Sex and Gender Differences in Group Communication

Abstract

This article examines the potential impact of the sex and gender composition of small groups on tile facilitation process. It explores the theory and research that yield insights into how sex or gender influenices leadership emergence, examining the comparative effectiveness of female and male leaders and considering the conceptual relationship between leadership and facilitation. By reviewing past research on sex differences in leadership emergence, stereotypic perceptions of gender differences in leadership style and speech, and the gender bias of many tasks used in small group research, it argues that facilitators would benefit from studying and understanding such important theoretical constructs as role theory, structural theory, expectation states theory, and attribution theory, so as to approach the group facilitation process more thoughtfully and strategically. The article further challenges traditional task-oriented views of leadership and concludes by affirming the equal potential of males and females to facilitate small groups.