Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

Life presents many tasks that can be performed by either individuals working alone or by small groups (teams) working collaboratively. Sarah can buy a car by herself. Or she can take her husband Frank with her; they can both kick tires, compare features, and collectively pick a car to buy. Jim can work crossword puzzles by himself but enjoys it more when his date does them with him. Hiring and promotions decisions can be made by the boss, or she can delegate these decisions to a personnel committee. Tasks that can, quite naturally, be completed alone or together present an intriguing set of theoretical and applied issues. For example, Sarah and Frank may buy a different car than either of them would buy acting alone. This unexpected joint decision may arise because Sarah and Frank prefer different cars and compromise on one that neither prefers. Or it could be that they go about making the joint decision quite differently than they would have made individual decisions. The presence of Frank may remind Sarah that he and his St. Bernard occasionally ride with her. The salience of this consideration in the presence of Frank may result in her never test-driving the sports car that would have captured her heart. One also wonders how Jim and his date would fare on the New York Times crossword puzzle. Would they complete more of the puzzle than Jim could working alone? On the one hand, ... log in or subscribe to read full text