Performance in Groups

Outline  Types of tasks Additive Compensatory Disjunctive Conjunctive Discretionary

Additive  When all group members perform the same job and group performance is a sum of individual performance  Examples: Stuffing envelopes, relay race, brainstorming

Compensatory  Judgments of individuals are pooled; errors by some can be corrected by others  The group average is the group product—again everybody has something to contribute  Examples: Estimating costs, money market forecasts

Disjunctive  Tasks which require the group to select a single correct answer The achievement of the group is defined by its most able member  Only one correct answer, getting answer depends on:  someone getting the right answer  others recognizing it as being correct!  Examples: Problem solving, math calculations, college quiz bowl

Conjunctive  Group tasks which require every group member to complete the task The achievement of the group is defined by its least able member  Examples: Mountaineering team, group presentation, software projects

Discretionary  Group tasks in which groups can combine individual contributions as it chooses  Examples: Juries deciding how to appropriately weigh information, a group deciding to take a vote or let the leader choose

How are Inputs Related? Additive:  Performance exceeds best member Compensatory:  Group performance should be better than most members Disjunctive:  Performance should match the best member Conjunctive:  Performance determined by worst member Discretionary:  Group determines how inputs are combined  Performance depends on how they're combined

Activity  Get into groups of 4-5  Complete the types of tasks activity 10-1 (p. 301)