Group Decision Making

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Business Finance

MGT 422

Trident University International

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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 the assigned readings, particularly Braintools (Brainstorming), CDC (Nominal Group Technique) and Haughey (Delphi).

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:

  1. 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, using the background readings to support your answer.
  2. 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, using the background readings to support your answer.
  3. 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, using the background readings to support your answer.
  4. Conclude your paper with a discussion about which of the three group decision-making processes (nominal group, brainstorming, or Delphi) is the most useful to you, considering the types of decision situations in which you are typically involved. Explain your reasoning, and use references from the background materials to support your answer.


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Group Decision Making 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 the assigned readings, particularly Braintools (Brainstorming), CDC (Nominal Group Technique) and Haughey (Delphi). 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: 1. 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, using the background readings to support your answer. 2. 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, using the background readings to support your answer. 3. 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 decisionmaking technique do you recommend? Explain your reasoning, using the background readings to support your answer. 4. Conclude your paper with a discussion about which of the three group decision-making processes (nominal group, brainstorming, or Delphi) is the most useful to you, considering the types of decision situations in which you are typically involved. 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. Anderson, D. R. (1990). Increased productivity via group decisionmaking. SuperVision, 51(9), 6. [ProQuest] Braintools (2017). Brainstorming: Generating many radical, creative ideas. Retrieved on 18 March 2017 from www.mindtools.com/brainstm.html CDC (2017). Gaining consensus among stakeholders through the nominal group technique. Retrieved on 18 March 2018 from www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/evaluation/pdf/brief7.pdf Haughey, D. (2017). Delphi technique: A step-by-step guide. Retrieved on 18 March 2017 from www.projectsmart.co.uk/delphi-technique-a-step-bystep-guide.php Moshal, B. S. (2009).Chapter 7: Decision making in an organization. Principles of Management. New Delhi: Global Professional Publishing Ltd. [eBook Business Collection. Note – you don’t have to read the whole chapter, just the section “Techniques of Group Decision Making” in the middle of the chapter] Sims, R. R. (2002). Chapter 8: Decision making. Managing Organizational Behavior. Westport, CT, USA: Greenwood Press, pp. 205-210. [eBook Academic Collection. Note – you don’t have to read the whole chapter, just the section on group decision-making] __________________________________________________________________________ Second Essay Module 3 - SLP Group Decision Making One of the biggest complaints among managers is the huge amount of time they have to spend in meetings. Ideally the purpose of meetings is to put everyone’s heads together to solve a problem or make a decision. But far too often they can lead to unproductive, time-wasting conversations and even conflict. For this assignment, think about some recent meetings you’ve attended where a significant decision had to be made. Think carefully about how some of the problems regarding group decision making that were discussed in the background readings apply to what you’ve experienced. Then write a 2- to 3-page paper addressing the following issues: 1. Are all voices equally heard, or are some people afraid to speak up? Are participants in the meeting afraid to contradict senior management? 2. Is time spent at the meetings productive, or is a lot of time wasted? 3. Are the decisions that are made solid ones? Or do they suffer from problems mentioned in the background materials such as groupthink? 4. Are ideas expressed at meetings creative and original, or are original ideas discouraged? 5. Based on what you’ve described in Questions 1–4 above, what kind of group decisionmaking process would you recommend be used in meetings you attend? Base your answer on readings from the background materials such as Moshal (2009), and Sims (2002). SLP 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. Group Decision-Making Videos There are numerous videos on group decision making available online. Some of them are very professional; others seem somewhat amateurish or are designed for or by high school students. Do a search on YouTube for videos on group decision making or on specific group decisionmaking techniques discussed in the background materials. Choose a video you found to be very useful at explaining the techniques in the background materials, and another video that you found to be amateurish or not very useful. Post the links and share with your classmates. Also, share with your classmates what you found useful and not useful about each video, and whether or not you recommend your classmates view the video to prepare for their written assignments. Example: Nominal vs. Delphi The video I chose (below) was about the Nominal group technique. Reason being, I have always believed that making the most informed decision is more important than making one because most people believe it to be the best. Not everyone is as educated about a topic as others may be, and it’s always best to have the most informed people in a situation should make the decisions as they know more about the actual impact it may have. The Delphi is where a group of experts choose a facilitator who will review their information and unique perspectives and assumptions, create a report, and have the experts review it for necessary changes in order to reach a decision (Haughey, 2017). On the other hand, the nominal technique is not focused on knowledge as much as it is on popularity. As such, the Delphi technique appeared to be the most effective way of making a group decision. However, I found that after watching this video on the Nominal technique that it is in fact just as useful in certain situations. For instance, there are times in which the people tasked with making a decision aren’t as informed as they should be, or perhaps they are new to group decision making all together. In those situations, it can be beneficial to have some sort of group think on what the best decision is, rather than trying to focus on information they don’t have. I hope you all enjoy this video, despite it having a high school feel to it. Overall, I found it quite interesting and informative, compared with the other videos I found. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=RaN2iNegrZg References Fahey, N. (2016, July 13). Nominal Group Technique & Multivoting. Retrieved November 10, 2018, from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaN2iNegrZg Haughey, D. (2017). Delphi Technique A Step-by-Step Guide. Retrieved November 9, 2018, from Project Smart: https://www.projectsmart.co.uk/delphi-technique-a-step-by-stepguide.php
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Group Decision Making
First Assignment
Case Assignment
1. Scenario 1
Creativity is a function of evaluation, imagination, curiosity, and knowledge. In this case,
brainstorming would be the best to overcome the crisis (Anderson, 1990). Brainstorming
sessions allow the team members to contribute their ideas towards a given project regardless of
how practical the ideas may be. The aim is to develop “outside the box solutions” that might not
take place otherwise. The team usually arrives at workable solutions that are supported by all the
team members during the process of execution. Creativity and innovation have become critical
skills to achieve success in the business. As more and more problems of management need
creative insights in order to find suitable solutions, the need for creative problem solving has
arisen and the group should attempt to enhance the design (Haughey, 2010). Innovations and
creativity are only essential when new skills are needed in particular areas. There is a low
likelihood that innovation and creativity to become successful in the business environment of
today because they need big sums of not favorable for the company as it eats to the profits of the
organization. The current stiff competition in the business forces the organization to remain
creative and innovative to match the changes in the business environment (Sims, 2002).
Introduction of intelligence technologies such as microchips would strengthen the power of the
brain making it more reliable. The sure path to success for the company is, therefore, creativity
and innovation. Stimulating creativity will propel innovation forward, give them that competitive
advantage which each firm is striving to achieve and increase the productivity of the company.

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Creativity and innovation involve the restructuring as well as breaking down our ideas about a
matter in gaining new insights into doing the subject in a different way. Therefore, it would
worth the manager’s time and the team to improve the design of the business comes up with the
competitive business environment. The sure path to success for the company is, therefore,
creativity and innovation (Moshal, 2009). Stimulating creativity will propel innovation forward,
give the business that competitive advantage which each firm is striving to achieve and increase
the productivity of the company.
2. Scenario 2
I would recommend a nominal group (Anderson, 1990). Uncertainty comes in various
forms such a high-stakes investment in the future, a shift in the dynamics of the industry, as well
as a value-destroying crisis. Managers or leaders should have the ability to effectively navigate
disruptions, crises, and risks and establish their personal success and the path forward for the
company. The manager can always make being a team leader rotational so that every team
member can have an opportunity to lead, the help in building a strong team. The team usually
arrives at workable solutions that are supported by all the team members during the process of
execution. The effectiveness of the manager drives the performance of the organization.
Effective managers have a plan which connects to the overall strategic plan of the company via
their own plan of the manager (Muenjohn & McMurray, 2018). Effective managers must think
through and write down the way they shall achieve that is under their delegation within the
available resources within the context of the plan of the managers. Successful managers make
sure that their plans form the context part for the plans of their own subordinate managers and
that they all incorporate to offer the results essential for the success and prosperity of the

WORKSHEET
company (Moshal, 2009). Each plan of the managers is a subset of the strategic plan of the
company and links back by cascading strategies through the firm.
3. Scenario 3
The extent of individual responsibility in furnishing creative ideas to generate new
business are well founded (Anderson, 1990). As a CEO and responsibility of executive team,
they do have the obligation to produce new ideas. As the CEOs will have to get a session of
brainstorming with their management team and therefore generate profitable and useful ideas.
They have some obligations as the CEOs to assist the executive employees brainstorm to come
up with new ideas. They need to listen and have feedback or some constructive criticism sort for
the team if the team works and present its ideas. They will not know which idea to implement or
use without direction (Haughey, 2010). The management needs to have knowledge about issues,
have passion for what is presented, be curious about the ideas, and be energetic and confident.
The management team should partnership with organizations which would complement the
similar customers. As a manager, increasing efficiency is one of my major goals. The team can
utilize formal processes like Six Sigma and lean manufacturing in to figure out process
improvements and isolate wasted activities. They should simply analyze the existing processes
and methods in every department in addressing the opportunities of making production more
efficient therefore there no need for innovation and creativity. transformation is a great creative
breakthrough in business. It is a chain of experiments reactions which would continuously help
the company to comprehend how to make the best use of the new technologies that in this case is
e-commerce and mobile phones (Moshal, 2009). Creativity and innovation involve the
restructuring as well as breaking down our ideas about a matter in gaining new insights into
doing the subject in a different way. Therefore it would worth my time as a manager.

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Conclusion
Brainstorming is the best as it allows the company to come up with creative and
innovative ideas (Anderson, 1990). Resilient leaders with the ability to stand with their
companies and overcome crises and disruption have traits such as optimism, transparency, and
perspective. They keep the thing in perspectives and emphasize respect for others irrespective of
their position on the organizational structure. They remain humble and establish resiliency. Such
leaders do not invest in their legacy or self-importance. They understand that humility is one of
the resilience sources. The resilient leaders remain focused. Resilience involves concentrating on
priorities which would create the most difference that include revision of processes of production
and making more welcoming brands to first-time buyers and new demographics. It involves
having a clear focus as well as vision. Resilience calls for forgetting the past and focusing on the
future (Moshal, 2009). Resilient leaders are always transparent. Resilience originates from
transparency. Moreover, resilient are always optimistic even when things are not right. They
believe in turning over rocks that their organizations face and even to handle the new issues that
would crop up. Resilience involves maintaining a level of optimism. Such leaders are ready for
change and they innovate new ways of doing things. Because of digitalization, they are always
proactive but not reactive to the situation. They put own the entire journey of their customers and
put data at the forefront, both digitally and physically (Muenjohn & McMurray, 2018). The
leaders seek back up or support from their teams and are ready to buy into any idea provided it
would enable the business to get into greater levels. They understand who they are and develop a
clear set of enduring values. Such leaders exhibit qualities of optimism, self-awareness,
transparency, and determination. They take the management of risk a step further by putting into

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considerations what they undertaking today to help them prepare for the threats and opportunities
of tomorrow.
As a servant leader, my responsibility is to turn the hierarchy upside down and assist
everyone within t...


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