@Colin-
I agree completely that there are times when more people are needed to generate the interaction and breadth of thinking that are needed for problems, especially those that are too complex for the current group of participants in whatever endeavor is at hand. My concern is more for who will benefit from all this interaction, and what rewards are available for those who engage in this discussion.
No, I am not an advocate of everybody getting exactly what they contribute–my concerns is more for the fact that often those who lead organizations get more rewards for such work, as they are the public face of the org. In this way, they will benefit more than the nameless contributors helping along the way. This corruption at the top, especially in corporate structures, can readily exploit the efforts of the general participants.
Jeffrey