ABSTRACT

Models of group problem solving must reflect the emerging, and often disquieting, realities of the modern workplace. This brave new world of work is uncertain, political, and dynamic. Often, peers lead peers, the traditional hierarchy has no meaning, the implicit psychological contract between workers and organizations has been nullified, and measures of group effectiveness are multiple and sometimes conflicting. Simple deterministic models of group problem-solving processes, however appealing, cannot begin to capture the richness of group processes in these boundaryless, stressful, turbulent times.