Ch 12 - Decision Making in Groups

autocratic decision making

a process by which group decisions are made by the leader alone, based on info the leader possesses

democratic decision making

a strategy by which decisions are made by the group members based on majority-rule voting

consensus

decision making based on 100% member agreement

group polarization

the tendency for groups to make decisions that are more extreme than those made by individuals

groupthink

a syndrome characterized by a concurrence/conformity-seeking tendency that overrides the ability of a cohesive group to make critical decisions

• initial conditions

  • high cohesiveness & strong norms, insulation of team from outsiders, lack of methodological procedure for search and appraisal, directive leadership, high stress w/ low degree of hope for finding better solution than one favored by leader, complex/changing environment

• consensus at all costs

• characteristics/symptoms

  • illusion of invulnerability, collective rationalization, belief in inherent morality of team, stereotypes of other groups, direct pressure on dissenters, self-censorship, illusion of unanimity, self-appointed “mind guards” (ppl who keep echo chamber going)

• leads to defective decision making

  • incomplete survey of alternatives and goals, failure to examine risks of preferred choices, poor information search, selective bias in processing info at hand, failure to reappraise alternatives and to work out contingency plans

• science does not 100% prove this

symptoms of groupthink

1. illusion of invulnerability

2. illusion of morality

3. shared negative stereotypes (good vs bad guys)

4. collective rationalizations (explain away opposing info)

5. self-censorship

6. illusion of unanimity

7. direct conformity pressure

8. mindguards (ppl who keep echo chamber going)

conformity

the process of adhering to group norms

idiosyncrasy credits

high performers and high-status individuals who are often given freedom to deviate from norms of behavior

group characteristics that impact decision making

• team composition (mix of traits, characteristics, and expertise among ppl on a team)

• team mental models

team mental models

team members’ shared understanding of important aspects of common work goals

• explain how teams coordinate their efforts even when having to function in complex, dynamic, and uncertain world

  • ex: football teams; surgical teams

conditions under which team decision making superior to individual

• greater diversity of info important

• acceptance of decisions is crucial

• participation important for reinforcing values of representation vs authoritarianism

• team members rely on each other in performing jobs

strategies to improve team decision making

Galbraith (2008)

• team members should perceive their participation as important and personally rewarding

• work team should include some persons of organizational power who will be responsible for helping to implement any decisions made by the group

• team members should have knowledge and info relevant to decision

• team members should have authority to commit their respective departments to decision

• team members should represent and inform non-team workers

• influence of team members on decisions should be based on expertise

• work team conflict should be managed to maximize problem-solving process

• team members should have good interpersonal skills and adequate leadership

brainstorming

a group process generating creative ideas or solutions through a noncritical and nonjudgemental process

• rules

  • no idea too far out

  • criticism of any idea not allowed

  • more ideas the better

  • members should try to build on each other’s ideas

personnel psychology

the specialty area of IO psych focusing on an organization’s human resources

wisdom of the crowd

the phenomenon by which a diverse group of novices can outperform a homogeneous group of experts b/c they can identify each other’s errors in judgements

ethical decision making

4 step model

• recognizing ethical issue

• moral judgement

• place moral concerns above other concerns

• acting on moral concerns

project task force

a nontraditional organization of workers who are assembled temporarily to complete a specific job or project

• ex: in conferences

conference

an unstructured management training technique in which participants share ideas, info, and problems

• AKA group discussion

self-managing work teams

teams that have complete responsibility for whole tasks; work together to produce an entire product, major component, or service

• operate w/o formal supervisor or leader

  • ex: Whole Foods

shared leadership

where leadership is shared among group members rather than being centralized in one person

lack of control

a feeling of having little input or effect on job and/or work environment; typically results in stress

team organization

a nontraditional organizational structure consisting of a team of members organized around a particular project or product

• workers have broadly defined jobs

team building

a type of team training focused on how to improve team performance by analyzing group interaction