Organizational Behavior (Stephen Robbins)

participants simultaneously interact via computer terminals, all responses are anonymous,
and the speed allows for generating numerous ideas in a short time. Whitby, Ontario-
based McGraw-Hill Ryerson has become a regular user since finding that one of its divi-
sions experienced a surge in sales after visiting the Queen’s centre. “They came up with
a better, more soundly developed strategy, with more commitment on the part of the peo-
ple. People feel very committed to the outcomes of the process because they don’t feel
like they’ve been strong-armed into the outcomes. They’ve had a voice in it,” says John
Dill, former president and CEO of McGraw-Hill Ryerson.
However, brainstorming is not always the right strategy to use. For example, president and
CEO Terry Graham of Scarborough, Ontario-based Image Processing Systems (now part of
Photon Dynamics), which won Canada’s 1997 Export Award, saw brainstorming backfire
when doing business in China. He says that meetings with Chinese business people “are
definitely not for brainstorming. We learned this lesson the hard way. Our team thought we
could show our creativity by placing fresh alternatives in front of an important manager. It
was two years before the company would talk to us again.”^52 Brainstorming, we should also
note, is merely a process for generating ideas. The following two techniques go further by
offering methods of actually arriving at a preferred solution.^53

Nominal Group Technique
The nominal group techniquerestricts discussion or interpersonal communication
during the decision-making process; thus the term nominal (which means “in name
only”). Group members are all physically present, as in a traditional committee meet-
ing, but members operate independently. Specifically, a problem is presented and then
the following steps take place:

• Members meet as a group, but before any discussion takes place each member
  independently writes down his or her ideas about the problem.


• After this silent period, each member presents one idea to the group. Group
  members take turns presenting a single idea until all ideas have been presented
  and recorded. No discussion takes place until all ideas have been recorded.


• The group then discusses the ideas for clarity and evaluates them.


• Each group member silently and independently ranks the ideas. The idea with
  the highest overall ranking determines the final decision.
  The steps of the nominal group technique are illustrated in Exhibit 9-4. The chief
  advantage of this technique is that it permits the group to meet formally but does not
  restrict independent thinking as the interacting group does.
  A number of studies suggest that brainstorming by nominal groups is more effec-
  tive than brainstorming by interacting groups. However, recent research suggests that
  nominal groups generate more ideas and more original ideas, but not necessarily more
  quality ideas.^54

Chapter 9Decision Making, Creativity, and Ethics 307

nominal group technique A

group decision-making method in

which individual members meet face

to face to pool their judgments in a

systematic but independent fashion.

Individual Activity

Individuals silently rank

(or vote on) each

solution presented.

Team members receive

description of problem.

Individual Activity

Individuals silently

write down

possible solutions.

Group Activity

Individuals take turns

describing solutions

to each other.

Group then discusses

and evaluates ideas.

EXHIBIT 9-4 Nominal Group Technique