Group Model Building

Description

This book describes the cognitive and interpersonal effects of group model building, and presents empirical research on what group model building achieves and how. Further, it proposes an integrated causal mechanism for the effects on participants. There have been multiple previous attempts at explaining the effects of group model building on participants, and this book integrates these various theories for the first time. The causal mechanisms described here suggest a variety of design elements that should be included in group model building practice. For example, practitioners typically try to reduce complexity for clients, to make the process feel more accessible. In contrast, the findings presented here suggest that the very act of muddling through complexity increases participants’ affective commitment to the group and the decisions made. The book also describes implications for theory and practice. System dynamics has traditionally been interested in using technical modeling processes to make policy recommendations. Group model building demonstrates that these same techniques also have implications for group decision making as a method for negotiating agreement. The book argues for the value of group model building as a mediating or negotiating tool, rather than merely a positivist tool for technical problems. Front Matter ....Pages i-ix Introduction (Rodney Scott)....Pages 1-4 Desired Outcomes of Group Decisions (Rodney Scott)....Pages 5-18 Basic Elements of Group Model Building (Rodney Scott)....Pages 19-28 Outcomes of Group Model Building (Rodney Scott)....Pages 29-44 Communication Quality, Insight, Consensus and Commitment to Conclusions (Rodney Scott)....Pages 45-54 Mental Model Alignment (Rodney Scott)....Pages 55-68 Explanatory Mechanisms for Group Model Building (Rodney Scott)....Pages 69-86 Comparing Participant Support for Different Explanatory Mechanisms (Rodney Scott)....Pages 87-98 Building Integrated Theory (Rodney Scott)....Pages 99-113 Discussion (Rodney Scott)....Pages 115-119 Back Matter ....Pages 121-138