation in Group Discussions requires skill and training. It is observed that on many
occasions, a number of difficulties crop up and the Group Discussion fails. Ability to take
part in a Group Discussion is an important achievement. It has been adopted as an
effective method to analyze the sociological problems and to solve them.
Therefore, (i) before participating, every participant should prepare himself mentally.
(ii) If the subject of the discussion is known in advance, he should collect relevant
papers/material and prepare the subject properly.
(iii) He should discuss the topic confidently and clearly.
(iv) In a Group Discussion, generally, there is competition and sometimes there is
conflict. In order to avoid any conflict or controversy, he should present his views
courteously with the You Attitude in mind.
(v) He should be a good listener first and then a debater.
(vi) When others argue, he should not interrupt but respect their views and arguments.
Classification based on the type of information given to
participants:
● Topic-based Group Discussions
● Case-based group discussions
● Article-based group discussions
 1. Topic-based group discussions:
In topic-based group discussions, the group members are given a topic to discuss.
A topic is typically in the form of a statement. Sometimes, the statement may not
be complete.
For example, the topic could be worded “The biggest problem faced by our
country is?” By the end of the discussion, the group should strive to arrive at a
consensus on the issue that is covered by the topic.

2. Case-based group discussion:

In case studies, a short description of a situation is given to all the participants. The
case will typically be a problematic situation that requires a solution.
The participants have to study the case, analyze the problem and then discuss
various situations to the problem.

3. Article-based group discussions

Article-based GDs cover a wide range of topics like current affairs, politics,
economics, technology, etc.
The participants are given 4-5 minutes to read an article and are then asked to hold
a regular group discussion for 10-15 minutes on the contents of the article.

Classification based on the preparation required:

● Knowledge-based topics
● Opinion- based topics

1. Knowledge-based topics
Knowledge-based topics require you to have some general knowledge. An example
is “Should India withdraw from WTO?” Here, unless you know something about
WTO and what India’s current policy on WTO is, you will not be able to speak
effectively.
Some of the important subjects to ace knowledge-based topics are:
 
a. Topics on Economics for Group Discussion:
 
Be thorough with facts and figures about the national economy. You should be
familiar with critical economic indicators such as GDP, the plan outlay, sectoral
allocations from the budget, trade and fiscal balances, export and import items and
values, banking concepts and interest rates, stock indices, etc.
 
b. Group Discussion on Social topics:
 
When you are discussing social topics, you should be clear about both the ‘generic’
nature of the topics and the specific ‘manifestations of the social issue under
question.
E.g. “Dowry continues to haunt Indian brides”, “Education should become a
fundamental right”
 
c. Political topics for GD:
 
Topics with politics as the basic content frequently feature in group discussions.
These topics can easily drag the not-very-careful participant into a trap of making
emotional expressions.
E.g. “Coalition on politics in a poor country like India is a drain on the national
economy”, “Plans to attract foreign investment”
 
d. Group Discussion topics on Sport, Films, and Entertainment:
 
Topics concerning films or sports are also common in GDs. Recent tournaments,
the world cup or the Olympics games can be the subject matter for a number of GD
topics.
E.g., “Should India announce a sports holiday?” ”Is Cricket like opium to Indian
masses?
 
e. IT-based Group Discussion topics:
 
In this era of information technology, it is natural for topics based on IT to feature
prominently amongst the list of topics for discussion.
E.g. “The BPO bubble will also burst the way the dot-com bubble did”

2. Non-knowledge based Group Discussion topics:

Common sense is sufficient to do a good job of discussing these topics. There are
two types within this category: Concrete topics and Abstract topics.
a. Concrete GD topics:
Concrete topics are those about which there can be clear-cut interpretations among
the participants. There will hardly be any scope for varied interpretations, unlike in
case of abstract topic.
E.g., “Are Love marriage better than arranged marriages?”, “Girls make better
students than boys.”
b. Abstract GD topics:
 
Abstract topics are those where the interpretation of the statement itself can vary
from person to person.

● For example: 'Money is sweeter than honey' or 'Blue is better than red.'

MEANING OF INTERVIEW

The word interview comes from Latin and middle French words meaning to “see
between” or “see each other”. Generally, interview means a private meeting between
people when questions are asked and answered. The person who answers the questions of
an interview is called an interviewee.
The person who asks the questions of an interview is called an interviewer. It suggests a
meeting between two persons for the purpose of getting each other’s view or for knowing
each other. When we normally think of an interview, we think of a setting in which an
employer tries to size up an applicant for a job.
According to Thill and Bovee, “An interview is any planned conversation with a specific
purpose involving two or more people”.
Therefore, an interview is a formal meeting between two people (the interviewer and the
interviewee) where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information,
qualities, attitudes, wishes, etc. from the interviewee.
Thus, interview can be defined as an attempt to secure maximum amount of information
from the candidate concerning his/her suitability for the job under consideration.
It tries to achieve an accurate appraisal of the applicant in terms of his/her educational
qualification, training, family background, previous work experience and judge the
applicant’s certain qualities like manners, appearance, conversational ability, meet other
people pleasantly, etc.