I will answer each question one at a time:

1. All of these factors effect the group dynamic. It could effect how well the group trust the other members in the group, and the degree to which group members get along. There are always politics when groups are formed, especially if the group has members from different departments. Politics such as who will be the "leader" of the group, when the group should meet, how much work each member of the group should do will influence how well everyone gets along. If different members have different opinions (views of these politics) then there will be conflict.

As well, everyone has different pre-existing preferences, which could be due to the training they received, or even their individual differences. Thus, people want to do things in different ways, which might create conflict in the group. One person might want to take time to plan things out, while another might want to think and act quickly.

Power is also an issue, since one person will always have the power in the group, and it could be a struggle amongst members as to who has the power. People might concentrate more on trying to gain power rather then trying to complete the work.

2. The effect of these factor could be an interference with the work that the group needs to perform. As stated above, a power struggle means that people concentrate more on who has the power rather then the work. Pre-existing preferences means that the group needs to adapt to everyone's working habits and styles before real work can get down. Politics creates conflicts, struggles, boundaries and rules which slows down the working process.

3.These factors are present and must be acknowledge before hand. Perhaps before the group starts working, they could set ground rules in which the group cohesively decides when they will work, how much work they must prepare in advance, and what the ground rules will be. People must also be sensitive to others and acknowledge that not everyone thinks and acts like they do, thus, they have to be open to others. Perhaps they will be surprised by the insight that a person with a different way of working can provide to the group. The hardest issue would be power. There will always be a power struggle in a group especially when the group is first formed. It will happen if 2 dominant people both want to gain power of the group. It would be best for everyone in the group to understand that all members are equal, and they are there for a common goal - to work together to produce a common goal - successful completion of the work. If everyone has that in their minds, perhaps less of a power struggle will emerge.

3. Steps involved in group decision making:
What are the actual steps in a decision made by a group?
1. Identify the Problem. The group thinks about the problem, goal, case or situation that they are working on.
2. Clarify the Problem. This step is most important when working with a group of people. If the problem is not adequately clarified so that everyone views it the same, the result will be that people will offer solutions to different problems.
3. Solicit Alternative Solutions To the Problem. All members of the group work together to come up with solutions. They could use brainstorming, idea webs, free flow discussions....
4.. Selecting One or More Alternatives for Action. The group assesses all of the solutions and then as a team comes up with the best solution
5. Implementation - the team then works together on taking the theoretical solution and converting it to a practical solution.