Cmst (19/02)
Making Decisions in Groups
CMST 340 Advanced Communication in Business and Technology
Benefits of working in groups…
Groups are typically better problem solvers on complex tasks/problems than solitary individuals
so long as they engage in critical thinking to make those decisions
Decision Making In Groups
Decision making by the leader
Decision making by the leader in consultation with members
Decision making by majority vote
Decision making by consensus
Critical Thinking in Groups
“What is the hardest task in the world? To think.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Critical – from the Greek word ‘krinein’ meaning ‘to separate’; ‘to choose’; it implies conscious, deliberate inquiry
Critical Thinking – the systematic evaluation of information and ideas; based on evidence and logic rather than intuition, hunch or prejudgment
Necessitates:
Evaluating information
Good/sound reasoning
Evaluating Information and Reasoning
Evaluating Information
Distinguishing between facts and inferences
Evaluating survey and statistical data
Accuracy
Recency
Coverage
Evaluating the sources and implication of opinions
Authority/credibility/ expertise
Purpose
Audience
Evaluating Reasoning
Beware of Fallacies
Overgeneralizing
Ad Hominem Attacks
Post hoc
False Dilemmas
Faulty Analogies
What common denominator do these historical events have ?
Columbia disaster, 2003
Challenger disaster, 1986
Bay of Pigs, 1961
Pearl Harbor, 1941
Sinking of the Titanic, 1912
What can go wrong in group decision making…
Groupthink – the absence of critical thinking in cohesive groups
Groupthink, “points to the ways that smart people working collectively can be dumber than the sum of their brains.” – Schwartz & Wald, New York Times
“The triumph of concurrence over good sense.”
– Irving Janis
Video on conformity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrNIuFrso8I
Symptoms of Groupthink
Excessive conformity
Over-abundance of cohesiveness
Overly cooperative
Overly collaborative
The group overestimates it’s power and mortality; illusion that the group is invulnerable
Lack of conflict/debate
the group becomes closed-minded to alternative views
Tendency to rationalize or discount negative/contrary information
Pressure to conform
illusion of agreement
Suggestions for Making Sound Decisions in Groups
Engage in constructive conflict; civilly and respectfully argue/debate issues
http://www.livescience.com/1583-anger-fuels-decisions.html
Be assertive
Ask questions
Foster a group climate where differing opinions are welcomed and considered
Appraise alternative courses of action, not unanimity