Society For Human Resource Management (SHRM) Certified Professional Practice Exam

In the context of the Delphi method, what is a unique feature of the approach?

1. You can get new employees to work with this

2. The key entails asking as many new questions as possible

3. This can work with as many or as few people as you wish

4. It is a group of experts hired to find answers

The correct answer is: This can work with as many or as few people as you wish

The unique feature of the Delphi method lies in its flexibility regarding the number of participants involved. This approach can effectively function with a small or larger group of experts, depending on the specific needs of the research or problem-solving task at hand. The method relies on gathering the insights of a diverse set of experts while maintaining anonymity to avoid the bias that can arise in traditional face-to-face discussions. This characteristic is significant because it allows for a tailored approach to different scenarios, enabling organizations to engage as many or as few experts as necessary to yield valuable insights. The other options, while they describe elements related to group dynamics or expert involvement, do not capture the flexible participant aspect that defines the Delphi method. For instance, the method does not primarily hinge on the involvement of new employees or the volume of questions asked, nor is it solely about hiring a group of experts. Instead, its strength comes from structuring the expert opinions in a systematic way that allows for iterative feedback and refinement.