ABSTRACT
There are two reasons why groups rather than individuals make many of these decisions (e.g., Vroom & Yetton, 1973). First, group decisions are made in order to reach consensus and ensure that everyone's opinion is heard, and that (most) group members agree with the decision. This consensus-building function of groups is important, because often people are more willing to accept a decision when they had a say in it. The second reason is that groups will usually have more resources to draw on than individuals and might therefore make a better decision. Indeed, some group members might hold information that is unavailable to others. In that case the group has more information than any of its members separately, and is capable of a better-informed choice. This is the information integration function of decision-making groups.
