INDIVIDUAL VERSUS GROUP PROBLEM SOLVING IN AN INDUSTRIAL SAMPLE

ANALYZED THE QUALITY OF SOLUTIONS TO N. R. MAIER'S CHANGE OF WORK PROCEDURE PROBLEM UNDER 3 CONDITIONS WITH 80 2ND AND 3RD LEVEL MANAGERS FROM A LARGE PUBLIC UTILITY: (1) INDIVIDUAL SOLUTIONS, (2) INDIVIDUAL SOLUTIONS AFTER HEARING GROUP DISCUSSION WITHOUT CRITICISM, AND (3) GROUP SOLUTION AFTER DISCUSSION. MOTIVATIONAL (BASS' ORIENTATION INVENTORY) AND BIOGRAPHICAL CORRELATES OF INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP PROBLEM-SOLVING BEHAVIOR WERE ALSO EXAMINED. GROUP DISCUSSION DID NOT IMPROVE INDIVIDUAL PROBLEM-SOLVING EFFORTS; GROUP SOLUTIONS TENDED TO BE OF SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER QUALITY. THERE ALSO TENDED TO BE A NEGATIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN SOLUTION QUALITY AND ORIENTATION TOWARD MAINTAINING GROUP INTERACTION. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1968 American Psychological Association.