Hirokawa and Gouran state that group interaction has a positive effect on decision making. They believe that in order to arrive at high-quality solutions then the group must work together and adhere to the four functions.
First, the group members must analyze the problem, they need to take a realistic look at current conditions; they must determine the nature, extent, and probable cause of the issue at hand. Then the group must establish criteria (Goal Setting) for judging proposed solutions; without the criteria being set, it is likely that the decision will be driven by politics rather than reason. Next, the group must Identify the Alternatives; they need to come up with as many ideas to solve the problem as possible. The last of the four functions is to evaluate the positive and negative characteristics of the alternatives.
The two also stress that the order isn’t as crucial as the fact that all four functions are completed. However, they also agree that to arrive at the HIGHEST quality solution, the group will adhere to the functions in a step-by-step order.