Member Competence, Group Interaction, and Group Decision Making: A Longitudinal Study

Member Competence, Group Interaction, and Group Decision Making A Longitudinal Study

The primary objective of this study was to examine the extent to which increased experience in working in a group would affect group versus individual problem solving. The duration and intensity of group involvement for subjects (over 30 hr) was extensive. In addition, the reward system provided a c...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of applied psychology Vol. 76; no. 6; pp. 803 - 809
Main Authors: Watson, Warren, Michaelsen, Larry K, Sharp, Walt
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Washington, DC American Psychological Association 01-12-1991
American Psychological Association, etc
Subjects:
Behavior
Biological and medical sciences
Competence
Decision making
Experience Level
Factors
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Group Decision Making
Group dynamics
Group interaction
Human
Involvement
Problem solving
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Social interactions. Communication. Group processes
Social psychology
Social research
Statistical analysis
Studies
Teams
Ability
Human
Professional experience
Social group
Decision making
Cognition
Synergism
Professional performance
Occupational environment
Follow up study
Social interaction
Work team
Problem solving
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The primary objective of this study was to examine the extent to which increased experience in working in a group would affect group versus individual problem solving. The duration and intensity of group involvement for subjects (over 30 hr) was extensive. In addition, the reward system provided a clear and direct tie between individual or group performance and a significant outcome (i.e., course grades). The decision-making task had a great deal in common with many of the aspects of group decision making in organizations. Results were overwhelmingly in favor of group decision making across time, given this type of task. The percentage by which the group performance score was higher (or lower) than the group's best member was called the group added value (GAV). In addition, a synergy ratio was developed in an attempt to measure how much a group added over their best member's contributions. Best members rarely repeated as the top scorer and became less important to group success as the groups gained experience. The results call into question much of the previous group decision-making research and strongly support the value of group-consensus decision making both in task forces and ongoing organizational groups.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-1
content type line 23
ISSN:0021-9010
1939-1854
DOI:10.1037/0021-9010.76.6.803