The Advantages and Disadvantages of the Group Decision Making Process

The effectiveness of decision-making groups can be affected by a variety of factors. Thus, it is not possible to suggest that "group decision making is always better" or "group decision making is always worse" than individual decision-making. The advantages of the group decision making process are fewer influences of bias, more creative solutions, diversity, collective understanding, varied experiences, and improved communication.

Fewer influence of bias

Individual biases can be challenged and individuals may have to recognize and eliminate them. Encourage individuals to explore apparently unrealistic ideas and to challenge accepted ways of doing things. Individual biases and prejudices can be challenged by the, group, forcing the individual to recognize them. Group pressure can also encourage individuals to accept that change is needed.

More creative solutions

More creative and innovative solutions to solve problems may emerge than an individual able to develop when many people involved. Groups of individuals can bring a broad range of ideas, knowledge and skills to bear on a problem. This creates a stimulating interaction of diverse ideas which results in a wider range and better quality of solutions.

Diversity

Group decision-making takes advantage of the diverse strengths and expertise of its members either variety in cultures, age, and gender is all add to the diversity of group which gives us varied perspectives and enhances the kind of ideas the group can come up with. By tapping the unique qualities of group members, it is possible that the group can generate a greater number of alternatives that are of higher quality than individual. If a greater number of higher quality alternatives are generated, then it is likely that the group will eventually reach a superior problem solution than the individual..

Collective understanding

Group decision-making may also lead to a greater collective understanding of the eventual course of action chosen, since it is possible that many affected by the decision implementation actually had input into the decision. The members together come to a decision after deliberation and discussions and so everyone has a better understanding of the course of action to be followed. This may promote a sense of "ownership" of the decision, which is likely to contribute to a greater acceptance of the course of action selected and greater commitment on the part of the affected individuals to make the course of action successful.

Varied experiences

There are difference in fields of experience and amount of experience and there differences in the life experiences and the kind of experiences people have had even with the same problem. This pool of experience can be a great advantage.

Improved communication

As everyone has made some contribution to the decision, people tend to be more accepting of the decision. Also those who may not have contributed still support it as "the group" has come to this decision. When people who are affected by a problem or who will be involved in implementation are involved in finding a solution, they will know how and why that particular solution was chosen. Also, people with knowledge relevant to the problem can communicate that knowledge directly if they participate in solving the problem.

There are many potential disadvantages to group decision-making. Groups are generally slower to arrive at decisions than individuals, so sometimes it is difficult to utilize them in situations where decisions must be made very quickly. The disadvantages of the group decision making process are competition, conformity, lack of objective direction and time constraints.

Competition

Most people working in a group automatically identify the situation as competitive. This generates behavior which is destructive and drains the creative energy of the group. For example, we often perceive disagreement with our ideas as a put-down. The natural reaction is to regain our self-esteem, often by trying to sabotage the ideas of those who disagreed with us. Instead of looking for ways to improve on their ideas we choose to destroy them. Eager to express our own ideas, we may totally ignore what others are suggesting. Power-seekers may use tricks such as highlighting flaws in others' arguments, barbed questions and displays of expertise to show their supremacy. These types of behavior create an atmosphere which is incompatible with effective problem solving.

Conformity

There is a strong tendency for individuals in a group to want to conform to the agreement. This can be for a variety of reasons, including the need to feel liked, valued or respected, and tends to make people gag their ideas accordingly. The comparative status of the individuals present also has an important influence. Senior members often want to maintain their image of being knowledgeable, while junior members want to avoid appearing the inexperienced 'upstart'. Because agreement on ideas can be gained quickly in a group setting, groups tend to select and approve solutions quickly, without exploring the possibilities.

Lack of objective direction

Most traditional meetings and group discussions convened to solve problems are ineffectively directed. Sometimes there is no effective leader to give direction to the discussion, with the result that it wanders aimlessly. Even when there is strong leadership, the group leader or chairman often exerts undue pressure on the direction and content of the discussion. In addition, the ideas aired during a meeting are not usually recorded, apart from the minutes and individual note-taking, with the result that many ideas are forgotten and cannot act as a constant stimulus to the discussion.

Time constraints

Group problem solving is a relatively slow process compared with working alone. It requires individuals to come together at an agreed time, usually for about one hour, and this can cause organizational problems as well as impatience among st participants to 'get it over with' as quickly as possible.