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Functional Perspective on Group Decision Making

Randy Hirokawa & Dennis Gouran

Chapter 17
Group and Public Communication—Group Decision Making

Theory Overview

Abstracts appear in Appendix A of the 7th Edition

Groups make high-quality decisions when members fulfill four requisite functions: (1) problem analysis, (2) goal setting, (3) identification of alternatives, and (4) evaluation of positive and negative consequences. Most group communication disrupts progress toward accomplishing these functional tasks, but counteractive communication can bring people back to rational inquiry. (Socio-psychological and cybernetic traditions)

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