Group Decision Making - Essay Example

Various factors like the number of people in the group, group structure and purpose affect the functioning of group decision making process. Over the years, research has revealed that group decision making is an integral part of organizational life which has certain advantages and disadvantages. However one should be very careful during the group decision making process because it creates an environment in which fears and weaknesses of individual members can be overshadowed by the effects of group cohesiveness, causing the group to agree on extreme solutions to the given problem.

Five Major Categories of Group Decision Making In the following pages, I will discuss the five major categories of group decision making as described in the text book and assess how two subcomponents, within each category, may help or hinder the value of an effective decision. Individual vs. Group Decision Making Over the years, research has proved that groups are far superior to individuals when it comes to problem solving and decision making (Blinder & Morgan 2005). The interaction among group members have been found to generate better ideas, insights and strategies that are unique to the group decision making process. . The presence of other officers would have a positive impact on his performance and he would execute his work well.

However, if this new recruit is placed in a board room where an army commander is developing a battle plan with senior officers, the presence of other officers would have a negative impact on his performance. This is so because of his lack of adequate training, expertise and inability to contribute to the task at hand. In this case, the presence of this new recruit may also turn out to be a hindrance to making an effective battle plan. Involvement and Commitment Involvement of group members in the decision making process has been found to have a positive and potentially strong relation with performance (Black & Gregersen, 1997).

It not only gives an opportunity to explore knowledge but also helps identify innovative ways to find a solution to the problem (Black & Gregersen, 1997). As part of my role as a manager of a linguist program in Afghanistan, I recently called for an internal meeting in my organization with about 15 local national linguists (LNL) so that I can assign them to military units where their services can be utilized. I presented a situation and then asked each LNL to respond with their thoughts on the issue.

This exercise helped us to improve the quality of the decision as each member was involved in the analysis of the situation and presented their view of how they would address the issue. This was helpful for us as a group to identify the skills and talents of each LNL and place him in a unit where he can be most effective. This process also helped each LNL to feel committed to the mission and goals of the organization. In this situation, involvement of LNLs in the decision