The Power of Groups – Decision Making Essay Example
The Power of Groups – Decision Making Essay Example

The Power of Groups – Decision Making Essay Example

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  • Pages: 2 (406 words)
  • Published: November 1, 2021
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Increased globalization, high competition and dynamism of the present day’s business environment leaves no room for mistakes that might mean organizational slowdowns. Since development relies on the decisions that are converted into ideas, performance is directly influenced by the kind of decisions made by the company. Although scholars have not been able to carry out studies that accurately state whether best decisions are made in a group individually, various sources have offered some conclusive explanations that groups are in a better position to make decisions.

For instance, groups have the benefit of utilizing more data, mistakes can be noted and rectified and lastly, have a superior collective memory. All these advantages must be utilized for a group to make a right decision. However, a common phenomenon called groupthink which arises as a result of conformity pressures, as well as the imperfect process, often lead to poor g

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roup decision-making. This paper examines decision-making processes and structures that have been designed to eliminate groupthink.

In MacDonald Company two main systematic decision-making techniques are employed i.e. brainstorming and Nominal Group Technique. Brainstorming which is unstructured aims at generating alternatives. The first process involves the collection of raw ideas from all the members. The second step is analyzing all the suggestions and determining the most productive ones that can undergo further cross-examinations to come up an idea. Unlike Brainstorming, Nominal Group technique is structured, and it allows members to make their contribution in writing privately.

Each member provides a single item that is evaluated and arranged in order of preferences. Braining storming is often used for minor decisions while Nominal Group Technique is often employed in significant decision-making. Although both methods reduc

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instances of prejudice, the latter has the potential of generating quality ideas (Barnett, 2016). The success of Nominal Group Technique lies in the fact that it offers each member an opportunity to participate while reducing unnecessary distractions.

The two processes are also fundamental in organizational transformation such as adoption of new brands, change of leadership or venturing into new markets. Brainstorming and NGT offer each member equal chance to make contribution eliminating a scenario where critical decisions that affect everyone are made by a few individuals. Therefore, workers feel as though they are a part of the institution which motivates them to undertake challenges presented during organizational transformation.

References

  1. Barnett, T. (2016). Group Decision Making. Reference for Business. Retrieved from http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Gr-Int/Group-Decision-Making.html
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