Speech Chapter 8 Exercise Observation Groups Problem Analysis And Decision Making You Can Use Videotape

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CHAPTER 8

PROBLEM ANALYSIS AND DECISION MAKING:

FOLLOWING CLEAR SYSTEMS

This chapter should bring the task processes into tight focus. Here students learn approaches to

analyzing problems and causes as well as generating and analyzing solutions. This leads them to

the issues and modes for making decisions and creating implementation and assessment plans.

Chapter Outline

Planning Approaches

 Following Systematic Sequences

 Using Computer Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW)

 Maintaining Flexibility

Analyzing Problems

 Avoiding Incrementalism

 Identifying Problems

 Determining Causes and Effects

Generating and Analyzing Solutions

 Generating Possible Solutions

 Establishing Criteria

Making Decisions

 Analysis Techniques

 Critical Issues

 Applicability

Creating an Implementation Plan

 Design

 Assessment

 Avoid Escalation of Commitment

Summary

Exercises

Discussion Suggestions For Boxes

Getting the Picture Right Leads to Better Decisions

Talking Points:

• In what way would an image differ from the way a person would put his or her ideas into

words?

• What examples can you identify of a decision that you made; what image might you have

compared your options to—and how did it influence their decisions?

• How does this information relate to a team’s decision making?

If the team makes clear goal statements, for example, but the members each have dif-

ferent images of what the final outcome should be like—how will that affect the task

processes? What could a team do to clarify those images?

Computer-Supported Group Decision Making

This topic is excellent for a research project, either for teams or for individuals, both because it’s

fascinating to see what’s being done with computer-assisted conferencing and because there are

numerous sources of all varieties (print, electronic, human, and organizational) to which to refer

for information.

Talking Points:

• In an atmosphere of anonymity would you feel freer to say what they think?

• How would you be affected by the environment of the conference room?

• What do you think would be advantages or disadvantages of this approach?

Suggestions For Guiding Chapter Exercises

Exercise 1: Workplace Problem Analysis

As students role play the quality circle in this exercise, encourage them to think beyond the facts:

• What do these facts imply?

• What harms might they bring to the company?

• To the employees?

• And what causes might be behind them?

Students should detect that low morale, productivity declines, and absenteeism seem to be

related to employees’ problems with child care.

There might be two fishbone diagrams:

Exercise 2: Solution Generating

Students may set a variety of goals and criteria for reaching their solutions, based on the previous

exercise. The goals should fulfill the needs that their diagram revealed.

• One goal might be “To provide day care for employees’ children.”

• Criteria might include that it be affordable and available during the full shifts of parents.

• As they generate ideas, they might select a plan for an on-site day care center, subsidized

by the company.

• Have them work the ideas all the way through to implementation and assessment.

o How would the company activate the plan?

o How would it assess its effectiveness?

Exercise 3: Observation of a Group’s Problem Analysis and Decision Making

You can use a videotape, assign students to observe a committee at work, or set up a fishbowl

exercise (give one group a problem to solve and arrange other students around them to observe).

Exercise 4: Recall

This exercise is especially good for journals, but it’s also useful for group discussions. Instruct

groups to share experiences and then select one decision-making event that was either very good

or very poor. Have them analyze that experience and then describe it to the class.

• Record on the board a list of the strengths and weaknesses they noted, and then compare

this to the list on Form 8.1.

• Ask students to what extent they found that effective groups followed a systematic

process. If they left out some of the parts of a decision-making sequence, did the

observers feel that affected the quality of the group’s analysis—and if so, in what ways?

Additional Exercise/Case Study

THE NEW HOUSING QUANDARY

An excellent approach to a case study is to role-play it out. You don’t know precisely what you’ll

get, but you do know it will illuminate the issues of systematic problem solving.

Objectives

1. To demonstrate the necessity for some system in decision-making processes.

2. To demonstrate how individuals impede or facilitate discussion of issues.

Time

Half an hour to forty-five minutes

Materials

2. Markers or chalk

4. Copies of Form 8.1 for each member of the class

6. Instructions for Role Players

Procedure

1. Select five people to role-play.

3. Give each role player his/her separate role. Tell players to read their roles privately and not

to discuss them.

5. Set role players up with access to the board or their flipchart.

7. Ask the role players to play out their discussion.

9. Debrief the exercise.

Preparation of Materials

1. Situation Description

A special task force of university and community leaders is developing a plan to convert existing

buildings into university housing.

The problem: Insufficient dorm space for students

The goal: To prepare 75 new dorm rooms in time for the opening of classes next fall

2. Instructions for Observers

3. Instructions for Role Players

4. Roles for Role Players

Cut these into separate pieces so each player gets only his or her role.

Diana Lumford, University President; 38 years old; Ph.D. in Psychology. You are very student

oriented, and have been dismayed at how difficult it is for commuting students because the

college is at some distance from their homes. You’re very concerned about rising costs for

as the solution.

Paul Rivera, Ph.D. in Business; 30 years old; faculty representative to the Board of Trustees.

You are very active in the faculty union. You are worried that the college will divert too many

funds to this project from its academic programs and the quality of the programs will suffer.

Debriefing

You can’t be absolutely sure how this case will play. If you’ve selected a role player who can be

pushy and aggressive for the role of John Markham, the consideration of issues may be distorted

or even stopped cold. The other role players have some specific agendas, however, and they

may bring him into line. That’s why this situation enables you to really examine the procedures,

the positive and negative influences, the issues, and the ethics of the process.

After you’ve given the role players a round of applause, do the following:

5. If the meeting proceeded extremely well, ask what the chairperson and members did to make

it that way.

Additional Resources

Print Resources

Ackoff, R. L., & Vergarra, E. (1988). Creativity in problem solving and planning. In R. L.

Kuhn (Ed.), Handbook for creative and innovative managers (pp. 77-89). New York: McGraw-

Hill.

Craig, J. M., & Sherif, C. W. (1986). The effectiveness of men and women in problem-solving

groups as a function of group gender composition. Sex Roles, 14(7/8), 453-466.

Media Resources

Effective decision making in groups. New York: Insight Media. 28 min.