Group decision-making methods

The Delphi technique is appropriate when a group consensus is required when making a group decision (Dagher, 2021). It involves gathering all the ideas generated and compiling them for the group leader to break them down into a smaller list. The choices are condensed until a decision is made.

The brainstorming technique provides an open environment where group members can express ideas to raise potential ideas and solutions. Group members are encouraged to provide any idea that comes to mind; there are no good or bad ideas.

In the nominal group technique (NGT), the moderator records ideas gathered during a brainstorming session. Group members share their ideas with the moderator, discussing each idea to gather information. Ideas are then assigned priority scores and are pursued according to these scores.

Comparison

The Delphi technique is used to collect, organize, review, and revise group members' ideas. It involves generating a group decision without physically gathering the group members. Ideas are requested, and group members participate by answering questionnaires. By ensuring group members participate independently, this technique promotes accountability, active participation, eliminates bias, and avoids making premature decisions before all ideas are expressed.

The nominal group technique conducts a brainstorming discussion and includes a voting process after each discussion. Each group member casts a vote and explains why they voted for an option and why they feel it is the best choice. When the discussion topic is sensitive, group members can stay anonymous as they participate in the survey. Otherwise, the meeting can be conducted through an open discussion.

Even though both techniques rely on a moderator, their responsibilities are different. Delphi moderators have more responsibilities and are more demanding compared to NGT moderators. The Delphi and NGT methods have a similar structure in how they are conducted. However,  they are employed in very different situations. NGT is often used when making smaller decisions with fewer consequences. It is thus used to make decisions requiring some discussion but without needing the opinions of third parties. The Delphi technique involves back and forth discussions between decision-makers and panelists. This technique takes a lot of time because the decision must be well informed. When this technique is performed correctly, it leads to selecting the best idea. The Delphi technique is used to make decisions on high-stakes issues requiring a thorough examination of options. NGT is used to make decisions from a small group of respondents, while the Delphi technique uses isolated respondents (Daly, 2022).  

 

References

Dagher, K. (2021). Ten of the Most Effective Group Decision Making Techniques.

https://fellow.app/blog/productivity/group-decision-making-techniques/

Daly, C. (2022). Five Effective Group Decision-Making Techniques.

https://www.thoughtexchange.com/blog/group-decision-making-techniques/

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