Mindles Dreck has a more detailed explanation of the "committee effect," and an example as applied to major technology projects. Sounds right on to me.

Not the least benefit committees bestow on their members is unaccountability. "Every snowflake in an avanlanche pleads not guilty", as Stanislaw Lec said.

A well spoken piece, but over 20 years ago,
I posited "Bahn's Law of Group Intelligence:
The intelligence of any group maybe described
as GIQ = (2xSigma(iq(n))+1/N**2. What this
describes is that large groups lose intelligence
at an asymptotic rate, while still accounting
for the fact that 2 heads are better then one.

to a first order of course one can posit this
sigma(IQ(n))/n**2, but to be more precise
I believe the first equation to be correct.

Hence, no matter how bright the members, when
placed in committee, they become dull.
I am a little uncertain how to describe the
fact that simple units in committee become bright.
perhaps it is a boundary value function.