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Group Discussions MBA BCom III

Group discussions are used by business schools and companies to evaluate candidates for admission or recruitment. They involve a group discussing a topic within a set time limit. Members are expected to contribute knowledgeably while respecting others' views and arriving at consensus, not competition. Content, communication skills, group behavior, and leadership are evaluated. Good communication involves clearly conveying ideas, active listening, and effective language use without showing off. Participants should rationally discuss views and help the group reach agreement. Leadership means giving direction, not dominating conversation. Maintaining objectivity is important.

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Sidharth Choudhary
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37 views

Group Discussions MBA BCom III

Group discussions are used by business schools and companies to evaluate candidates for admission or recruitment. They involve a group discussing a topic within a set time limit. Members are expected to contribute knowledgeably while respecting others' views and arriving at consensus, not competition. Content, communication skills, group behavior, and leadership are evaluated. Good communication involves clearly conveying ideas, active listening, and effective language use without showing off. Participants should rationally discuss views and help the group reach agreement. Leadership means giving direction, not dominating conversation. Maintaining objectivity is important.

Uploaded by

Sidharth Choudhary
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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GROUP DISCUSSIONS

MBA BCom III


Michael Lohan
What is a group discussion?

• Group discussions are normally used by B-schools to


select candidates who have applied for admission to the
institute. It is also part of the selection process employed
by companies to recruit employees – mostly at entry level.
• A topic on an issue is administrated to a group of people
who are expected to discuss it within a certain amount of
time given to them. The group members are expected to
discuss the topic/issue and try to arrive at a consensus/
conclusion.
• 
• It is important to understand that the individual of the
group should not look at the entire exercise of the GD as
‘me’ versus ‘them’. No individual in the group is more
important than any other member. The group discussion
should not turn into a ‘win-lose’ situation, rather it
should be a ‘win-win’ situation where the entire group wins
by virtue of the collective contribution of all the members
of the group. You should subscribe to the ‘us’
philosophy.
Types of group discussions

• Group discussions can be divided into three broad types:


• Topic-based
• Case-based
• Article-based
Four Parameters
• There are 4 performance parameters in a GD
discussion:
•  
• Content
• Communication
• Group Behaviour
• Leadership Skills
Content

• Content is the single most important factor in a group


discussion.
• The moderator would like to understand how well versed
you are with the knowledge relevant to the topic. It shows
how well read you are. All your management skills, etc., will
be of no use in an organisation unless you are sound on
topic and knowledge.
• Remember, the more valid points you make, the more marks
you score.
• You will be expected to add to the overall knowledge level
of the group as a whole. The group should gain from its
interactions with you because of what you have to
contribute.
Communication

• If the content aspect covers ‘what to say’ in a group


discussion, communication pertains to ‘how to say it’.
• Communication covers 3 different aspects. These are:
• Correctly conveying what you want to say
• Listening
• Language
1. Correctly conveying what you want to say
• Frequently, we find that the listener “understands” what
we are saying very differently from what we intended
to convey. This means that we are not able to put across
out ideas properly and correctly.

Question:
• What obstacles might interfere with the communication
process? For example, your thought process- how you put
your ideas together, you voice – tone, pitch etc.
2. Listening
• Listening is almost as important as speaking is as it is
important to focus your attention on what other group
members are saying instead of concentrating only on
speaking.
Language
• Language, is an area where a number of students have
most difficulty. Those that are not fluent may well feel
inhibited and consequently hold themselves back in a
group discussion. Fluent speakers sometimes use
‘flowery’ language to show their English speaking skills.
In the process of trying to show off, they end up using
words in the wrong context. Remember the correctness of
your grammar is not being evaluated, nor is your range of
vocabulary. What is being tested is your ability to convey
your ideas in such a manner that others can easily
understand them. Your communication therefore should
be effective and efficient.
Group Behaviour

• Unlike a debate, all the participants in as GD are free to


speak at all times. Hence how each participant interacts with
the other members of the group becomes very important.
What you need to exhibit is a rational approach, an adult-
to-adult interaction with the other group members. You
should listen to and understand the views expressed by the
other group members, integrate them with your ideas,
present a cogent ( clear) picture of the group’s view and
help arrive at a consensus in the discussion.
• Avoid shouting and/or making snide remarks as this will
show up as boorish ( unmannered) and intemperate
(unrestrained) – hardly the qualities to win the favour of
your moderator.
Leadership Skills

• Remember leadership does not mean speaking the


loudest or the most amount of time. Leadership means
giving direction to the group. Do not go out of your way
to establish yourself as a leader. It is quite adequate if you
are able to display your knowledge, communicate
effectively and behave maturely with your fellow group
members.

• Finally, never get emotional about the topic as what is


required is an objective and balanced approach.

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