Pros of individual decision making and cons of group one

· If a manager or decision-maker is the most competent person, knowledgeable about the problem to be solved, the best decision may result without the influence of others.

· An individual generally makes prompt (быстрый) decisions, while group decision-making can be inefficient and more time consuming, because it takes time for groups to thoroughly discuss pros and cons of each potential decision.

· While groups have the potential to arrive at an effective decision, they often suffer from process losses. For example, groups may suffer from coordination problems. Furthermore, groups can suffer from the tendency of some members to put forth less effort while working within a group.

· There is one person who assumes responsibility for the results of the decision, while in a group it is not easy to hold any one person accountable for a wrong decision.

· Illusions of invulnerability shared by most or all of the group members may create excessive optimism and encourage them to take extreme risks.

· Groups are often influenced by dominant members.

· One of the major disadvantages of group decision making is the tendency for groupthink . Groupthink is a phenomenon that occurs within a group of people, in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in a deterioration of mental efficiency and an incorrect decision-making outcome. Group members try to minimize conflict and reach a consensus decision without critical evaluation of alternative ideas or viewpoints, and by isolating themselves from outside influences. This happens because the cohesiveness and the solidarity of the group tend to stifle disagreement and questions about the group's chosen course of action. Loyalty to the group requires individuals to avoid raising controversial issues or alternative solutions, and there is loss of individual creativity, uniqueness and independent thinking. This often occurs in highly cohesive groups insulated from the outside and dominated by a leader.

Methods of preventing groupthink include appointing “a devil’s advocate” – an individual playing the role of a critic to arouse discussion and thought, bringing out the opposite viewpoint and pointing potential problems. The purpose of such a process is typically to test the quality of the original argument and identify its weaknesses, with a view to either improving or abandoning the original position. Other ways to overcome groupthink are asking each member to be a critical evaluator, creating several teams that work on the decision simultaneously, having outside experts evaluate the group's progress, and so on.

Date: 2015-01-29; view: 1504