ABSTRACT
Organisations often give the responsibility for analysing a situation and coming to a decision to a team rather than to an individual. However, if a team wants to benefit from the rich information, expertise, and perspectives members have available, and ideas will need to be shared and integrated. The extent to which teams process information depends on two types of motivation. The first is cognitive motivation that determines how much effort the group wants to spend on achieving a thorough understanding of the situation at hand. The second is social motivation, which reflects the individual preference for an outcome favourable to oneself versus to other group members. Team members may differ in their level of cognitive and social motivation, and the interplay between both has a large impact on the dynamics of group interaction. A lack of cognitive motivation, for instance, might mean that differences of opinions never become manifest, or if they do, are downplayed. Motivation sets the stage for cognitive and interpersonal conflict. Managing these conflicts is key to ensuring effective team decision making. While this is a constant challenge in any team decision, it becomes especially difficult when working on complex decisions.
