Businesses and managers have to work on resolving problems and choosing new strategies on a daily basis, which requires an adequate method for reviewing options and selecting a plan. The approaches to decision-making largely depend on the issue and scope of impact that the chosen solution will have. This paper aims to evaluate group decision-making in comparison to individual processes and determine which one is more efficient.
People can be subjected to a groupthink bias and agree on a particular issue to achieve an agreement with others. Mukherjee, Dicks, Shackelford, Vira, and Sutherland (2016) conducted a systematic review of the existing evidence on this topic and concluded that both methods have pros and cons. Alternatively, experts in a particular field or business managers may be unable to assess all relevant factors and offer a valid resolution to an issue. Bang and Frith (2017) suggest that diversity is the key strength of group-facilitated decisions, while Ejimabo (2015) states that this allows a more creative approach to locating a resolution. Therefore, teams can generate more ideas and offer different insights on an issue.
Considering the evidence, I would argue that in a business context, groups can be more efficient in decision-making. However, in regards to strategic decisions or division of responsibilities in a team, a leader can provide a better input in evaluating skills and knowledge of the personnel or values of a business. Thus, it is essential to remember that the context of decision matters and circumstances play a vital role when evaluating approaches to decision making in business. In my opinion, a person’s role impacts this process by altering the perception of issues. Overall, the question of individual or group decision-making is complex and requires an assessment of the specific element of a situation that will help determine an appropriate strategy of discussion.
References
Bang, D., & Frith, C. (2017). Making better decisions in groups. Royal Society Open Science, 4(8), 170193. doi:10.1098/rsos.170193
Ejimabo, N. (2015). The influence of decision making in organizational leadership and management activities. Journal of Entrepreneurship & Organization Management, 4(2).
Mukherjee, N., Dicks, L., Shackelford, G., Vira, B., & Sutherland, W. (2016). Comparing groups versus individuals in decision making: A systematic review protocol. Environmental Evidence, 5(1).