review of concepts to observe in environmental roundtable role play

Review of Concepts to Observe in Environmental Roundtable Role Play

Key AreasGroup Dynamics/Group Decision

MakingInter-group and Intra-group

conflictOrganizational Power and PoliticsInter-organizational collaboration

Group Dynamics / Decision Making

What Stage of Group Development was achieved?

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Forming: ◦Group members try to orient themselves by

“testing the waters.” Ambiguous situation, members aware of dependency on each other

Storming◦Confrontation and criticism as members

decide whether to go along with the group, ◦Sorting out roles and responsibilities leads to

conflictNorming

◦Members resolve the issues that provoked the storming, and they develop social consensus (often via compromise).

◦Norms are agreed on and the group becomes more cohesive.

◦ Information and opinions flow freely.


PerformingThe group devotes its energies

toward task accomplishment.Achievement, creativity, and

mutual assistance are prominent themes at this stage.


Role Specialization in Group

Roles (task / social leader, facilitator, blocker, devil’s advocate) different participants can play◦E.g., Devil’s Advocate

Appointed to identify and challenge the weaknesses of a proposed plan or strategy, controversy promoted by the devil’s advocate improves decision quality, must present his or her views in an objective, unemotional manner.


Effectiveness of Group Decision Making Process

Cognitive Factors Leading to Poor Decisions

Poor decisions

Noticing Information

Using Relevant Information

SharingInformation

Bounded Awareness

Poor Decisions

Bounded Awareness

Not Sharing information

Not SHARING Information limits awareness which leads to poor

decisions

Consider Negotiation Exercise

The best outcome could be that both parties got all the fruit that was available and saved $$ on the bid

Bounded Awareness

Not sharing information

What members do in groups

•Discuss common information because it is agreed upon & rewarded with support

•Do not discuss unique information they have

•Do not seek out unique information that others may have

Poor Decision

Bounded Awareness

Not sharing information

Poor Decision

Information about all candidates given to all members

Information about excellent candidates given to some members, information about not so excellent candidate is given to all members

Quality of candidate chosen

Good Poor

Poor Decision Quality

Bounded Awareness

Not using relevant information

Not using RELEVANT information limits awareness which affects the

quality of decisions

Bounded Awareness


Think of all the things that will make you happy

Control Group

How much of your happiness depends on team’s win?

A little A lot

Bounded Awareness


What percent of group’s performance was due to your ideas?

What percent of group’s performance was due to each member’s ideas?

Self serving bias More Less

Poor Decision Quality

Bounded Awareness

Not Noticing information

Not NOTICING information limits awareness which affects the quality

of decisions

Amt of Information Noticed

Focus on certain types of information

Expectations about existing information

Gradualchanges inenvironment

What affects whether you notice information?

Limits Information Noticed

Expectations about information

Dangerous objects will appear 50% of time

Dangerous Objects will appear 1% of time

Error Rate 7% 30%


Focus on certain types of information

Those who were told to watch superimposed videos of teams playing at different times AND who were asked to count the number of passes between members wearing the same jerseys did not notice woman walking with open umbrella on court

Gradually increased estimates to exaggerated number

Suddenly increased estimates to exaggerated number

Likelihood of judging estimates as inflated

Less More

Gradual changes in environment


Need to locate information that is out of your awareness to improve decision quality

Locate out of awareness information by ◦Perceiving it

changing focus, changing expectations, environment type

◦Using relevant bits ◦Sharing it with each other

Summary of Cognitive Factors that Can Inhibit your Decision Quality

Inter and IntraGroup Conflict

Potential Sources of Conflictgoal incompatibilitytask independence,

When individuals or subunits are mutually dependent on each other to accomplish their own goals.

ambiguity◦Ambiguous goals, jurisdictions, or

performance criteria can lead to conflict.scarce resources

◦Limited budget money, secretarial support, or lab space can contribute to conflict.

communication problems, personal characteristics, etc.


What types of conflict managing styles

Organizational Power and Politics

Which role had what sources of power?

◦Legitimate power◦Reward power◦Coercive power◦Referent power◦Expert power


Sources of Power--IScarcity

◦Power is acquired by those who are able to secure scarce resources that are important to the organization as a whole.

Uncertainty◦Those most capable of coping with

uncertainty and providing the organization with greater control over what it finds problematic and can create more certainty tend to acquire power.


Sources of Power- IICentrality

◦Those whose activities are most central to the work flow of the organization acquire more power. E.g., by influences the work of most other

subunits; having a crucial impact on the quantity/quality of the key product/service; its impact is more immediate.

Substitutability ◦If it cannot be easily replaced it can

acquire substantial power. E.g., change in the labour market,

likelihood of of contracting out work

Who used what influence tactic and what was the outcome?

AssertivenessIngratiationRationalityExchangeUpward appealCoalition formationBlockingConsultationCovering up Inspirational appeals, Sanctions

Debriefing and DiscussionEnvironmental Round Table

Group Dynamics / Decision MakingWhat were the group process

dynamics in the Round Table? What were the barriers to achieving consensus among the various participants? How could they have been minimized?◦What stage of group development was

achieved? ◦What roles did different participants

play in the group?◦How effective was the group-decision

making process?

Inter and IntraGroup Conflict

What conflicts arose between Round Table Participants? To what degree were these conflicts resolved, if at all?◦What are the sources of the

conflicts? ◦What type of conflict handling style

was used? By Whom?

Organizational Power and PoliticsWho were the most (and least)

influential participants in the discussion? What are the implications of power disparities among participants?◦What were the source of personal

power for each participant?◦What were the sources of structural

power for each participant?

Organizational Power and PoliticsWhat are the implications of power

disparities among participants?Did coalitions of participants

develop?◦What types of political influence

tactics occurred during the role play? What were/are the consequences of using different types of influence tactics?

How effective were the group in achieving intended outcomes?

Interorganizational CollaborationHow did the collaboration change in

different stages of the discussion?◦Problem Setting◦Direction Setting◦ Implementation

How did the chairperson promote constructive dialogue among all round table participants?◦Was the discussion focused and under control?◦What task interventions did the chairperson

initiate? (Analyzing and synthesizing issues, providing feedback, identifying alternatives)

Goals/MissionWhat is your mission statement?What is the primary goals and objectives for the first-year of operation.

review of concepts to observe in environmental roundtable role play

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