Decision+Making+in+Groups

__**Decision Making In Groups**__

//One of the most important activities in any group is decision making, the process of choosing among alternative courses of action.//
Edgar Schein, a noted scholar ad consultant, has worked extensively with groups to **ANALYZE** and **IMPROVE** their decision making process. He observes that groups may make decisions through any of the following __six methods__:


 * 1. Lack of response **
 * one idea after another is suggested without any discussion taking place.
 * When finally accepts an idea, others have been bypassed and discarded by simple lack of response rather than by critical evaluation

2. **Authority rule**

 * The leader makes the decision for the group

3. **Minority rule**

 * Two or three people are able to dominate the group into making a decision they agree

4 . **Majority rule**

 * parallels the democratic political system
 * formal voting may take place or members polled to find the majority viewpoint

5. **Consensus**

 * A group decision that has the expressed support of most members

6. **Unanimity**

 * All group members agree totally on the course of action to be taken
 * logically perfect group decision that is extremely difficult to attain in actual practice

=== //In our group presentation, we will be discussing HOW TO IMPROVE GROUP DECISIONS and apply it to Cirque De' Soleil, whether or not they have been practicing these techniques, or they should use these techniques two improve their group decision making.// ===

The two theories that we will be discussing are....

__**The nominal group technique**__
1. Puts people in small groups 2. Asks everyone to respond individually and writing to a 'nominal question' such as 'What should be done to improve the effectiveness of this work team?' 3. Participants are asked to read out loud their answers, recored writes each response, and no criticism is allowed 4. Recorder asks for any questions that may clarify items, goal to make sure that everyone present fully understands each response 5. A structured voting procedure is used to prioritize responses for the nominal question
 * involves structured rules for generating and prioritizing ideas
 * __for situations where opinions of members differ so much that antagonistic arguments develop during discussions__
 * steps:
 * allows ideas to be evaluated without risking the inhibitions, hostilities, and distortions that may occur in an open meeting

__The Delphi technique__
1. a series of questionnaires are distributed to a panel of decision makers, who submit initial response to a decision coordinator 2. the coordinator summarizes the solutions and sends back the summary to the panel members along with a follow-up questionnaire 3. panel members again send their responses, and the process is repeated until consensus is reached
 * involves generating decision-making alternatives through a series of survey and questionnaires
 * __for situations where group members are unable to meet face to face__
 * steps:
 * clear decision emerges :)

__**To apply this with the company Cirque De' Soleil...**__
From top to bottom, Cirque's management style is unusual. There is no board of directors. The top decision-making group on creative activities, known as le noyau créatif (the creative nucleus), comprises Mr Laliberté, Mr Lamarre, another Cirque founder, and the senior director of creation. A six-member executive committee oversees business operations.

A group of four prominent Quebec executives, including the heads of Bombardier, the train and aircraft maker, and Power Corporation, one of Canada's most powerful family-controlled companies, meets four times a year to offer advice on running the business. Productions have a long lead time. A Cirque show typically takes three years to develop from conception to opening night. It is built on two main legs: creative and business. The creative side starts with an over-arching theme, often suggested and refined by Mr Laliberté. Cirque 2009, a show now taking shape, centres on biodiversity and the world of insects.