Acceptance and Quality of Solutions as Related to Leaders' Attitudes toward Disagreement in Group Problem Solving

Abstract

An experiment was designed to test the hypotheses that (1) disagreement in a discussion can lead either to hard feelings or to innovation depending upon the attitude of the discussion leader; and (2) acceptance will depend upon the leader's perception of disagreement as well as upon the decision reached. The test situation utilized a role-playing format in which a foreman attempted to induce three subordinates to accept a change in work methods. Measures of the negative vs. positive effects of disagreement were obtained by the frequency with which the discussion leader reported having problem employees vs. idea men in his group. The results showed that when the foreman most often reported having problem employees, solutions were least likely to be innovative and acceptance was relatively low. When the foreman perceived his subordinates as idea men, innovative solutions increased and satisfaction with the solution was greatest for all concerned, despite the fact that all persons involved had to change their initial positions. Although previous research has indicated that satisfaction is a function of influence over the decision, regardless of its quality, this experiment supplies evidence that the quality of the solution can introduce a further source of satisfaction. This occurs when a solution is one that resolves differences and integrates differing viewpoints to form a new and better product.