Winning the Competitive Edge through Cooperative Group Interaction -- It Depends on the Task

Our conventional wisdom contains several adages that deal with the relative capabilities of groups and individuals. Sayings such as "Too many cooks spoil the broth" and "Two heads are better than one" reflect the diversity of opinion that characterizes present positions. Across time, one of the most frequently asked questions is "Which is better at performing tasks--groups or individuals?". This paper reviews theory and research relevant to one specific element of this question, task structure. Additional elements of group structure and reward systems are related to the task structure content. __________