Chapter 9

Leadership andDecision Making

in Groups

• Understand what makes an effective leader

• Describe leadership styles• Identify how culture affects

leadership• List forces that shape a group’s

decisions

Chapter Objectives

• Explain the six-step group decision process

• Show how effective leadership is crucial for good communication in meetings

• Know the three aspects of assessing group performance

Chapter Objectives

Understanding Group Leadership

Leadership is the ability to influence other’s behaviors and thoughts toward a productive end.**Influence comes from a

person’s power or from group members’ admiration and respect for the individual.

Understanding Group Leadership

• Five Sources of Power–Legitimate power

–Coercive power

–Reward power

–Expert power

–Referent power

Understanding Group Leadership

• Shared Leadership– Members feel

more satisfied

– Members are more motivated to perform

– Group is more likely to achieve its goals

Understanding Group Leadership

• Leadership Styles–Directive

–Participative

–Supportive

–Achievement-Oriented

Understanding Group Leadership

• Competence and EthicsSkilled leaders are:

• Flexible• Accountable• Credible• Competent communicators

Understanding Group Leadership

• Competence and Ethics

Unethical leaders are:• Controlling

• Accustomed to using bullying, criticism, name-calling, gossip, personal attacks, and threats

Culture and Group Leadership

• Masculine and Feminine Leadership– Masculine style (emphasizing

control) may not be effective – Feminine style looks to needs of

group members

• Context and Power DistanceThe extent to which less powerful

group members expect power to be distributed unevenly.

Decision Making in Groups

• Cognitive forcesGroup members’ thoughts, beliefs,

and emotions• Psychological forces

Group members’ personal motives, goals, attitudes, and values

• Social forcesGroup standards for behavior

which influence decision making

Decision Making in Groups

• The Problem-Solving Process– Identifying the problem–Analyzing the problem–Generating solutions–Evaluating and choosing

solutions– Implementing the solution–Assessing the results

Leadership in Meetings

• Planning Meetings Effectively– Justify the meeting–Clarify the purpose and

participants–Set an agenda

Leadership in Meetings

• Managing Meetings Effectively–Arrive prepared–Keep the group focused–Summarize periodically–Keep an eye on the time–Manage conflict–Follow-up

Leadership in Meetings

• Using Technology in Meetings– Face-to-face teams

perform better initially

– Virtual teams are better at brainstorming

– Face-to-face teams are better at compromise

Evaluating Group Performance

• Informational Considerations– Is the group on task?– Are all group members

participating?• Procedural Effectiveness

Are group activities & communication coordinated & shared?

• Interpersonal PerformanceAre the relationships among group

members effective?