Group Decision making

and Group Illnesses

Dr. MG Jomon
 Group
p Decision making
g
¾ Strengths: 
9 More alternative choices
9 Generate diversity views on choices
9 More information and knowledge
9 Evidence show group has quality decisions
9 Better acceptance of decisions
Better acceptance of decisions

¾ Weaknesses: 
9 Time consuming
Time consuming
9 Conformity pressures
9 Domination by a few
9 Ambiguous Responsibility

Dr. MG Jomon
 Decision Making
g Barriers/Illnesses

¾ Groupthink
¾ Groupshift
G hift
¾ Spreadthink
¾ Clanthink
¾ The Nut Island Effect 
Dr. MG Jomon
 Groupthink
p
• Concept coined by Janis (1972)
• Extreme concurrence seeking 
behaviour
• Detrimental to effective decision 
Detrimental to effective decision
making
• Override realistic appraisal of 
alternative courses of action
• Premature consensus as an escape 
route

Dr. MG Jomon
 Groupthink:
p Symptoms
y p
• The group can not make mistakes 
(Ill i
(Illusions of invulnerability)
fi l bili )
• Members censor thoughts that are 
opposed to group ideas (self –
opposed to group ideas (self 
censorship)
• Pressure to conform (Pressure on 
d
dissenters))
• Rejection of outside ideas that may 
contradict group decision (Mind
contradict group decision (Mind 
guarding)
• Individuals hide doubt from the 
group (Apparent agreement)
Dr. MG Jomon
 Groupthink:
p Protection
• Group diversity
• Respect differences
• Leaders: impartial and 
enco rage dissent
encourage dissent
• Subgroups to work on 
independent tasks
independent tasks
• Rethink/review  of important 
decisions
• Receive feedback from all 
sources
• Seek outside expertise
Dr. MG Jomon
 Groupthink: Check up

¾ Analysis and discussion of the group checkup 
questionnaire

Dr. MG Jomon
 Groupshift
p
¾ Tendency to change decision towards extreme positions:
y g p
• Cautious approach: Conservative position
• Aggressive approach: Risky position
A i h Ri k iti

¾ Members’ pre‐discussion inclinations
¾ Exaggeration of the initial positions 
¾ Can be considered as a form of group think
Can be considered as a form of group think
¾ Opt for it since even if the decision fails no member can be 
held wholly responsible 
Dr. MG Jomon
 Spreadthink
p
¾ Views of the individual members of a group is literally 
Views of the individual members of a group is literally
spread all over ‐ in a scale or in a map
¾ Basis is from the two laws of complexity
• The law of inherent conflict: In complex issues and ideas there 
f f p
will always be conflicting views in interpretation and resolving
• The law of diverse believes: Members of a group will always have 
The law of diverse believes: Members of a group will always have
diverse beliefs about issues
John N Warfield (1995)
Dr. MG Jomon
 Consequences
q of Spreadthink
p
¾ No consensus ; No majority view
; j y
¾ Have to solely depend up on some criteria  or 
methodology for all decisions
¾ Such decision will lack individual support and usually 
pp y
lacks substance
¾ may lead to groupthink or clanthink
¾ Measurement: Nominal Group Technique (NGT)
p q ( )

Dr. MG Jomon
 Measurement of Spreadthink (NGT)

“Why should there be education at all?”

¾ Step1: Silent generation of ideas by individuals on post it sheets
Step1: Silent generation of ideas by individuals on post it sheets
¾ Step2: Posting of ideas on the wall
¾ Step3:Each member explains his/her ideas to the group
/
¾ Step4: Selection of 5 most important ideas and rank order them

Dr. MG Jomon
 Spreadthink

Applying Nominal Group Technique (NGT)

g Sheet
Scoring
I II III IV V
Group Name No. of ideas No. of selected ideas Selected ideas as Departure ratio (One-fifth
generated and by individuals in the percentage of ideas of the No. of selected
clarified group
g p generated ((II/III x 100))
g ideas ((III/5))

Dr. MG Jomon
 Spreadthink
p
Applying Nominal Group Technique (NGT)
g Sheet
Scoring
I II III IV V
Group Name No. of ideas No. of selected Selected ideas Departure ratio
generated and ideas by as percentage (One-fifth of the
cclarified
ed d v du s in thee
individuals of ideas
o de s No.
o. o
of se
selected
ec ed
group generated ideas (III/5)
(II/III x 100)

Jackal 97 45 46 9
Hyenas 82 32 39 6.4
Wolves 105 30 28.5 6
Dingo 151 35 23.17 7

Foxers 127 37 29 7.4

Dogs 119 20 16.5 4

Dr. MG Jomon
 Spreadthink

Applying Nominal Group Technique (NGT)

S i Sheet
Scoring Sh t
I II III IV V
Group Name No. of ideas No. of selected Selected ideas Departure ratio
generated and ideas by individuals as percentage of (One-fifth of the
clarified
l ifi d i the
in h group id
ideas generatedd N off selected
No. l d
(II/III x 100) ideas (III/5)

CAT 94 21 23% 4.2

LEOPARDS 117 23 20% 4.6
PANTHERS 104 13 12.5 2.6
CHEETA 129 37 28.68% 7.4
LIONS 127 35 29 % 7
TIGER 70 14 20 2.8

Dr. MG Jomon
 Spreadthink
p
Applying Nominal Group Technique (NGT)
Scoring Sheet
I II III IV V
Group Name No. of ideas No. of selected Selected ideas Departure ratio
generated and ideas by as percentage (One-fifth of the
clarified individuals in the of ideas No of selected
No.
group generated ideas (III/5)
(II/III x 100)

50:50 57 13 23 2.6
Alpha 36 14 39 2.8
G&L Team 62 15 24 3.0

Average

Dr. MG Jomon
 Spreadthink

Applying Nominal Group Technique (NGT)

Scoring Sheet
I II III IV V
Group Name No. of ideas No. of selected Selected ideas as Departure ratio
generated and ideas by percentage of (One-fifth of the
clarified individuals in the ideas generated No of selected
No.
group (II/III x 100) ideas (III/5)

Jackal 45 20 44.4% 4
Fox 61 11 18 03%
18.03% 22
2.2
Dogs 39 22 56% 4.4
Wolf 59 18 30.51 3.6
Hyena 51 30 58.8 6
Dingo 61 18 29.5 3.6
A -Average
Average 33.96
96

Dr. MG Jomon
 Spreadthink

Applying Nominal Group Technique (NGT)

g Sheet
Scoring
I II III IV V
Group Name No. of No. of selected Selected ideas as Departure ratio
ideas ideas by percentage of (One-fifth of the
generate
g individuals in the ideas ggenerated No. of selected
d and group (II/IIIX100) ideas (III/5)
clarified

LIONS 59 27 47.46 5.4

CATS 53 21 39.62 4.20
PANTHERS 67 31 46.26 6.20
CHEETAHS 63 12 19.00 2.4
TIGER 78 44 56 8.8
LEOPARD 85 34 40 6.8
Section B Average 5.63

Dr. MG Jomon
 Clanthink

¾ Affects larger groups like organizations and institutions 
Affects larger groups like organizations and institutions
over long period of time
¾ Big‐brother of groupthink
¾ Ex. Centuries people believed that earth was flat
¾ Principle: large organization or  institution is best qualified 
to evaluate itself
to evaluate itself
¾ Many organizations and departments are victims of 
clanthink
Dr. MG Jomon
 The nut island effect

¾ Affects homogeneous, autonomous and committed groups
¾ Groups develop proud and distinct identity (stage 1)
¾ Senior management allow the group to manage their own affaires as they are 
high performers (stage 2)
¾ Develop an “us‐against‐the world” mentality (stage 3)
¾ Deny or minimize problems and avoid all external help
¾ Adoption of group rules and norms which are quite different from the parent 
organization (stage 4)
¾ Group members believe that only they can understand their work and moves 
away from the parent organization (stage 5) 

Dr. MG Jomon
 Teamthink
¾ A group decision making processes that is capable of overcoming all 
group decision making ills (like group think,group shift, group 
p )
spread etc)
¾ Factors contributing towards teamthink
o Team beliefs and assumptions 
Team beliefs and assumptions ‐ Are identified and challenged to avoid being 
Are identified and challenged to avoid being
imprisoned by collective distortions and biases 
o Team self dialogue‐Self management of self‐talk
o Team mental imagery‐ Imagination and vision of the future
o Team thought patterns‐The above three create over all thought patters that would 
lead to teamthink resulting in high performance 
Charles C. Manz and Christopher P.Neck (1995)
Dr. MG Jomon
 Groupthink
p to Teamthink
From Groupthink To Teamthink
• Striving to agree with one another; 
g g ; • Effective management of  internal 
g
overwhelms adequate discussion to  dialogue, mental imagery, and beliefs and 
alternative courses of action.  assumptions. 
• Defective decision making results • Enhanced decision making and team 
performance results
performance results
Symptoms Symptoms
• Direct social pressure against divergent  • Encouragement of divergent views
views • Open expression of concerns/ideas
p p
• Self‐censorship of concerns • Awareness of limitations/threats
• Illusion of invulnerability of failure • Recognition of members uniqueness
• Illusion of unanimity • Recognition of views outside the group
• Self‐appointed mind guards that screen  • Discussion of collective doubts
out external information • Utilization of non‐stereotypical views
• Collective efforts to rationalize • Recognition of ethical and moral 
• Stereotyped views of enemy leaders
Stereotyped views of enemy leaders consequences of decisions
consequences of  decisions
• Illusion of morality
Dr. MG Jomon
 Effectiveness: Groupthink to teamthink
Charles C. Manz and Christopher P.Neck (1995)

Dr. MG Jomon
 Group
p Decision-making
g Techniques
q

¾ Brain storming: 
B i t i A id
An idea generation process without any criticism
ti ith t iti i

¾ Interacting groups: Groups in which members interact with face to face
¾ Nominal group technique: A group decision‐making method in which 
individual members meet face‐to face to pool their judgments in a  systematic 
but independent fashion

¾ Electronic meeting: Meeting in which members interact on computers, 
allowing for anonymity of comments and aggregation of votes.

Dr. MG Jomon
Dr. MG Jomon