5-8 pages research paper

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Chapter 8

Rational Models of Decision Making  Five stages

 Formulation

 Concept development

 Detailing

 Evaluation

 Implementation

Alternatives to Rational Models  Optimizing model not good representation

 More realistic to look at decision making as satisficing process

 Decision makers characterized by bounded rationality

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Alternatives to Rational Models  Decision making can be attributed to

intuitive processes of managers

 Often make decisions without conscious knowledge of how decisions made

 Intuitive decision making not logical but not illogical

 Based on past experience in similar contexts – analogical

Descriptive Models  Fisher’s phase model

 Orientation

 Conflict

 Emergence

 Reinforcement

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Effective Small-Group Decision Making  Janis – Groupthink

 Mode of thinking when group members’ striving for unanimity overrides motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action

 Examples of groupthink (including one

about students) at: http://www.squidoo.com/group_think

Effective Small-Group Decision Making  Decision fiascoes might also be attributed

to tendency of groups to make more extreme decisions

 Low-quality decisions can results from:

 Improper assessment,

 Flawed information base

 Faulty reasoning

Effective Small-Group Decision Making  Group’s manner of dealing with conflict can

influence decision quality

 Groups that worked through conflicts in collaborative and integrative ways made more effective decisions

 Need to be consciously aware of the

communication rules to be followed

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Effective Small-Group Decision Making  Functional Theory of Group Decision

Making

 Correct understanding of issues

 Determine minimal characteristics

 Identify relevant alternatives

 Examine alternatives

 Select best alternative

Beyond Rational Group Processes  Critiques against rational approaches

 Overly concerned with task function

 Ignore socio-emotional and relational aspects

 Symbolic convergence theory considers role of communication in group identity

 Critiqued because ignore context by studying contrived situations

 Bone fide groups perspective

Effects of Participation in Decision Making  PDM – participation in decision making

 Cognitive effects include enhanced use of information from wide range of members

 Behavioral impacts include improved productivity and increase in

effectiveness of decisions

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Evidence for Models of Participation  Affective model

 Research finding link between perceptions of participation and satisfaction

 Participative climate

 Cognitive model

 Research linking participation with productivity increases and organizational knowledge

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Workplace Democracy  Seibold and Shea –participation programs

and their effectiveness

 Collins – from economic and political standpoint, participatory management is inevitable and ethically superior

 Collaboration among multiple stakeholders

Communication and Organizational Knowledge  Organizational knowledge

 Synoptic knowledge

 Cultural knowledge

 Improvisational knowledge

 Information-based knowledge management

 Interaction-based knowledge management

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Knowledge Management Systems  Iverson and McPhee – two approaches to

knowledge management processes

 Information-based knowledge management

 Information-based knowledge management