GROUP THINK AND GROUP SHIFT

Two byproducts of group decision making have received a considerable amount of attention by researchers in Organizational Behavior. These two phenomena have the potential to affect the group ability to appraise alternatives objectively and to arrive at quality decision solutions.

The first phenomenon, called groupthink, is related to norms. It describes situations in which group pressures for conformity deter the group from critically appraising unusual, minority, or unpopular views. Groupthink is a disease that attacks many groups and can dramatically hinder their performance.

The second phenomenon we will review is called Group shift. It indicates that in discussing a given set alternatives and arriving at a solution, group members tend to exaggerate the initial positions that they hold. In some situations, caution dominates, and there is a conservative shift. More often, however, the evidence indicates that groups tend toward a risky shift. Let us look in detail

DECISION MAKING & Efficiency

Efficiency, on the other hand, is doing the right thing right. In other words, efficiency is being able to do what you want to do in a way that's considered good and more than satisfactory. Usually efficiency is referred to as the best use of the resources available to achieve a specific goal.

Back to the tools example above, after you decide which kind of tools is the more effective for your task, how you actually use the tool is going to determine your efficiency. That will be based on things like, how easy it is to get the task done with the tool, how much time does it take you to complete the task using the tool, how good is the outcome of your work, etc.

So basically, determining the kind of tools that is right for your mission is EFFECTIVE. On the other hand, using the tool right to successfully achieve the mission is EFFICIENT.

DECISION MAKING & Effectiveness

Effectiveness, simply put, is knowing what's the right thing to do and actually doing it. For instance, you want to carry out a certain task which needs some tools, which you don't currently have, to get done. Furthermore, this task can be successfully completed with any kind of the various tools available in store. Each kind of those tools however, has some additional functions and features that make it a little bit different from the other, and of course, has its own price.

Now, it's your own job to decide which kind of those tools is the RIGHT one for your own task. And you'll be actually considering different things like, features and cost. So the key point here is to get something that's right, and that can help you achieve your goal.

Weaknesses of Group Decision Making

Despite the advantages noted, group decisions involve certain drawbacks. First, they are time-consuming. Groups typically take more time to reach a solution than an individual would. Thus, group decisions are not always efficient. Second, there are conformity pressures in groups. The desire of group members to be accepted and considered an asset to the group can result in quashing any overt disagreement. Third, group discussion can be dominated by one or a few members. If this dominant coalition is composed of low- and medium-ability members, the group’s overall effectiveness will diminish. Finally, group decisions suffer from ambiguous responsibility. In an individual decision, it is clear who is accountable for the final outcome. In a group decision, the responsibility of any single member is watered down.

Strengths of Group Decision Making

Groups generate more complete information and knowledge. By combining the resources of several individuals, groups bring more input into the decision process. Groups can bring an increased diversity of views to the decision process, and, thus, the opportunity to consider more approaches and alternatives. In terms of decision outcomes, the evidence indicates that a group will almost always outperform even the best individual. So groups generate higher quality decisions.35 Group decisions also tend to be more accurate.

If creativity is important, groups tend to be more creative in their decisions than individuals.

Groups also lead to increased acceptance of a solution. Many decisions fail after the final choice is made because people do not accept them. Group members who participated in making a decision are likely to enthusiastically support the decision and encourage others to accept it.