Deck 9: Communication and Decision-Making

Question 1

Discussing alternative solutions should reduce faulty decision-making.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Spiral models of decision-making force groups to proceed in a linear, sequential manner through the decision-making process.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Rational models assume decision-making groups have time to process their decisions thoughtfully.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Satisficing is probably rare in actual decision-making teams.

Question 5

A widespread sense of vulnerability should increase group members' tendency to groupthink.

Question 6

Groups who make poor decisions almost always are practicing groupthink.

Question 7

According to Dewey's rational decision-making model, during which step in the process should a group do brainstorming?

A) define and limit the problem
B) establish criteria for evaluating a solution
C) suggest and consider alternative solutions
D) consider the advantages and disadvantages of the solutions
E) implement the best solution

Question 8

The group is deciding whether to focus on short-term or long-term goals as a solution. Which step is this according to Dewey's rational decision-making model?

A) define and limit the problem
B) establish criteria for evaluating a solution
C) suggest and consider alternative solutions
D) consider the advantages and disadvantages of the solutions
E) implement the best solution

Question 9

Which of the following behaviors would you expect to find during the orientation phase of group decision-making?

A) people making tentative suggestions about what they think the problem is and how it should be addressed
B) strong disagreement about which solution would be the best one
C) people gradually coming to agreement on which of the proposed ideas makes the most sense to adopt
D) people feeling like they have done a good job of addressing the problem or issue

Question 10

Which of the following behaviors would you not expect to find during the orientation phase of group decision-making?

A) people introducing themselves to each other if they didn't already know one another
B) people trying to determine the reason for their meeting
C) strong disagreement about which solution would be the best one
D) people making tentative suggestions about what they think the problem is and how it should be addressed

Question 11

A group is discussing an issue. A lot of different opinions have been strongly stated. The leader calls for a vote. The tally is 10-9. This suggests that the group voted during which phase of decision-making?

A) orientation
B) conflict
C) emergence
D) reinforcement

Question 12

During decision-making, groups will sometimes split into subgroups based on their views on the decision. During which phase would this split be most likely to occur?

A) orientation
B) conflict
C) emergence
D) reinforcement

Question 13

Which of the following behaviors would you expect to find during the emergence phase of group decision-making?

A) strong disagreement about which solution would be the best one
B) people making tentative suggestions about what they think the problem is and how it should be addressed
C) people gradually coming to agreement on which of the proposed ideas makes the most sense to adopt
D) people feeling like they have done a good job of addressing the problem or issue

Question 14

People are generally pleased with what they have accomplished. Any subgroups that had formed have become part of the whole group again. Which phase of decision-making does this most likely describe?

A) orientation
B) conflict
C) emergence
D) reinforcement

Question 15

A group seems to have made significant progress toward reaching agreement on a solution to a problem but then conflict occurs about what the real problem might be, and so some different solutions are suggested and then a new solution agreed upon. Which of the following does this seem to represent?

A) Dewey's rational decision-making process
B) The four phases of Fisher's decision-making
C) Schiedel and Crowell's spiral model of decision-making
D) Poole's multiple sequence model

Question 16

During the group discussion, the members decide that whatever decision they make must be inexpensive and must be able to be accomplished within the next two weeks. According to vigilant interaction theory, this is an example of which of these characteristics of effective decision-making?

A) deciding on the problem
B) deciding on criteria for what to achieve
C) finding possible choices
D) evaluating positive and negative aspects of choices

Question 17

After some initial brainstorming of options, the group decided that it really needs to spend time discussing what each member thinks is the real problem that needs to be addressed. This discussion represents which aspect of effective group decision-making according to vigilant interaction theory?

A) deciding on the problem
B) deciding on what to achieve
C) finding possible choices
D) evaluating the positive and negative aspects of choices

Question 18

Satisficing occurs when which of the following is true?

A) There are only possible options that are easy to identify and study.
B) There are numerous possible options and large amounts of potential information.
C) The group members are all committed to making a good decision.
D) The group members are all well informed about the issues related to the decision.

Question 19

Which of the following is not likely to lead to satisficing?

A) There is a large amount of information to consider.
B) There is a limited amount of time for making a decision.
C) The group members do not consider the decision to be particularly important.
D) The group members are all committed to making a good decision.

Question 20

The garbage can model of decision-making suggests that good decisions

A) often happen almost randomly by chance.
B) involve combining lots of options together.
C) are the result of rational thinking processes.
D) involve digging through lots of mixed-up information.

Question 21

Which of the following is likely an example of the garbage can model of decision-making?

A) A group completes Dewey's steps of decision-making but not in correct order.
B) A group decides an idea they rejected on a previous decision will work this time.
C) A group brainstorms a second and third time when they do not like the first options.
D) A group makes a decision after considering only two or three possible options.

Question 22

The concept of retrospective rationality might be defined as

A) going back to redefine the problem before making a decision.
B) going back to change a decision after it turns out to be ineffective.
C) making it seem like a group used its intuition to make a good decision.
D) making it seem like a rational process led to a good decision when it was accidental.

Question 23

Which of the following is an example of organization decision-makers participating in retrospective rationality?

A) They describe how they followed vigilant interaction theory in a nonlinear manner.
B) They describe how their group went through the spiral decision-making model.
C) They present an image to public as thoughtful decision-makers for a haphazard decision.
D) They apologize for an organizational mistake to repair their public image.

Question 24

Which of the following does not represent an antecedent condition of groupthink?

A) The group is highly cohesive.
B) The group is isolated from others.
C) The group is under pressure to act quickly.
D) The group has members with strong opinions.

Question 25

Which of the following not a symptom of groupthink?

A) Members believe that it is important that they reach consensus on decisions.
B) Members believe that they are morally right and people who oppose them are wrong.
C) Members believe that they cannot fail when they make decisions.
D) Members avoid people and information that might provide a different perspective.

Question 26

Which of the following can be a symptom of groupthink?

A) Members believe that they are morally right and people who oppose them are wrong.
B) Members have been working together as a team for a long time.
C) Members have been quite successful in their previous decisions.
D) Members believe that it is important that they reach consensus on decisions.

Question 27

It is likely that many groups make faulty decisions due to questionable beliefs or reasoning. Which of the following demonstrates this principle?

A) The group is uncommitted to the issue and goes along with the most vocal member.
B) The group trusts the judgment of the leader and goes along with his or her idea.
C) The group uses inaccurate information about the issue to make a decision.
D) The group is pressured by management to make a quick decision.

Question 28

Groups sometimes make faulty decisions because of what has been called "presumptive shift." Which of the following describes a presumptive shift in decision-making?

A) The managers ask the group to reconsider a decision they previously made.
B) The managers change the criteria that the group must use to justify its decision.
C) A group goes back and changes its mind about which decision is the best after originally making a decision.
D) A group decides that the most important criteria for a decision are different than they originally thought.

Question 29

Explain each of the five steps of Dewey's prescriptive/rational model of decision-making. Then, compare and contrast that model with vigilant interaction theory.

Question 30

Describe the communication behaviors that occur during the orientation, conflict, emergence, and reinforcement phases of the descriptive model of decision-making.

Question 31

What are three critiques or issues that prescriptive/rational models of decision-making do not seem to account for?

Question 32

Explain the difference between a prescriptive and a descriptive model of small group decision-making needed. Then, provide one example of a prescriptive and one example of a descriptive model of small group decision-making and compare the models' relative strengths and weaknesses.

Question 33

Using the concept of groupthink, refute the claim: "Two heads are always better than one."

Question 34

Explain the garbage can model of decision-making. Provide an example to illustrate your points.

Question 35

Take a position that the decision to launch the Challenger was or was not an example of groupthink. Provide at least three arguments to support your position.