Ebenezer Abayomi Adeyege
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Group Decision Making Within The Organization
July 1, 2004 @ 09:14 AM
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Group decision making is the process of arriving at a judgment based upon the feedback of multiple individuals. Such decision making is a key component to the functioning of an organization, because organizational performance involves more than just individual action. Due to the importance of the group decision making process, decision making models can be used to establish a systematic means of developing effective group decision making. In general, four group decision making models can be identified each possessing distinct advantages and disadvantages. These four models are the rational, political, process, and garbage can models.
Group Decision Making within the Organization: Can Models Help?
Organizational performance is largely dependent upon the decision making processes that a particular organization uses. In every organization, decisions have to be made on a daily basis. These decisions range from small to large-scale in scope both in terms of the resources involved in making them and the impact that the decisions can have. For instance, a small-scale decision would be determining the type of copy machine to purchase for a company department. This decision involves resources (i.e., in the form of time and energy) of the users of this machine to clarify their needs as well as the purchasing representatives who research and acquire the copier. The ability of this copier to meet employees' needs decides the impact of this decision.
An example of a large-scale decision would be determining what product or service a company's customers need. This decision involves the time and energy of the individuals who research the consumer market, as well as the individuals who try to successfully develop and launch the product or service. This decision has the potential to make or break a company depending on the size of the organization.
As the preceding examples illustrate, the decisions and the processes involved in making them are not limited to the individual level. Moreover, the decision-making process is also performed at the group level, and it will be done so with increasing frequency given the need for high performance organizations in a competitive, global market. Group decision making is defined as the process of arriving at a judgment based upon the input of multiple individuals. This paper focuses on the group level of decision making.
Since the resources involved in the group decision-making process as well as the impact of these decisions affect organizational performance, it is crucial to make the group decision-making process as efficient and effective as possible. Utilizing a decision-making model is a systematic way of establishing group decision making proficiency. This statement is not intended to mean that the use of a group decision-making model is a panacea for group and organizational processes. This statement is merely intended to mean that a group decision-making model when used appropriately can aid in the functioning of the group and the organization.
In order to determine the appropriate use of a group decision-making model, the advantages and disadvantages of using a model should be discussed. The advantage of using a model is that it helps to enhance understanding (Burke, 1994; Winch, 1995). More specifically, a model assists in identifying the functioning of a group. It lends structure to a procedure that is dynamic and conceptual. By lending structure, it facilitates the identification and resolution of problems that can arise during the course and as a consequence of the decision-making process. This facilitation in turn can assist in improving the group decision-making process.
The potential disadvantage or pitfall to be aware of when using a model is that of being trapped by it (Burke, 1994). Using one particular model should not preclude the consideration of other models or other means of assessing group decision making. If a model is strictly adhered to without being open to other potential ideas, valuable information may be missed due to blatant disregard or misclassification of the information. Therefore, this limitation should be kept in mind in utilizing a group decision-making model.
A multiplicity of models exist regarding group decision making. So, it is not reasonably feasible to discuss every type. In general, there are four basic models of group decision making. Each one has its own assumptions and effectiveness criteria associated with it.
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