Discussion of shared and unshared information in decision-making groups.

Abstract

The effects of task importance and group decision training on the discussion behavior of decisionmaking groups were investigated. Three-person groups decided which of 3 hypothetical faculty candidates would be the best person to teach an introductory psychology course. Prior to discussion, some of the information about each candidate was given to all group members (shared information), whereas the remainder was randomly divided among them (unshared information). In general, groups discussed much more of their shared information than their unshared information. Increasing the importance of the task slowed the rate at which information was brought forth during discussion. By contrast, group decision training increased the amount of both shared and unshared information discussed and altered the sequential flow of shared and unshared information into the discussion: Discussion in untrained groups focused first on shared information and then on unshared information; discussion in trained groups did not shift focus over time. Results are discussed in terms of an information-sampling model of group discussion and the role of discussion in group decision-making effectiveness.Decisions about important social, organizational, and political issues are frequently made by groups rather than individuals. Using groups to make decisions is often justified on the grounds that groups can bring more intellectual resources to bear on a problem, which in turn should increase the probability that a high-quality decision will result (e.g., Vroom & Jago, 1988). One such resource is the diverse store of knowledge held by group members. Because of differences in background and experience, group members frequently have different information about the choice alternatives under consideration. To exploit this knowledge, decision-making groups usually attempt to pool the unique information their members hold. This is typically done through face-to-face discussion, though other alternatives exist (e.g.,

The emerging conceptualization of groups as information processors.

“…Conversely, moderate time pressures allow groups to focus on the quality of output, so they more carefully attend to the available information. Consistent with this conclusion, Larson, Foster-Fishman, and Keys (1994) showed that groups mention unshared information relatively late in their discussions, implying that time restrictions increase the type of biases demonstrated by Titus ( 1985, 1987). Therefore, at least for complex tasks, restrictive time pressures might allow information-processing biases to play a larger role in group interaction and group decision making.…”

Brand awareness in business markets: When is it related to firm performance?

“…Finally, another finding from social psychology shows that during group discussions, unshared information is mentioned relatively late, thus increasing the bias toward shared information when time pressure is high (Larson, Foster-Fishman, & Keys, 1994). Consequently, when buyers need to reach a decision quickly, the well-known brand is more likely to be in the center of the group discussion because of the group's shared information about it, which increases the likelihood of the brand's entering the consideration set.…”

Preparing the Self for Team Entry: How Relational Affirmation Improves Team Performance

“…This research has reliably shown that teams rarely discover the hidden profile because they discuss proportionally more communal than unique information (Wittenbaum, Hollingshead, and Botero, 2004). Specifically, team members are more likely to mention, repeat (Larson, Foster-Fishman, and Keys, 1994), and rate communal information as more important, accurate, and relevant (Wittenbaum, Hubbell, and Zuckerman, 1999) than unique information.…”