1 Copyright ©2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 11: Group Decision Making...

1 Copyright ©2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Chapter 11: Group Decision Making and Problem SolvingThis multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law:*any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network;*preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images;*any rental, lease, or lending of the program


Decision Making and Problem Solving

Decision Making • Passing judgment

on an issue under consideration

• The act of reaching a conclusion

Problem Solving• A process in which

groups analyze a problem and develop a plan of action for solving the problem or reducing its harmful effects


Prerequisites

Prerequisites for Effective Decision Making and Problem Solving

Clear Purpose Quality Content Structured Procedures


Decision-Making & Problem- Solving Prerequisites


Clarify Your Purpose

A. Question of Fact

B. Question of Value

C. Question of

Conjecture

D. Question of Policy

__ Should the U.S. provide health care for all citizens?

__ How many Americans lack health insurance?

__ Will stem cell research help cure diseases?

__ Is the Canadian health care system better than the U.S. system?


Quality Content

“The ability of a group to gather and retain a wide range of information is the single most important determinant of high-quality decision making.”

Randy Hirokawa, Group Communication Scholar


Research and Content


Structured ProceduresBenefits of Structured Procedures

• Balanced Participation • Effective Conflict Resolution• Clear Organization• Group Empowerment

Structured procedures are “the heart of group work and the most powerful tools we have

to improve the conduct of meetings.” Scott Poole, Group Communication Scholar


Groupthink

The deterioration of group effectiveness that results from

in-group pressure

• Highly cohesive groups are at greater risk of succumbing to groupthink.

• Irving Janis identifies eight symptoms and expressions of groupthink.


Symptoms of Groupthink


Examples of Groupthink?Which, if any, of the following events

resulted from Groupthink?

• The U.S. Bay of Pigs (Cuba) invasion.• The Challenger Space Shuttle disaster.• The failure to heed intelligence about an

imminent attack on the U.S. in 2001.• The U.S. decision to invade Iraq in search

of weapons of mass destruction.


Avoiding Groupthink

• Assign several members to work on the same problem independently.

• Invite an expert to join the group periodically to provide constructive criticism.

• Periodically invite an expert to the meeting and encourage constructive criticism.

• _________________________________• _________________________________


PowerPoint QuizWhich symptom of groupthink is expressed

when a member confronts another by saying “What does she know? She’s new to the group.”

A. RationalizationB. Self-censorshipC. MindguardingD. Pressure on dissentE. Illusion of Invulnerability


Decision-Making Methods

• Voting. Majority or two-thirds vote. Some members win, but others lose.

• Consensus. When all group members agree to support a group decision

• Authority Rule. When a single person or group of people outside the group makes a final decision, with or without recommendations from the group


Voting


Consensus Guidelines

• Listen carefully to others.• Don’t change your mind to avoid

conflict or to reach a quick decision.• Welcome differences of opinion.• Avoid agreeing to a false consensus.• _____________________________.• _____________________________.• _____________________________.


Ethical Group Decision Making

• The Research Responsibility. Be well-informed and prepared with good information.

• The Common Good Responsibility. Look beyond your needs and consider others.

• The Reasoning Responsibility. Avoid presenting faulty arguments. Build valid arguments. Recognize fallacies.

• The Social Code Responsibility. Promote an open and supportive climate.


Decision-Making Styles

A. Rational

B. Intuitive

C. Dependent

D. Avoidant

E. Spontaneous

__I often make impulsive decisions. __When a decision is important, I

often seek the opinions of others. __I make logical decisions in a

systematic way. __When making a decision, I

usually trust my feelings or gut instincts.

__I tend to put off decisions that make me uncomfortable or that are unpleasant.


Match Technology and Purpose

Types of Technology

A. E-mail

B. Audio Conference

C. Bulletin Board

D. Video Conference

E. Electronic Meeting System

Purposes of Meeting

___ Information Sharing

___ Discussion and Brainstorming

___ Decision Making and Problem Solving

___ Collaborative Project (analyze data, develop a design, etc.)


Problem Solving Methods

• Brainstorming

• Decreasing Options Technique

• The Standard Agenda


Brainstorming

Brainstorming . . .• can generate many ideas in a short period

of time.• works best when members are

comfortable with a freewheeling process.• can fail if members are self-conscious and

sensitive to implied criticism.

• can enhance creativity and produce numerous worthwhile ideas.


Brainstorming Guidelines• Sharpen the Focus with Clear

Questions of Problem Statements

• Display Ideas for All to See

• Number the Ideas

• Encourage Creativity

• Emphasize Input, Prohibit Put Down

• Build and Jump to New Ideas


Brainstorming Techniques


Decreasing Options Technique


Decreasing Options Technique (DOT)

DOT helps groups reduce and refine a large number of ideas into a

manageable set of options.


The Standard Agenda


Fact Finding and Analysis

Standard Agenda: Step 3 Questions

• What are the facts of the situation?• What additional information or expert

opinion do we need?• How serious and/or widespread is the

problem?• _________________________________• _________________________________


Motivating Multicultural Members

What strategies may help motivate members from the following

cultures?Individualistic or Collectivist cultures

High- or Low-Power cultures

Masculine or Feminine cultures

High- or Low-Context cultures

Monochronic or Polychronic cultures


Why Do So Many People Dread Meetings?

• The meeting was unnecessary.• The meeting wasted a lot of time.• The meeting didn’t use or follow an

agenda.• _____________________________.• _____________________________.• _____________________________.


Effective Meeting


5 Ws of Meeting Planning

• Why Are We Meeting?

• Who Should Attend?

• When Should We Meet?

• ___________________________?

• ___________________________?


Quotable Quote

Careful planning can prevent at least 20 minutes of wasted

time for each hour of a group’s meeting.

Karen Anderson, Making Meetings Work


The Need for Agendas

Agenda. The outline of items to be discussed and tasks to be accomplished during a meeting

An agenda . . .• is an organizational tool.• helps members prepare for a meeting. • is a time management tool.• provides a measure of success.


Sample Business AgendaI. Purpose of Meeting/Names of AttendeesII. Date, Time, and Place of MeetingIII. Call to OrderIV. Approval of the Agenda and MinutesV. Individual and Committee ReportsVI. Unfinished BusinessVII. New BusinessVIII. AnnouncementsIX. Adjournment


“Taking” the Minutes The minutes of a meeting are . . .• the written record of a group’s discussion

and activities.• legal documents as well as historical

records of an organization’s business.• a way to share proceedings with members

who don’t attend.• a way to prevent disagreement over

member assignments & group decisions.


Communication Assessment

Group Problem-Solving CompetenciesEvaluate the quantity and quality of member participation in a problem-solving discussion using the following rating: E=Excellent; S=Satisfactory; U=Unsatisfactory

____ Clarifies the Task: Helps the group clarify the overall goal as well as member roles and responsibilities.

____ Maintains Supportive Climate: Collaborates with and appropriate supports other group members.


TEST Your KnowledgeWhich of the following groups is primarily responsible for solving a problem?

A. A jury

B. A hiring committee

C. A department’s social committee

D. A toxic waster disaster team

See p. 215 for more review questions.

1 Copyright ©2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 11: Group Decision Making...

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