Group Decision-making Techniques
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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