Chapter 8 Part 2 Flashcards
In general, when would a group decision be better than an individual one?
groups will do better than individuals if people are motivated to search for the answer that is best for the entire group and not just for themselves, AND if they rely on the person with the most expertise.
Process loss
any aspect of group interaction that ihbitis good problem solving.
T/F a group will do well only if the most talented member can convince the others that he or she is right
true
reasons behind process loss
1) groups might not try hard enough to find who is the most competent member
2) the most competent member might find it difficult to disagree with everyone else in the group
3) communication problems in the group can ensure (ie, people don’t listen)
4) FAILURE TO SHARE UNIQUE INFORMATION; the group needs to pool all the info and use it to decide on the best course of action.
2 ways to mitigate the process loss of failure to share unique information
1) make sure that the group discussion lasts long enough to get beyond what everybody already knows. Unshared info is more likely to be brought up later in the disucssion
2) assign different group members to specific areas of expertise so they know that they alone are responsible for certain types of information.
Group think
a kind of thinking in which maintaining group cohesiveness and solidarity is more important than considering the facts in a realistic mannner.
preconditions of group think
1) group is highly cohesive
2) group is isolated from contrary opinions
3) group is ruled by a directive leader who makes his wishes known.
4) high stress
5) poor decision making procedures: no standard methods to consider alternative viewpoints.
Why is group think dangerous?
there is a possibility that they will arrive at a problematic solution people people in the group may not speak up because they are afraid of ruining the high morale or because they are afraid of being criticized by others.
the group thus does not consider the full range of alternatives, does not develop contingency plans, and does not adequately consider the erisks of its preferred choice.
Avoiding a group think trap
1) leader should remain impartial
2) seek outside opiinions
3) create subgroups
4) seek anonymous opinions (to allow people to write down their opinions anonymously. Doing so would ensure that people give their true opinions, uncensored by a fear of recrimination from the group
Group polarization
the tendency for groups to make decisions that are more extreme than the initial inclinations of their members.
Great Person Theory
the theory that certain key personality traits make a person a good leader, regardless of the situation the leader faces.
T/F many personality traits correlate with leadership effectiveness
false. Surprisingly few personality charachteristics correlate with leadership effectiveness.
According to research, integrative complexity correlates with leadership effectiveness
the ability to recognize more than one perspective on an issue and to be able to integrate these various perspectives.
Three random traits that were correlated with successful presidents
1) small families
2) tall
3) published many books
Transactional leaders
leaders who set clear short term goals, and reward people who meet them.
employees report greater job satisfaction and perceptions of fairness when their managers use rewards that are linked to the employees performance, rather than punishment or rewards that are not linked to performance.
