Q1) Below are the group decision-making processes in place at my current organiz

Question

Q1) Below are the group decision-making processes in place at my current organization -

Project comprises cross-functional teams who work together to achieve the objectives. A project manager is responsible for the overall project deadlines and decisions and functional managers are responsible for their respective team's deliverables.

Once a set of alternatives are available for decision making, the outcomes and impacts of each of the alternatives is evaluated in-depth. Depending on the impact, the respective cross-functional teams are looped in to provide their views and preferences. Based on the impact analysis and the preferences, the best alternative fitting the objectives, preferences, costs and benefits is considered as the final decison by the project manager.

Q2) The processes are successfule due to the below reasons -

1. A reporting structure is clearly defined

2. Involvement of cross functional team managers before taking a decision which has the probability to impact their respective streams

3. Discussion among the functional managers and project manager to arrive at the best possible decision.

Q3) The process may have facilitated organizational skewing through the final decision making responsibility still lying in the hands of project manager who might or might not have an in-depth idea on the specific impacts on functional tracks. This is due to the fact that project manager is more concerned about overall organizational objectives.

Explanation / Answer

Groups may be both a boon (for example, they statistically outperform individuals) and a bane (for example, they take too long) of decision making. While they can systematically outperform individuals, groups are also prey to systematic bias and organizational skewing.

Consider the systematic decision-making processes of your own organization. Using the readings for this module, the Argosy University online library resources, and the Internet, respond to the following:

What are the group decision-making processes and structures in place at your current or with a previous employer that were designed to eliminate bias, create structure, and cultivate consistently better decisions?

Were the processes successful? Why, or why not?

How may the structure have facilitated organizational skewing?

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse Q
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.