Decision-Making Methods





 Decision-Making Methods

According to Meyrick (2003), the Delphi method is "systematically gathering input from relevant experts on a topic has been widely applied" (para. 3). Delphi method involves a series of rounds of questionnaires, questions, or questions that are paused to experts in a specific area of interest. Responses are gathered from anonymous experts to be analyzed and surmised by a group of researchers. Researchers then return to anonymous responders with additional questions to gather more information. This process aims to gather a mix of diverse options/judgments from the anonymous responders and group the ideas into distinct majority and minority groups. 

Different types of Delphi methods are used, including less than or more four rounds of a question – fact-gathering from anonymous respondents, changing the question formats, and mixing the structure of the research group's expert groups. The Delphi technique is appropriate to use when the "problem does not lead itself to precise analytical techniques but can before from subjective judgments on a collective bias and in a circumstance when individuals who need to interact cannot be brought together in a face-to-face exchange due to time or cost constraints" (pp.28-29).

Brainstorming is a decision-making method that promotes the gathering of different ideas from people who are concerned with an issue/problem. According to Boberg and Monis-Khoo (1992), brainstorming is designed to "provide an opportunity for everyone in the group to offer suggestions as a solution to a specific problem" (para.5). It may take several sessions before the group members get the idea and become effective brainstormers" (para.3). Gathering the ideas from participants in the decision-making process will be conducted quickly and demand participants to fully engage in the brainstorming session. Team members are asked to participate in brainstorming sessions to their fullest potential to dominate team members not to stifle ideas and the brainstorming activities not to be overcrowded with personal interests or conflicts. Group members can verbalize their ideas in random order, and their input is gathered using a recorder or written on a chart. The other approach is used for brainstorming involve group members expressing their ideas with or without identifying themselves to share their ideas.

The nominal decision-making process is the "structured process to gather information from a group. (Bailey, 2003, para. 2). The nominal group decision-making method follows a structure that group members are asked to pare or compile a list of writing ideas without interacting or exchanging the ideas with each other. Group members will then share their ideas from their list with the rest of the group members until the list of their ideas is written down on a flip chart or board. After all team members listed their ideas openly, the group will engage in ranking the ideas.  The idea behind the normative decision-making process is to generate to a list of alternatives decisions that are comparatively superior in value or quality.

References

Bailey, A. (2013). The use of the nominal group technique to determine additional support needs

for a group of victorian TAFE managers and senior educators. International Journal of

Training Research, 11(3), 260-266.  

Boberg, A. L., & Monis-Khoo, S. (1992). The delphi method: A review of methodology and an

application in the evaluation of a higher education program. The Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, 7(1), 27.  

Meyrick, J. (2003). The delphi method and health research. Health Education, 103(1), 7-16.

doi:http://dx.doi.org.proxy.cecybrary.com/10.1108/09654280310459112

 


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