1990, pp. 242 246). Superior subordinate relationships within an
organization, as an example, may result in no meaningful
participation on the part of a subordinate. The quality of group
decisions has also been questioned, because, often, consensus is
viewed as a substitute for a thorough evaluation of the quality
of the decision. The group decision making process may also be
subverted by the dominance of a single individual, and the
development of a competitive win lose culture among participants.
While not being cause for the elimination of group decision
making in organizational settings, the problems that may affect
group decision making must be addressed if effective decisions
are expected to derive from a group decision making process.
With respect to decision making, quality circles are
encompassed generally in the nominal group decision making technique, and more specifically in the team building approach to
decision making (Ishikawa, 1991, p. 79). The nominal group
technique is a group decision making process which seeks
consensus within an environment of interdependence. It is a
participative technique applied typically in small groups.
The essence of any form of participative management is that
the decision making process is not authoritarian those
individuals who are affected by the decisions participate, to
some extent, in the making of those decisions (Larson and
LaFasto, 1989, pp. 125 127). The concept may legitimately be
called a philosophy of management. It rests, in turn, on an
analysis of the specific needs of the nominal group and the
obstacles it faces. It rests, also, on a concept of human
action, human behavior and human motivation. It ensures
performance by converting objective needs into personal goals.
In nominal group decision making, there is an explicit attempt to
state publicly...