The Pros And Cons Of Group Decision-Making

Advantages and Disadvantages of Group Decision-Making There are both advantages and disadvantages in group decision making. Some of the advantages include increased knowledge and information as a result of varied resources of the group members as well as having group members dedicated to the decision because of their involvement of the overall process, and the understanding of group members because of their participation in making the decision. Disadvantages include groupthink, the pressure group members may experience in order to fit in, or go along with everyone else, group polarization, where there may be one member who dominate the decision making process and other members, and because a group makes decisions at a slower pace than an individual, there is …show more content…
This devil’s advocate has the task of coming up with the potential problems of a proposed decision (Nelson, 2013, p. 373). This is a technique that when used correctly assists in the prevention of groupthink, which is defined by Nelson as “A deterioration of mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgment resulting from pressures within the group” (Nelson, 2013, p. 369). Highly cohesive groups along with high-ranking groups that make decisions independently help are particularly vulnerable to to groupthink. Appointing a devil’s advocate to question the group’s methodology regularly will assist in the prevention of groupthink. Groupthink can cause an incomplete survey of alternatives, failure in the evaluation of the risks ivolved in the chosen alternative, and the inability to devise contingency plans. The devil’s advocate technique assists in the avoidance of costly errors by ascertaining possible difficulties prior to their occurrence. No matter the technique, decision making is important in every organization and it is up to managers to select the best techniques to make the correct