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The Blackwell Encyclopedic Dictionary of Organizational Behavior

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HENRY P. SIMS JR.<br />

Delphi<br />

<strong>The</strong> Delphi group format continues to be an important technique by which a wide array <strong>of</strong> expert<br />

opinion can be generated to maximize the range <strong>of</strong> alternative solutions to issues and problems. In the<br />

Delphi group format to DECISION MAKING, experts typically respond to questionnaires about issues<br />

and problems, which is then used to generate multiple expert opinions, without the need for face-to-face<br />

contact. Of course, the lack <strong>of</strong> face-to-face contact reduces the possibility <strong>of</strong> interactive discussion and<br />

challenge, but Delphi groups can be adapted to enable the experts to react to a second round <strong>of</strong> opinion,<br />

in response to the expert input from the first round.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Delphi group technique for GROUP DECISION MAKING was originally developed by the Rand<br />

Corporation for the United States' Air Force in the 1950s. It has since been adapted in business<br />

organizations as an effective alternative to traditional methods <strong>of</strong> decision making, especially in relation<br />

to complex and long-term issues, problems, and concerns (Tompkins, 1985). An example would be to<br />

use the Delphi technique to gather the opinions <strong>of</strong> experts around the world about economic growth and<br />

political conditions over the next 10 years, with the aim being better prepared for conditions which<br />

might be substantially different from the present and require a substantially different organizational<br />

response.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Delphi group technique for decision making continues to serve business and governmental<br />

organizations alike in a way that other<br />

file:///C|/downloadnetlibrary/www.netlibrary.com.ezpro...eader/nlReader.dll@BookID=48684&FileName=Page_134.html (2 <strong>of</strong> 2) [2008-04-01 02:07:06]

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