Group decision-making can improve the quality of managerial choices by bringing people with different perspectives, knowledge, and experiences into the process. At the same time, groups can encounter conflict or pressure to agree too quickly. Understanding both sides helps managers decide when and how to involve a group.
A group can bring together members with different preferences, opinions, experiences, and assumptions. When these perspectives are genuinely represented, members can challenge one another’s blind spots and reduce the influence of any one person’s bias. For example, a hiring committee with a mix of members may be less likely to favor applicants who resemble one committee member and more likely to focus on job-related qualifications.
All flashcards
How can a diverse group improve a decision?
Members bring different perspectives, knowledge, and assumptions. Their contributions can reveal blind spots, reduce the effect of individual biases, and widen the set of ideas considered.
What is brainstorming?
A group process for generating as many possible solutions or options as possible, usually before evaluating which options are strongest.
How can participation build commitment?
People affected by a decision can better understand the issues when they take part in the process. That understanding can make them more committed to carrying out the chosen solution.
What is groupthink?
Groupthink occurs when members hold back concerns or objections to preserve harmony or avoid upsetting others, which can weaken the group’s evaluation of its choices.
What is suppression of dissent?
It occurs when an influential person discourages others from expressing different views, limiting the group’s access to their information, ideas, and perspectives.
Quiz questions
Why can diversity in a decision-making group help reduce bias?Answer: Different perspectives can expose assumptions and reduce the influence of any one member’s bias.
What can a group gain when members contribute distinct information and expertise?Answer: The group can connect knowledge, consider the problem from different angles, and generate more options.
How can involving people affected by a decision help its implementation?Answer: Participation can improve their understanding of the issue and increase their commitment to the solution.
A team avoids mentioning serious concerns because members want to preserve its friendly atmosphere. What does this illustrate?Answer: Groupthink, in which members withhold objections to preserve harmony.
A powerful member discourages colleagues from expressing views that differ from their preferred proposal. What problem does this illustrate?Answer: Suppression of dissent, which limits the group’s access to members’ perspectives.
Based on Principles of Management by David S. Bright, Anastasia H. Cortes, Eva Hartmann, K. Praveen Parboteeah, Jon L. Pierce, Monique Reece, Amit Shah, Siri Terjesen, Joseph Weiss, Margaret A. White, Donald G. Gardner, Jason Lambert et al. (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.