Chapter 9
Leadership and
Decision Making
in Groups
Chapter Objectives
• 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
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
– AchievementOriented
Understanding
Group Leadership
• Competence and
Ethics
Skilled 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 Distance
The extent to which less powerful group
members expect power to be
distributed unevenly.
Decision Making in Groups
• Cognitive forces
Group members’ thoughts, beliefs, and
emotions
• Psychological forces
Group members’ personal motives,
goals, attitudes, and values
• Social forces
Group 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 Performance
Are the relationships among group
members effective?