Advantages of Group Decision Making
Committees, task forces, and ad hoc groups are frequently assigned to identify and recommend decision alternatives or, in some cases, to actually make important decisions. In essence, a group is a tool that can focus the experience and expertise of several people on a particular problem or situation. Thus, a group offers the advantage of greater total knowledge. Groups accumulate more information, knowledge, and facts than individuals and often consider more alternatives. Each person in the group is able to draw on his or her unique education, experience, insights, and other resources and contribute those to the group. The varied backgrounds, training levels and expertise of group members also help overcome tunnel vision by enabling the group to view the problem in more than one way.
Q.1. In paragraph 1, the author states that groups frequently do which of the following?
a) Generate more options than individuals
b) Agree on the way that the problem should be approached
c) Make recommendations instead of decisions
d) Are chosen to participate because of their experience
Participation in group decision making usually leads to higher member satisfaction. People tend to accept a decision more readily and to be better satisfied with it when they have participated in making that decision. In addition, people will better understand and be more committed to a decision in which they have had a say than to a decision made for them. As a result, such a decision is more likely to be implemented successfully.
Q.2. According to paragraph 2, why do group decisions tend to be more successful?
a) When more people are involved, there are more ideas from which to choose
b) People are more accepting of decisions when they have been involved in them
c) Implementing ideas is easier with a large number of people to help
d) People like to be participants in decisions that are successful Disadvantages of Group Decision Making
While groups have many potential benefits, we all know that they can also be frustrating. A■ One obvious disadvantage of group decision making is the time required to make a decision. B■ The time needed for group discussion and the associated compromising and selecting of a decision alternative can be considerable. C■ Time costs money, so a waste of time becomes a disadvantage if a decision made by a group could have been made just as effectively by an individual working alone. D■ Consequently, group decisions should be avoided when speed and efficiency are the primary considerations.
3. considerable
Significant
4. consequently?
Without doubt
5. According to paragraph 3, why can group discussion be problematic?
a) Individual decisions are always more effective
b) It takes more time for a group to arrive at a decision
c) It costs more to pay all of the group members
d) Interaction among group members can be a problem
A second disadvantage is that the one group discussion may be dominated by an individual or subgroup. Effectiveness can be reduced if one individual, such as the group leader, dominates the discussion by talking too much or being closed to other points of view. Some group leaders try to control the group and provide the major input. Such dominance can stifle other group members’ willingness to participate and could cause decision alternatives to be ignored or overlooked. All group members need to be encouraged and permitted to contribute.
Another disadvantage of group decision making is that members may be less concerned with the group’s goals than with their own personal goals. They may become so sidetracked in trying to win an argument that they forget about group performance. On the other hand, a group may try too hard to compromise and consequently may not make optimal decisions. Sometimes this stems from the desire to maintain friendships and avoid disagreements. Often groups exert tremendous social pressure on individuals to conform to established or expected patterns of behavior. Especially when they are dealing with important and controversial issues, interacting groups may be prone to a phenomenon called groupthink.
Q.7. controversial ?
debatable
Q.8. According to paragraph 5, how does the author explain compromise in a group?
a) The group may try to make a better decision by compromising
b) A compromise may be the best way to encourage groupthink
c) Compromising may allow the group members to remain friends
d) To compromise can help one member to reach a personal goal
Q.9. What does the term “mind guards” refer to?
a) People who conform to the group opinion without thinking
b) Group members who try to force others to agree with the group
c) Members of the group who are the most ethical and influential
d) Those people who disagree without offering an alternative view
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