Decision-Making in Pluralist, Hierarchical and Consensus...

Decision Making Process . Introduction Robbins (1998: 103) states that decisions are choices made from two or more alternatives. Decisions are made as a reaction to a problem. That is, there is a discrepancy between the current state of affairs and some desired state requiring consideration of alternative courses of action. This however requires any person in the position where he/she must make decisions to consider some aspects regarding decision-making. This not only includes relevant information but also the application of knowledge and/or skills to use this information to realize a decision. Decision making and its processes are†¦show more content†¦Such problems deserve special treatment.† Rowe and Boulgarides (1992: 16) on the other hand categorized decisions into three: (1) Routine decisions – involves the carrying out and following of an organizations goal, prescribed policies and/or rules; (2) Creative decisions – whereby new or novel approaches are needed to handle more complex problems; and (3) Negotiated decisions – occurring in situations where conflict in goals or approaches to problem solving need to be resolved by involving participants. Decision-Making Processes in a Hierarchical Political System . Hierarchy, per Encyclopaedia Britannica’s definition, is â€Å"[†¦] a ranking of positions of authority, often associated with a chain of command and control. The term is derived from the Greek words hieros (â€Å"sacred†) and archein (â€Å"rule† or â€Å"order†).† Combining the two words, hierarchy can be termed as â€Å"a sacred rule or order†. A hierarchy tries to place mankind in a class order within a structure order, often defined by laws, customs, rules or conduct or other forms of structuring mechanism. Hierarchies are used to make decisions in rational ways, to avoid confusion, to order people around in a way that operates efficiently, and for other reasons. Hierarchy is as old as human existence on the planet earth.Show MoreRelatedOrganizational Theroy2285 Words   |  10 PagesTopic 4: Power, Resistance and Decision Making Developed by Dr. Ruth Barton Dr. Margaret Heffernan, OAM RMIT University Aims of the lecture Questions of power Hoe power works; 4 faces of power Resistance and control Types of resistance Decision making Theories of decision making; factors that enhance and limit decision making RMIT University ©2012 2 Questions of Power Who has power? How is influence achieved? What is power? Several dimensions and bases RMIT University ©2012 How is powerRead MoreSystems Thinking2595 Words   |  11 Pageschaos (which I will be using in the second part of this TMA) are perfectly illustrated by the generic diagram figure 1, appendix 1. Namely it is unbounded, lacks definition and certainty with varying emergent issues. The LGA’s organisational structure, hierarchy and number of stakeholders lend themselves to the complexity of the messy situation. Each department is evolving and growing to become the being that the organisation desires it’s a living entity much like an organism. It learns and definesRead MoreEssay The Future of Public Administration1772 Words   |  8 Pages The responsibility for policy decisions lies with the political members of the executive (those members who have been elected or appointed to give political direction to government and, customarily, career civil servants). By custom, civil servants are protected from public blame or censure for their advice. The acts of their administration may, however, be subject to special judicial controls from which no member of the executive can defend them. Structure of civil service Civil servicesRead MorePower, Politics, And Decision Making2144 Words   |  9 Pagescapacity (to dominate or resist) located in social structures. It demonstrates that power is one of the key things in both society and organisation. This essay aims to evaluate three main perspectives on power, and to indicate how can it be used and distributed in different approaches in modern organisations. Firstly, three major power views will be briefly introduced to display their features. Next, the sources of power, politics, and decision-making will be presented before discussing three main conceptsRead MoreThe Management of Organizational Culture3951 Words   |  16 Pageshelping them to interpret and interact with the world in which they find themselves. Australian ‘mateship’ behaviour, for example, served early male white settlers in a harsh and sparsely populated world much better than the maintenance of the hierarchical class distinctions typical of the world from which the y had come. From such new, adaptive patterns of behaviour arise new beliefs, such as a belief in egalitarianism. These new behaviours, values and beliefs, together with the associated ritualsRead MoreHuman Resource Management, Industrial Relations and Achieving Management Objectives11312 Words   |  46 Pagesemployees are kept at armslength.8 HRM strategies may be influenced by the decisions taken on strategy (the nature of the business currently and in the future) and by the structure of the enterprise (the manner in which the enterprise is structured or organized to meet its objectives)9. In an enterprise with effective HRM policies and practices, the decisions on HRM are also strategic decisions influenced by strategy and structure, and by external factors such as trade unions, the labour market situationRead MoreHofstede: Cultures and Organizations - Software of the Mind Culture as Mental Programming9246 Words   |  37 Pagesprevious paragraphs. Not only those activities sup posed to refine the mind are included in culture two, but also the ordinary and menial things in life: greeting, eating, showing or not showing feelings, keeping a certain physical distance from others, making love, or maintaining body hygiene. CULTURE It is the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another. It is a collective phenomenon, because it is at least partly shared with peopleRead MoreRole of Hr in Organization10279 Words   |  42 Pagesstrategic roles have not replaced traditional approaches but, rather, have been grafted on, giving rise to a variety of hybrid HR forms. 2 Continuity and Change: The Role of the HR Function in the Modern Public Sector Introduction The reform of structures, systems and processes within public services over the past 20 years has been well documented at an international level (Massey and Pyper, 2005; Boyne et al., 2004; Skalen, 2004; Harel and Tzafrir, 2002; Kessler et al., 2000; Bach and della RoccaRead MoreRole of Communication Employee Involvement in the Process of an Organizational Change23165 Words   |  93 Pages1. INTRODUCTION amp; BACKGROUND 1.1. Introduction Change, in general, indicates any act of making something different. The factors that necessitate change in organizations are broadly categorized into people, technology, information processing and communication, and competition. Some changes in the organization occur suddenly without the conscious efforts of the people. These are called unplanned changes. On the other hand, some changes are initiated by the management to accomplish certain goalsRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pages analyzing and exploring organization theory the book increases the understanding of a field that in recent years has become ever more fragmented. Organization theory is central to managing, organizing and reflecting on both formal and informal structures, and in this respect you will find this book timely, interesting and valuable. Peter Holdt Christensen, Associate Professor, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark McAuley et al.’s book is thought-provoking, witty and highly re levant for understanding