Task Roles

Task Roles

Page 199

Technology and You

Have you ever functioned as or interacted with an online moderator? How did it change your perception of online group dynamics?

In some cases, a role is defined by a task that needs doing, and a person is asked or appointed to fill it (or he or she volunteers). Such task roles are concerned with the accomplishment of the group’s goals—specifically, the activities that need to be carried out for the group to achieve its objectives. For example, your role on a committee charged with organizing a sorority rush party might be to post advertisements for the event in key locations around campus and in the campus newspaper.

Task roles can also be specifically related to the group’s communication: