What is Group Decision making?

Group Decision-making

Meaning of Group Decision-making

Group decision-making involves two or more directors/ managers in a particular organization. In other words, a decision taken by more than one manager is called group decision making. For making group-decision, managers working at the same or different levels in the organization, come together, make deliberations on the problem, express their views on various aspects to the (complex) problem. For example. Board of Directors of a company make group decisions.

Merits or Advantages of group decision-making

1. Group decisions are more mature as they are based on integrated collective knowledge.
2. These are more balanced in every respect as they are made after considering different views of group members.
3. Group of individuals and not an individual, can generate more alternative solutions to a problem.
4. Further support and cooperation is available since they were the partners in the decisions taken.
5. Group decision-making helps members develop the knowledge base and decision-making skills needed in future.
6. Group decision-making is more democratic in nature whereas the individual decision making is more autocratic.

Demerits/ Disadvantages of Group Decision-Making

1. In group decisions divided responsibility affects the quality of decision adversely.
2. It is time consuming as the members must be given sufficient time to communicate their views on the problem.
3. Disagreement in the group members leaves bad feelings among group members and results in delayed decisions.
4. Practically group discussion are dominated by and centered round one or two group members thus nullifying the advantages of making decision in groups.
5. Generally when discussions go on, there may arise two or more sub-groups- one in favours of a particular view and the other against that view. The phenomenon of ‘Group think’ is more dangerous.

Suggested guidelines to improve group decision-making

1. The objects of the group clearly defined and understood by all the members of the group.
2. To ensure that the composition of the group is carefully made. It represents the possible supporters, oppositions and neutrals.
3. To ensure that the group has easy access to all the necessary information and other supportive documents so as to reach efficient decision.
4. To ensure that the size of the group is appropriate, not too large, not too small. Former may waste the time and the later may be insufficient to look all aspects of the problem.
5. To set up mechanism which help avoid group think. For this “devils’ advocates may be named who will focus on negative aspects of any attractive decision alternatives. Another may be ‘dialectical inquiry’ a procedure in which a decision situation is approached from two opposite points of views. These two opposite sides force the group to compromise and adjust the opposite assumptions in the decision process.
6. To ensure that every member even having opposite views, is committed to the final decision and supports whole heartedly the implementation of the decision.

Important links

• Decision Making- Meaning, Process, Features etc.
• Planning in Management- Importance, Nature, Characteristics etc.
• Planning- Process, Techniques & Limitations
• Goal Displacement & Goal Distortion
• Management by Objectives (M.B.O)- Process, Merits, Demerits etc.
• Mission- Definition, Purpose, Advantages & Disadvantages
• Vision- Definition, Characteristics, Purpose
• Goals- Meaning, Characteristics & Goal Displacement

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