Title: 11.5 Decision Making in Groups – Principles of Management
Headings: 11.5 Decision Making in Groups
11.5 Decision Making in Groups
Learning Objectives
When It Comes to Decision Making, Are Two Heads Better Than One?
Groupthink
Recommendations for Avoiding Groupthink
Groups Should:
Individuals Should:
Group Leaders Should:
Tools and Techniques for Making Better Decisions
Key Takeaway
Exercises
References

Content: Furthermore, groups can suffer from social loafing, or the tendency of some members to put forth less effort while working within a group. Groups may also suffer from groupthink, the tendency to avoid critical evaluation of ideas the group favors. Finally, group decision making takes a longer time compared with individual decision making, given that all members need to discuss their thoughts regarding different alternatives. Thus, whether an individual or a group decision is preferable will depend on the specifics of the situation. For example, if there is an emergency and a decision needs to be made quickly, individual decision making might be preferred. Individual decision making may also be appropriate if the individual in question has all the information needed to make the decision and if implementation problems are not expected. However, if one person does not have all the information and skills needed to make the decision, if implementing the decision will be difficult without the involvement of those who will be affected by the decision, and if time urgency is more modest, then decision making by a group may be more effective. Figure 11.14 Advantages and Disadvantages of Different Levels of Decision Making
Groupthink
Have you ever been in a decision-making group that you felt was heading in the wrong direction, but you didn’t speak up and say so? If so, you have already been a victim of groupthink. Groupthink is a group pressure phenomenon that increases the risk of the group making flawed decisions by leading to reduced mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgment.