Module 3 - Case

Group Decision Making

Case Assignment

Making decisions as a group can be very challenging. It can lead to conflict and take up huge amounts of time, and often it is difficult to come to an agreement. Fortunately, several different techniques have been developed to overcome some of these difficulties. No one technique is considered the best for all situations, as all of the techniques have advantages and disadvantages.

For this assignment, first thoroughly review the background readings and pay close attention to three group decision-making processes—the Delphi technique, brainstorming, and the Nominal Group Technique. Pay close attention to the discussion of these methods in Rao (2009), Bolland and Fletcher (2012), and Sims (2002). The Anderson (1990) article will be helpful as well.

Below are three different scenarios. For each scenario, explain which group decision-making technique you would choose out of brainstorming, nominal group, or Delphi. Justify your answer with references from the required background materials. Your paper should be 4–5 pages in length:

1. The company you work for is in crisis. Several new competitors have been rapidly growing and taking away your customers. Your company’s sales are steadily dropping. You and the rest of the top management team know that creative new strategies are needed in order to keep up with the new competitors. Nobody is sure what needs to be done, but it is clear something drastic and original needs to happen in order to keep the company afloat. The top management team members are all extroverts who are not afraid to speak up at meetings, but they are often prone to conventional thinking. Which group decision-making technique do you recommend? Explain your reasoning, and use references to Rao (2009), Bolland and Fletcher (2012), or Sims (2002) to support your answer.
2. Your company is facing cost overruns and needs solutions on how best to cut costs. The top management team includes both introverts and extroverts, with the extroverts usually dominating the conversation at meetings. Furthermore, meetings with this group often go off the agenda and drift into tangential subjects. A quick decision needs be made with input from all members of the team. Which group decision-making technique do you recommend? Explain your reasoning, and use references to Rao (2009), Bolland and Fletcher (2012), or Sims (2002) to support your answer.
3. Your company needs to purchase a new software system as the old one is out of date. Your team consists of IT managers from all of the company’s overseas divisions. These managers are highly skilled and very knowledgeable about the different software options, but it is difficult to arrange a meeting with them due to the time differences and their very busy schedules. The decision is not urgent, but you need to make a decision within the next three months. Which group decision-making technique do you recommend? Explain your reasoning, and use references to Rao (2009), Bolland and Fletcher (2012), or Sims (2002) to support your answer.
4. Conclude your paper with a discussion about which of the three group decision-making processes (nominal group, brainstorming, or Delphi) is the most useful for the largest number of situations. Explain your reasoning, and use references from the background materials to support your answer.

Assignment Expectations

• Follow the assignment instructions closely and follow all steps listed in the instructions.
• Stay focused on the precise assignment questions; don’t go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials.
• Make sure to cite readings from the background materials page. Rely primarily on the required background readings as your sources of information.
• Include both a bibliography and in-text citations. See the Student Guide to Writing a High-Quality Academic Paper, including pages 13 and 14 on in-text citations.

Module 3 - SLP

Group Decision Making

One of the biggest complaints among managers is the huge amount of time they have to spend in meetings. Ideally the purpose of meetings is to put everyone’s heads together to solve a problem or make a decision. But far too often they can lead to unproductive, time-wasting conversations and even conflict.

For this assignment, think about some recent meetings you’ve attended where a significant decision had to be made. Think carefully about how some of the problems regarding group decision making that were discussed in the background readings apply to what you’ve experienced. Then write a 2- to 3-page paper addressing the following issues:

1. Are all voices equally heard, or are some people afraid to speak up? Are participants in the meeting afraid to contradict senior management?
2. Is time spent at the meetings productive, or is a lot of time wasted?
3. Are the decisions that are made solid ones? Or do they suffer from problems mentioned in the background materials such as groupthink?
4. Are ideas expressed at meetings creative and original, or are original ideas discouraged?
5. Based on what you’ve described in Questions 1–4 above, what kind of group decision-making process would you recommend be used in meetings you attend? Base your answer on readings from the background materials such as Rao (2009), Bolland and Fletcher (2012), and Sims (2002).

SLP Assignment Expectations

• Follow the assignment instructions closely and follow all steps listed in the instructions.
• Stay focused on the precise assignment questions; don’t go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials.
• Make sure to cite readings from the background materials page. Rely primarily on the required background readings as your sources of information.
• Include both a bibliography and in-text citations. See the Student Guide to Writing a High-Quality Academic Paper, including pages 13 and 14 on in-text citations.

Module 3

Required Material

Decision-making components and techniques. (2014). Pearson Learning Solutions. New York, NY

Moshal, B. S. (2009). Chapter 7: Decision making in an organization. Principles of Management. New Delhi: Global Professional Publishing Ltd. [eBook Business Collection. Note – you don’t have to read the whole chapter, just the section “Techniques of Group Decision Making” in the middle of the chapter]

Sims, R. R. (2002). Chapter 8: Decision making. Managing Organizational Behavior. Westport, CT, USA: Greenwood Press, pp. 205-210. [eBook Academic Collection. Note – you don’t have to read the whole chapter, just the section on group decision-making]

Anderson, D. R. (1990). Increased productivity via group decisionmaking. SuperVision, 51(9), 6. [Proquest]