[Solution] Group Decision Making
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Author: Emily Carter
Decision making in organizations is often made by groups or teams instead of by individuals. Making decisions collectively tends to have certain advantages and disadvantages, and managers should be aware of these, both to participate effectively in group decision making and to delegate decisions appropriately to groups.
Common Forms of Group and Team Decision Making
Following are three commonly used methods for group or team decision making:
- In an interacting group/team, members discuss the issue, finding points of agreement and disagreement, until they reach consensus. An advantage is that the discussion prompts new ideas. A disadvantage is that political processes, such as the formation of coalitions among some members of the group, tend to play too large a role.
- In a Delphi group, experts first contribute their opinions individually, without influencing each other. The group coordinators determine the average position of the group and present it to each expert, asking for another opinion. Experts who offered extreme opinions in the first round also explain those opinions. When all the experts are in agreement, that position is considered the consensus opinion. This technique has been used successfully, but it is time-consuming and expensive (although today's ability to interact digitally facilitates the process).
- In a nominal group, the group members meet but—unlike in the interacting group—do not freely discuss the issue. Instead, they individually write down all the alternatives they can think of. These are then written where everyone can see them, such as on a flip chart, whiteboard, or shared document. Then the group has a more open discussion, and finally they vote, with the highest-ranking alternative representing the group's consensus opinion.
Group Decision Making Methods Comparison
| Method | Process | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interacting Group | Open discussion until consensus | Generates new ideas through discussion | Susceptible to political influences |
| Delphi Group | Independent expert opinions, followed by coordination | Minimizes peer pressure, leverages expertise | Time-consuming and potentially expensive |
| Nominal Group | Individual brainstorming, followed by discussion and voting | Balances individual input with group discussion | May not fully leverage group dynamics |
Advantages and Disadvantages of Group and Team Decision Making
Group decision making offers several advantages over individual decision making:
- More information and knowledge are available
- More alternatives are generated
- Final decisions are more readily accepted by stakeholders
- Group members can communicate the decision more effectively
- Overall better decisions tend to emerge
However, group decision making also has some disadvantages:
- It typically takes more time than individual decision making
- Political processes and peer pressure can influence decisions
- Domination by one or a few group members can limit effectiveness
- Groupthink (pressure for conformity) can affect decision quality
The table gives descriptions of different methods used for group decision making. For each row, identify the method described.
Due to the relatively unstructured discussion among group members, political processes may have too much influence on the group's decision.
Group members first brainstorm alternatives independently; then these ideas are posted where everyone can read them and share their reactions.
Group members contribute their opinions separately at first, without interacting with each other.
View Explanation
Because the give-and-take in an interacting group is relatively unstructured, political processes, such as coalition formation, can have an unhealthy influence on the group's decision.
In a Delphi group, experts form their opinions independently at first and submit them to group coordinators without knowing what other group members have said.
In a nominal group, the first activity is for each group member to write down alternatives; the second activity is for everyone to read all the alternatives and discuss them.
Select the correct response to the following question.
Which of the following are common advantages of group or team decision making? Check all that apply.
- The group generates more alternatives than a single person would generate.
- The group's decision is more likely to be accepted by stakeholders than would a decision by an individual.
- There is more information available than if just one person made the decision.
- Because more people contribute ideas and effort, group decision making typically takes less time than individual decision making.
- Political processes, such as peer pressure, play little role in decision making.
View Explanation
Following are three common advantages of group decision making:
- More information and knowledge are available.
- More alternatives are generated.
- The final decision is more readily accepted by stakeholders.
Two other advantages are that group members can communicate their decision more effectively to all stakeholders and that, overall, better decisions tend to emerge.
Decision making usually takes longer in groups than if a single person makes the decision, and political processes play a larger role in groups.
