MGMT1135 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Nominal Group Technique, Group Polarization, Mental Model
Document Summary
Limit group size to less than 10. Encourage group leaders to actively seek input from all members and avoid expressing their own opinions. Use exercises that stimulate active discussion of diverse alternatives. Group members tend to exaggerate their initial positions when discussing a given set of alternatives to arrive at a solution. In some situations, caution dominates and there is an conservative shift; while in other situations, groups tend toward a risky shift. That is, discussion leads members toward a more extreme view of the position they already held conservatives become more cautious, and more aggressive types take on more risk. Group polarization can be seen as a special case of groupthink. Some group techniques can assist in the decision-making process. The first technique that can help is brainstorming. This is a process that is aimed at generating ideas, where all ideas are welcomed and the group tries to create an environment that overcomes pressure for conformity.
