CNN:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4JOjcDFtBE

Challenger, The Untold Story

Part 6: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
qmViyNlIpls

Part 7:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV25ol-NedQ

Teams & Decision Making

COMM 305
November 5, 2015

What is decision making?

Ability to use communication to make clear

decisions
Knowing how decisions can affect levels of the

organization
Using models to help make the proper decisions
Knowing how decisions will affect the

organizational work life

Models of the decision

making process

Rational Model: includes 5 stages and is also known as

the Normative Model

Optimizing Model: decision makers attempt to find

single best solution for situations

Satisfying model: dont look for single optimal solution

but a solution that will work well enough

Intuitive Process: decision maker accesses the

relevant information & puts it into use

Rational Models of
Decision Making
1. Formulation: team conducts focus groups with

individuals in target demographic to give real life

examples of habits, likes/dislikes, & media
consumption
2. Concept Development Stage: team generates

ideas of alternate approaches that fit better with

target audience.
3. Detailing Process: research is conducted as to

how new ideas would impact & reach target

audience

4. Evaluation Stage: Information gained from

research would be placed under scrutiny &
cost/benefit analysis would take place
5. Implementing Stage: Choose how new ideas
would be implemented into campaign for target
audience

Small Group Decision

Making
Phase Model of Decision Making: 4 phases
1. Orientation: members become acquainted to

one another
2. Conflict: possible solutions are thrown out by

team members; brainstorming

3. Emergence: group decides optimal solution
4. Reinforcement: decision is supported by all

members

 Multiple Sequence Model: represents a variety

of decision paths that can be taken by the group

1. Unitary sequence path: follows traditional path
2. Complex cyclic path: interaction is in multiple

cycles of problem-solution
3. Solution oriented path: group doesn'tt do

activities solving problems

Group Think

Everyone in group begins to think alike, there is

more desire for harmony and conformity than

solving the problem
Every voice in the group is combined and has one

voice through the group, no one has there own

opinions
People tend to shy away from conflict in groups

 Symptoms:

Stereotyping, self- censorship, illusion of

invulnerability, morality, and unanimity

Affective Model: Believe involvement in-group

simply for the sack of involvement

Cognitive Model: Involvement helps increase

employee satisfaction

Collaboration processes

Workplace Democracy: the participation in

decision making for the employees, allows them to

feel they are stakeholders in the organization.
Interorganizational Collaboration: Tension

regarding how contact is structured and how

relationships evolve and change within teams and
organization.

Communication and
Organization
Knowledge
Synoptic Knowledge: abstract representations

that might be encoded inn instruction manuals or

expert systems
Cultural Knowledge: allows organization actors

to act in coordinated ways through understanding

sites and systems of organization

 Improvisational Knowledge: people may use

when they encounter usual situations and must

move beyond what is obvious.