Group decision making has the advantages of drawing from the
experiences and perspectives of a larger number of individuals.
Hence, they have the potential to be more creative and lead to a
more effective decision.
When the decision is made by a group rather than a single
individual, implementation of the decision will be easier because
group members will be invested in the decision. If the group is
diverse, better decisions may be made because different group
members may have different ideas based on their background and
experiences.
Research shows that for top management teams, groups that
debate issues and that are diverse make decisions that are more
comprehensive and better for the bottom line in terms of
profitability and sales.
Decision making in a group setting helps members to come
together and participate in generating ideas. It could be done
through brain storming sessions,focus group discussions,quality
circles etc.
Majority rule refers to a decision-making rule where each
member of the group is given a single vote, and the option that
receives the greatest number of votes is selected.
Consensus is another decision-making rule that groups may use
when the goal is to gain support for an idea or plan of
action.
Power is the capacity of others to exert their will over
others. It is the ability to make things happen, overcoming
potential resistance in order to achieve desired results. The
person, group or team seeks to influence thoughts, attitudes,
behaviours of another individual, group or team. Power in agroup
setting can be used by the leaders to influence group members
either positively or negatively. A leader using coercive power
would tend to influence group decisions leading to groupthink by
using threats and punishments. Power should not be misused by the
leaders.