Darlene RinghandMarch 14, 2012

Unit 2 review Comments –Discussion Comments – Homework Unit 3

•Discussion•Expectations

Other Good Evening!

What are groups? What kinds of groups are there? Stages in the group model

Group Activity!

Mr. A, an electrical engineer who is married and has one child, has been working for a large electronics corporation since graduating from college five years ago. He is assured of a lifetime job with a modest, though adequate, salary and liberal pension benefits upon retirement. On the other hand, it is very unlikely that his salary will increase much before he retires. While attending a convention, Mr. A is offered a job with a small, newly founded company that has a highly uncertain future. The new job would pay more to start and would offer the possibility of a share in the ownership if the company survived the competition with larger firms.

Imagine that you are advising Mr. A. What is the lowest probability or odds of the new company proving financially sound that you would consider acceptable to make it worthwhile for Mr. A to take the new job? Before reading on, indicate your response on a probability scale from zero to 100%.

Participate in a group activity to analyze the internal dynamics of a team

Explain the rational model of group decision making

Identify decision-making pitfalls

Recommend methods to avoid team decision-making problems

In Chapter 6, Thompson defines Rational Model of group decision making as:

Orientation Discussion Decision Making Implementation

FIGURE 6-1 Anatomy of Group Decision Making Source: Forsyth,D. 1990. Group Dynamics (2nd edition, p. 286). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Building the team: Task, People, & Relationships.

Rational Model of Group Decision-Making.

The Five Pitfalls of Group Decision-Making.

This week’s assignment.

Define the problem Set goal Plan the process

Gather information Identify alternatives Evaluate alternatives

Group Decision

Adhere to the decision Evaluate the decision Seek feedback

Group Think•Causes•Fixes???

Team Size Direction

Escalation of commitment•Even if the team knows it is wrong•Fixes?

As the president of an airline company, you have invested $10 million of the company’s money into a research project. The purpose was to build a plane that would not be detected by conventional radar, in other words, a radar-blank plane. When the project is 90 percent completed, another company begins marketing a plane that cannot be detected by radar. Also, it is apparent that their plane is much faster and far more economical than the plane your company is building. The question is:

Should you invest the last 10 percent of the research funds to finish your radar-blank plane?

❏ Yes, invest the money❏ No, drop the project

From Thompson, Chapter 4, page 137

The Abilene Paradox•Personal beliefs – strong beliefs

Group Polarization Unethical decision making

What are the best methods for correcting decision making problems?

Take poll

Reading: Chapters 4 and 6 from Making the Team: A Guide for Managers by Thompson

Discussion (Individual) Discussion (Team/Group) Review/Quiz Assignment (Team/Group)

• Submit one time with all team member names – OR –

• All team members may submit the same work Individually

Example Graphic: Making a vanilla milkshake

To make the graphic: Go to the insert tab in MS Word on your computer, click on Smart Art and choose your graphic that shows a process like the one provided. You can add on to the graphic by right clicking on the last arrow and choosing add shape.

Unit 3 - Food for Thought!Companies like Apple and Google allow employees to play games

(Foosball, and pool) during the work day, Why?

Questions?It’s a Wrap!

Corvette, B. A. B. (2007). Conflict management: A practical guide to developing negotiation strategies. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Drafke, M. W. (2006). The human side of organizations (9th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2007). Organizational behavior (12th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Thompson, L. L. (2004). Making the team: A guide for managers (2nd Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.