Megan Henderson OGL 343

November 7, 2021 Professor Feyrer

Individual Versus Group Decision Making

Decision making can be difficult even for something as simple as “what am I going to

wear today?”. However, we don’t often bring these types of questions in for a group discussion.

We make these decisions alone and generally swiftly as this is what the situation at hand calls

for. Imagine larger scale decisions such as promoting someone, approving methods of healthcare

treatment, or even larger and possibly dangerous decisions such as the one that lead to the 1986

Challenger space shuttle launch ending in tragedy. These scenarios are where one would call in a

panel of experts to discuss the possibilities so that they may come up with the best course of

action. This paper is going to analyze phenomena that occur within group decision making and

make inferences about cases where groups may be more effective than the individual alone in

reaching the best decision possible.

Prompt 1: The Common Information Effect and Hidden Profiles

The common information effect can be hindering when it comes to effective decision

making. Scholars have theorized about how to help avoid this particular stumbling block while

working in teams and groups. This phenomenon is about the individuals in groups openly

sharing and discussing information that may not have been commonly known to everyone in the

group prior to the meeting (Thompson, 2017, pg. 150). For one reason or another, people don’t

always feel inclined to reveal all the information they have that could be pertinent to the

discussion at hand. The less effective approaches to avoiding this situation include but are not

limited to increasing the length of time for a discussion to be had, increasing the number of team

members, increasing the amount of information to be shared collectively, and polling

(Thompson, 2017, pg. 153).

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November 7, 2021 Professor Feyrer

Some of the more effective techniques in avoiding the common information effect

include implementing proper leadership into the group discussion. The role of the leader in this

instance can help to keep the group in check and keep a tab on all the information discussed. The

leader can encourage the discussion of more information than just what has already been brought

to the table and help avoid the same shared information being mulled over for too long

(Thompson, 2017, pg. 154). This also involves a second strategy of intentionally focusing on

previously unshared information versus reiterating the known information before the discussion

took place. It’s also been proven effective to leave bias outside the door. In other words, people

should come into a meeting place with an open mind and treat each situation as a “problem to be

solved, not a judgment to be made” (Thompson, 2017, pg. 155). This can help the team remain

more process focused rather than outcome focused. When a group is more driven to come to a

conclusion they can sometimes miss the hidden profiles, or the better alternative decision, as they

are more focused on what they already know, not on discussing new information (Thompson,

2017, pg. 151).

In my own experience, I agree that looking at each situation as something to learn from,

to build from and ultimately create a solution for, can be beneficial in avoiding hoarding

information for oneself. That basically is what the common information effect is to me.

Thompson described the fact that when teams are held more accountable for the process, they

used versus the conclusion they came to, they are more effective and fall less victim to the

common information effect (Thompson, 2017, pg. 154). For this assignment, I thought back onto

my classroom experiences for some reason. Although my classroom as a child wasn’t necessarily

a team, it was a group of people sharing information. For example, we would read a book, and

would all have common information given to us by reading the chapters we were assigned. The
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November 7, 2021 Professor Feyrer

unshared information included what the teacher knew and the perspectives and possible

knowledge we held individually. I enjoyed the classes where we were encouraged to discuss the

reading very openly. This is a situation where the leader, or the teacher, focused on the unshared

information and tied it in expertly to the shared and common knowledge of the book in question.

In this case, we were encouraged to learn, to share, and that’s how we collectively grew.

Although we were not exactly tasked with trying to make decisions, we could come to

consensuses about the possible meanings and explanations behind symbolism and metaphors.

Prompt 3: The Use of Individual or Team Decision Making

As far as decision-making goes, I believe that there are situations where an individual

could be more effective in making the best decision versus a group or team of people. In groups,

the pool of information, knowledge, expertise, and perspectives can be rich and helpful.

However, sometimes the need for a consensus and the focus being too geared towards reaching

an end can lead to majority rule, which can suffocate that previous potential for creativity within

the group because of its diversity (Thompson, 2017, pg. 172). In situations where the answer is

clear and obvious, groups often outperform even their strongest individual (Thompson, 2017, pg.

169). However, more ambiguous situations can lead to group deficiencies such as group

polarization, groupthink, and unethical decision making, amongst others. I believe that individual

decision making can be most useful in situations that may have a time constraint or be

considered an emergency. In moments like these, there is a benefit to not consulting with others,

so long as one contains the information, skills, and implementation abilities they need on their

own. However, I tend to agree that two heads are better than one especially if the situation is

bigger than just the individual. I think it’s just so important to emphasize honesty within a group

and maintain an ethical and moral compass during the discussions so that the result may be a
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November 7, 2021 Professor Feyrer

justifiable one. I don’t remember exactly where I heard this phrase, or how it was even phrased

to be honest, but it was something involving a chain only being as strong as its weakest link. In a

team, or group, setting we need to remember who we were before setting foot into the meeting

room. In this sense, then you can bring the best of yourself to the equation and make for the

strongest possible outcome as a team.

Conclusion

Overall, though there are many problems that can arise within groups, it is better overall

to try to make decisions this way. I think for the very fact that people can offer a broader

perspective and their own knowledge and expertise, groups are already better off than the

individual trying to decide upon anything. The more tools you have at your disposal, the better. It

is good however to be aware of what can happen if a group does not stay focused on why they

are there to begin with and be more focused on the process, and not just the outcome.
Megan Henderson OGL 343
November 7, 2021 Professor Feyrer

References

Thompson, L. (2017). Making the Team: A Guide for Managers (6th ed.). Pearson.