GROUP DECISION MAKING AND THE FUNCTIONAL PERSPECTIVE

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GROUP DECISION MAKING AND THE FUNCTIONAL
PERSPECTIVE

• Of Hirokawa and Gouran

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GROUP DECISION MAKING INTRO

• SYNERGY
• CONTRIBUTORS TO SYNERGY (BALES)
• Interaction Process (SYSTEM) Analysis
• comments that reflect group task (TASK-ORIENTED
  - PISTON)
• gives (1) suggestion, (2) opinion, (3)
  information
• asks for (1) suggestion, (2) opinion, (3)
  information
• comments that reflect relationships (/-)
  (SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LUBRICANT)
• is (4) friendly, (5) reduces tension, (6)
  agrees
• is (4) unfriendly, (5) creates tension, (6)
  disagrees
• Good groups maintain balance between the six
  pairs. 21 ratio of positive to negative is
  optimal i.e. an element of conflict is healthy,
  even necessary
• INPUT (Information) PROCESS (Talk) OUTPUT
  (Decisions)

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OTHER APPROACHES include

• BORMANNS SYMBOLIC CONVERGENE THEORY (focus on
  bonding)
• FUNCTIONAL PERSPECTIVE (focus on functions
  necessary for effective decision-making)
• ADAPTIVE STRUCTURATION THEORY (focus on rules
  and resources)

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PHASE MODELS

• These attempt to identify universal pattern of
  communication for group decision-making e.g.
• Orientation addresses need for info, focus
• Conflict disagreements about right approach
• Coalescence negotiation and saving face
• Development concentration, focus
• Integration tension-free solidarity, cohesion

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The Four Functions for Effective Decision Making

• 1 Analysis of the problem
• - realistic analysis of current situation,
  including assessment of current threats and of
  the nature, extent and probable cause of
  problems
• 2 Goal setting - the group needs
• clarity as to purpose
• criteria for judging proposed solutions

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The Four Functions (ctd)

• 3 Identification of alternatives
• - as many as possible, to increase
• chance identifying acceptable solutions
• 4 Evaluation of positive and negative features
  of each alternative
• Some group tasks have a positive bias positive
  attributes emphasized others have a negative
  bias.

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Prioritizing the Four Functions

• No one function is more important than others
  order is not important
• Salience/order reflects context/task
• So long as the functions are covered, the group
  is working effectively
• Most common route problem analysis, goal
  setting, identifying alternatives, weighing
  alternatives

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The Role of Communication

• Promotive interaction calls attention to one of
  the four functional components
• Disruptive interaction detracts from the groups
  ability to achieve the four functions. Most
  group communication disrupts.
• Counteractive interactions refocuses the group,
  and is especially important.

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Function-Oriented Interactive Coding System

• This classifies each functional utterance
• Raters determine which of the four functions an
  utterance addresses
• They determine whether an utterance facilitates
  or disrupts a groups focus or function
• Functional perspective accounts for 60 of total
  variance in group performance
• However, quality is more important than quantity

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Critique

• FOICS analysis difficult
• Over-emphasizes rationality as opposed to
  relationship-oriented content/social-emotional
  satisfaction
• Underestimates importance of groups prior
  history (and history of how previous decisions
  were made), and groups location within larger
  organization

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PRACTICAL ADVICE

• RECOGNIZE SYMPTOMS
• DIAGNOSE CAUSE
• ESTABLISH CRITERIA FOR SOLUTION
• CONSIDER POSSIBLE REMEDIES
• TEST TO DETERMINE WHICH REMEDY WILL WORK
• IMPLEMENT BEST SOLUTION