What describes the pattern of information flow within a group?

The term that best describes the pattern of information flow within a group is communication network. Communication networks are structures that outline how information is exchanged among members in a group, indicating the relationships, channels, and pathways for communication. This includes different models of interaction, such as centralized or decentralized networks, and helps illustrate how effectively group members can share and receive information.

Understanding a group’s communication network can shed light on the dynamics of teamwork, collaboration, and decision-making processes within the group. It encompasses all the ways in which communication takes place, whether through direct conversations, memos, emails, or other means, and highlights the role each member plays in these exchanges.

In contrast, group cohesion relates to the bonds that tie members together, feedback loops refer to the processes that allow for responses and adaptations based on prior communication, and information hierarchy depicts the levels of authority and structure in how information is shared, but does not directly describe the flow of communication itself as effectively as a communication network does.