With reference to suitable theory and models of group decision making, Essay

With reference to suitable theory and models of group decision making, critically analyse how to performed in the group decision making process used to achieve a solution - Essay Example Knights and Willmott (2007, p.325), using a model identified by Williams et at (1985) present a contrast between the â€Å"ideal† rational decision making process, and those factors that introduce irrationality: There is also the impact of the amount of information available, and who has it. March and Simon (1958 in Knights and Willmott 2007) identified â€Å"bounded rationality† as an issue for decision making. The human mind can only cope with so much information at any one time, otherwise information overload results. What the mind takes notice of, will be determined by the individual, and much of the complexity involved in the decision will be lost. Information asymmetries also affect group decision making processes. Brodbeck et al (2007) note that certain information asymmetries are beneficial for group decision making, while others are not. Information vigilance instructions (withholding decisions until all available information has been discussed) and having sufficient time for the discussion (to allow for sharing of all available information) contribute to effective group decision making (ibid, p.473) while critical norms (which reduce negotiation possibilities) and dual-task structuring (dividing a task in two and requiring all information to be obtained before decisions can be reached) hinder it (ibid, pp.473-474). An individual making a decision only has to consider their own requirements when selecting a solution. Within a group or team, however, there are several viewpoints to consider, and the complexity increases as the size of the group or team does. In a group situation, decision making is affected by what people bring to meetings to discuss the issues. If a similar situation is known to someone, they might bring their knowledge of how that problem was solved (Watson, 2006). Who attends such meetings and who is absent also affects the decision outcome (ibid) as those with relevant knowledge might not be present; if they were