The Process of Decision Making Term Paper by Thukydides
A look at the decision making process in groups.
# 151924
| 3,132 words
| 3 sources
| APA
| 2011
| 
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Description:
This paper discusses diverse aspects of group decision making as a social activity, with a special interest given to factors that contribute to effective or ineffective decisions within a given group. It argues that efficiency/inefficiency of group decision making depends on a complex set of factors, and therefore cannot be predicted in advance. It includes a hypothetical situation and details from studies carried out on the subject.
From the Paper:
''Let one take the example of a hypothetical workers' co-operative enterprise that engages in providing plumbing services to local community. It consists of 5 full-time members who have invested approximately equal amount of starting capital in the enterprise and 10 their apprentices, 2 for each master. In addition, the owners of the co-operative make use of the assistance of a technical consultant who provides to them counsel concerning the new advances in the plumbing industry, the relevance of upgrading the current stock, etc. Nevertheless, the whole decision making authority resides with these 5 worker-owners as a collective group. In addition, each of them has the authority to make decisions with regard to the working schedule of his apprentices. Consequently, it will be prudent to look at the factors that influence the efficiency/inefficiency of their decision making process."According to Johnson & Johnson (2009), there are 6 basic methods of the group decision making: decision by authority without discussion, decision by expert member, decision by average member, decision by authority without discussion, minority rule, and majority rule (p.282).
''The decision by authority, whether with or without discussion, provides for the entrustment of all decision-making powers into the hands of a singular leader of the group, who is then not obliged to listen to the other members of the group even in those affairs where their intrinsic knowledge and expertise exceed those of him/her. Naturally, the leader is forced to rely only on those information inputs that he/she is able to process him/herself. Therefore, it might be said that the leader utilizes only those resources of the group that remain in his/her exclusive management, without recourse to the assistance of the other members. Consequently, the decisions by the leader suffer from lack of full perspective.''
Sample of Sources Used:
- Janis, I. L. (1972) Victims of groupthink. New York: Houghton Mifflin.
- Johnson, D.W., & Johnson, F.P. (2009) Joining together: Group theory and group skills. 10th ed. London: Pearson.
- O'Connell, T.S., & Cuthbertson, B. (2009) Group dynamics in recreation and leisure: Creating conscious groups through an experiential approach. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Cite this Term Paper:
APA Format
The Process of Decision Making (2012, October 26)
Retrieved September 28, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/term-paper/the-process-of-decision-making-151924/
MLA Format
"The Process of Decision Making" 26 October 2012.
Web. 28 September. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/term-paper/the-process-of-decision-making-151924/>