1. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Data-Driven Decisions and School Leadership: Best Practices for School Improvement Theodore J. Kowalski Thomas J. Lasley II James W. Mahoney This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law: Any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network; Preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images; Any rental, lease, or lending of the program.

2. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Chapter 4: Group Decision Making

3. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Decision groups Social entity 3 or more individuals Typically formal Standing or ad hoc

4. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Groups as social systems INPUTS (e.g., members, resources, data) THROUGHPUTS (e.g., data integration, analysis, member interaction) OUTPUTS (e.g., decisions)

5. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Purported advantages of group decisions Multiple perspectives Political acceptance Increased information, knowledge, skills Philosophical congruity with democracy Professional growth Employee motivation/morale

6. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Purported disadvantages of group decisions Inefficiency Social influence Mediocre choices Political manipulation Bias and errors Lack of confidentiality

7. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Justification for group decisions

8. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Leadership and group process Process can be influenced by – the leader’s style (e.g., autocratic, transformational) – contextual variables (circumstances surrounding the group and its task) – professional norms (e.g., ethical standards, collegiality)

9. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Factors that determine group effectiveness Group size Members’ status Cohesiveness Diversity Emotional maturity Physical environment Communication technology

10. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Factors that determine group effectiveness (continued) Member roles Ownership Clear/acceptable objectives Leadership Members’ ability Rationality Institutional culture Synergy

11. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Criteria for selecting group members Relevance (a personal stake in the decision) Expertise (knowledge, skills, experiences) Jurisdiction (legitimate influence) Trust (acting as a trustee, mutual confidence)

12. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Social vs. task oriented members Social purpose (focuses on member stature) Task purpose (focuses on action, i.e., making a decision) Group members differ in being social or task oriented Socially oriented members focus on meeting personal needs (e.g., gaining stature, interacting with others) Task oriented members focus on making a decision

13. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Common problems with groups Groupthink Absence of trust Not managing dysfunctional conflict Poor communication Low commitment Accountability avoidance Dysfunctional members

14. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Four examples of group processes Nominal technique Delphi technique Brainstorming Brainwriting