Group Decision Making with Responses of a Quantitative Nature: The Theory of Social Decision Schemes for Quantities

Group decisions involving responses of a quantitative nature occur frequently in organizations. Although extensive research has considered group decisions involving discrete responses, only recently have responses involving quantities received comparable attention. It is proposed that the group decision processes related to quantities involve compromise and are characteristically different from the consensus processes that occur for discrete choices. The theory of social decision schemes (Davis, 1973) as originally formulated is intractable for quantitative responses because they involve a large number of response alternatives. This paper extends and adapts the theory of social decision schemes to apply it to group decisions of a quantitative nature. The decision schemes considered in modeling group decisions for quantitative responses also differ from those of discrete responses. The classes of decision schemes considered include central tendency, consensus-based, faction-attraction, coalition, distance-influence, dictator, special cases, and other. Unique approaches for evaluating the adequacy of these decision schemes for quantities are considered. An illustration of the theory of social decision schemes for quantities is presented with data from research on group goal decisions (Hinsz, 1991). Copyright 1999 Academic Press.