Forms/techniques of group decision-making
- Interacting Group
This group talks freely. “It is a decision-making group in which members openly discuss, argue about, and agree on the best alternative.” It brings in the benefit of new ideas & promotion of understanding.It has the disadvantage of politics & coalition playing too big a role.
2) Delphi Group
Under Delphi group, the members do not meet & talk fact to face. It consists of a panel of experts, each expert is allowed to present his point of view & justification and finally a consensus of experts’ opinion is achieved. These experts’ opinions are combined & averaged & presented before the group.
Steps
- Problem is identified & members are asked to provide possible solutions by sending questionnaires.
- Each member anonymously & independently completes the first questionnaire.
- Results of the first questionnaire are compiled & combined in the office. Each member is sent a copy of the results and asked for solutions.
- This triggers further solutions & this procedure is repeated until a consensus is reached.
3) Nominal Group Technique (NGT)
Nominal group members (7-10) are brought together around a table but it is a group in name because the group members do not talk freely but meet together.
Steps
- The group leader (i.e. manager) assembles a group of knowledgeable people, outlines the problem to them.
- The group members are asked individually to write down as many alternatives on a pad of paper.
- After 5 minutes, a structured sharing of ideas takes place. Each person around the table in their own turn presents/explains one idea.
- A person designated as recorder writes the ideas on a flip chart in full view of the entire group.
- This continues until all of the participants indicate that they have no further ideas to share. There still no discussion.
- Now, structured discussion in the form of simple clarification of each person’s ideas takes place.
- Finally voting takes place by rank ordering of the alternatives, and highest ranking alternative becomes the group decision. Of course, the manager in charge may retain the final authority to accept or reject the group decision.)