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Rules for Reaching Consensus: A Modern Approach to Decision Making

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Hierarchical organizations are declining rapidly, and so are their top-down management styles. Emerging in their place are diffused structures that draw their strengths from the fact that the value of economic activities nowadays depends on knowledge. As human capital knowledge is diverse and multidimensional. There is a need for finding out ways to manage knowledge-driven activities, i.e., "solo decision-making is giving way to collective decision making" (p. xi). This implies that the importance of intra- and intergroup consensus is on the rise.

This book tells us that the process leading up to consensus has three steps: (a) understanding the proposal for collective bargaining; (b) resolving issues of mutual concern; and (c) closing the deals. Preceding these steps are preconsensus preparations involving the determination of group membership, understanding the nature of consensus, agreeing to the purpose, values and authority for settling disputes, and setting standards for interpersonal behavior and their appropriate consequences. The objective of the book is to describe all that, and it does it well.

The discussion follows six chapters. The first 3 chapters distinguish collective decision making from conventional decision making. The fourth chapter is a how-to outline of consensus building and maintenance. Chapters 5 and 6 explore techniques that people charge with facilitating and managing consensus can follow.
The book is of an uneven depth, but its breadth is very good. I highly recommend it.

Amavilah, Author

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