People usually work in groups for different reasons. The groups are considered to be an important avenue through which common goals and objectives can be achieved. Having an effective group decision-making process is a major source of productivity and efficiency improvement in an organization or team. In cases where the participants are not focused on the project, they will not be able to achieve the decision goals. Consequently, there is a need to understand how decision-making processes occur in a group. Besides, it is imperative to explore how group dynamics can affect decision making and the overall performance of the team. In this paper, I will reflect on the argument by Neuroscientist Dr. Mariano Sigman and Behavioral Economist Dr. Dan Ariely regarding the group decision making process.
In their Ted Talk, Dr. Mariano Sigman and Dr. Dan Ariely gave an optimistic picture of group decision making. They claimed that good decision making usually requires two primary components which are a diversity of opinions and deliberation ( Sigman & Ariely, n.d ). Furthermore, Sigman and Ariely opined that there are a significant number of experiments that have shown that people can use an intelligent group strategy called the robust average to be able to reach consensus without being instructed to do so. Sigman and Ariely further stated that the group setting gives participants a platform through which they can share their views, examine alternatives and arrive at a decision that will be beneficial to the team members ( Sigman & Ariely, n.d ). Therefore, groups should be considered to be an important platform that allows people to achieve both personal and team goals.
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As a college student, I have spent a lot of time working in a group setting. Therefore, I have got the chance to understand group dynamics and how they operate. Drawing from my experience and what I have learned in class, I believe that Sigman and Ariely’s claim is rarely witnessed. In all the groups that I have joined, the issue of diversity has always been a problem. The trend is attributed to the fact that most of the groups consist of people with different socio-cultural and educational backgrounds. Besides, members have diverse value systems that affect how they interact with others and make decisions. During the deliberations, the diverse opinions and backgrounds can affect the overall efficiency of the group. Also, the conflicts that arise during the working process can adversely affect decision-making processes. The classroom groups that I have joined have also been part of have also been characterized by social loafing, groupthink, and process loss. For instance, some members usually believe that they have a monopoly of ideas and assume that the rest of the team should only rubber-stamp the suggestions that they make. Similarly, some participants take backstage in the groups and only complain after final decisions have been made. Such interaction problems tend to complicate the decision-making process. Furthermore, they can affect the overall performance of the team.
Groups allow people to work together towards common objectives. Besides, the diverse nature of such groups means that participants will be able to share ideas on different issues of interest. Sigman and Ariely argued that diversity and negotiations that take place in groups aid the decision-making process. I agree with the author’s argument to the extent that diversity in the groups can be beneficial. However, I do not agree with the claim that diversity always implies that the decision-making process in the groups will be easy. From my experience, I have realized that diversity can also complicate decision making and the overall performance of the groups. Therefore, it is imperative to carefully assess the composition of the team before concluding that the team can always make appropriate decisions and achieve the desired level of productivity.
Reference
Sigman, M., & Ariely, D. (n.d). How can groups make good decisions? TED Studio. https://www.ted.com/talks/mariano_sigman_and_dan_ariely_how_can_groups_make_go od_decisions/details
