This review summarises the research literature on children's and parents' involvement in social work decision making, which is regarded, in policy terms, as increasingly important. In practice, however, it tends to be messy, difficult and compromised. Different individuals or groups may have different understandings of participation and related…

Describes typical phases through which decision-making groups pass. Explores communication dimensions of small-group deliberation, and presents suggestions to improve the quality of group problem solving. (Author/BH)

Discusses the need to expand spatial analysis based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and display methods to encompass group decision-making processes. Descriptions of enhancements and additions to software that will enable GIS technology to be used by groups are included. Issues highlighted include implementation and design. (54 references)…

Uses a laboratory experiment involving role-playing groups to show that an assigned majority rule is likely to lead to higher-quality solutions than unanimity and no-decision rule. Results indicated under majority rule workers resistance to the foreman's power often resulted in a successful search for a better solution. (JAC)

A "devil's advocacy" approach is proposed for the management of higher education conflict and ultimate improvement in the quality of decisions. Research supporting the value of active questioning of a preferred plan or strategy is summarized and its application is described. (DB)

In the history of small group studies (in the field of communication theory and research), two factors contributed to the changes that led to Ernest Bormann publishing in 1970 his work questioning the value of the knowledge being reported and the appropriateness of the methods by which it was being generated. First, prior to 1965, a limited amount…

Studies the group decision-making process of the evaluation of preschool children with complex disabilities. Sequential application of processes was found to be influenced by the occurrence of a series of three cycles of decision making within each assessment and the decomposition of the assessment task into distinct subproblems. (Contains 67…

Recent social scientific interest in juror selection has advanced the "voir dire" (jury selection) process beyond Clarence Darrow's formula for choosing a jury likely to be sympathetic to his client. From a communication perspective, generalization to different cases in different sections of the country and under different conditions…

Presents a microcomputer-based qualitative discriminant process (QDP) for scoring and ranking in group support systems that is relevant to group decision-making situations that involve the evaluation of alternatives. Scoring and ranking techniques are described, and a case illustration using the QDP is discussed. (Contains 50 references.) (LRW)

Virtually everyone involved with forensics has, at one time or another, seen or heard references to debate teams or squads as "groups." Many questions concerning the label "group," however, exist. A brief examination of definitions of the term group by scholars in the field of small group communication confirms that T. M.…

This training manual provides information on the operation and function of "quality circles," a factory program introduced in Japan in which workers participate voluntarily in quality control and management decisions through various means of communication. Following an introduction, the manual presents a series of frequently asked…

Outlines some of the principles and conditions of effective library decision making in a group context, drawing on the research and theory literature of management and the psychology of group decision processes. Various decision-making strategies are discussed and 44 references are included. (Author/JL)

Investigates the instructional benefits of using a Group Decision Support System (GDSS), i.e., a computer-based system implemented on a local area network for assisting a group with communication, decision making, and negotiating. An experiment using a GDSS in a graduate seminar class at the University of Mississippi is described. (31 references)…

The problem of change in the character of the United States Supreme Court between 1969 and 1975 is examined, in this paper, in the context of group decision making and organizational communication. Based on information from "The Brethren," a behind-the-scenes account of the Supreme Court justices by Bob Woodward and Scott Armstrong, the…

In placement decisions necessitated by PL 94-142, the multidimensional team approach may be hindered by group problems. The more structured nominal group technique (NGT) is suggested. NGT has six steps: silent, written generation of ideas; round robin reporting; group discussion for clarification; preliminary priority vote; discussion; and final…