Decision-Making Processes

ch 8 comm

normative model of decision making

stage 1: formulation, stage 2: concept development, stage 3: detailing, stage 4: evaluation, stage 5: implementation

formulation stage, the team might conduct focus group research w/ individuals in the target demographic to learn more abt their workout habits, media consumption, and likes/dislikes. concept development stage the marketing team would generate alt approaches to the campaign, perhaps involving distinct content, activity tie-ins, and media delivery. during detailing, additional research might be conducted and evaluated in terms of factors such as reach and impact. during evaluation, info gathered during detailing would be placed under intense scrutiny by the group to determine the cost effectiveness and appeal of each marketing option. in implementation, the chosen marketing campaign would b rolled out.

optimizing model

characterizes the traditional approach, where decision makers attempt to find the single best solution to an organizational problem.

satisficing process

researchers believe the satisficing process, in which the search i snot for a single optimal solution but for solution that will work well enough for dealing with the situation, is better than the optimizing model of trad approach.

optimizing vs. satisficing

optimizing is to find the single best solution, where satisficing is the solution that works well enough for the situation, not the single best solution

bounded rationality

characterizes organizational decision makers, where they attempt to make logical decisions but are limited cognitively and by the practical aspects of organizational life.

intuitive decision making

neither logical or illogical, based on past experience in similar contexts. a manager facd with a decision will consider what has worked in the past, and it depends on the decision-maker accessing the relevant chunk of information and putting it to use.

phase model of decision making

four phases: orientation (group members become acquainted with each other and with problem at hand), conflict (possible solutions to the problem presented and debated), emergence (arrive at some lvl of consensus), and reinforcement (decision will be supported).

multiple sequence model

represents the variety of decision paths taken by groups, small-group communication theory

small-group decision path types

unitary sequence path (frequency 23%), group interaction generally followed trad sequence of orientation, problem analysis, solution, reinforcement)

complex cyclic path (47%), group interaction consisted of multiple problem-solution cycles)

solution-oriented path (30%), group interaction involved no activity related to problem definition of analysis

unitary sequence path (multiple sequence model)

group interaction generally follows trad sequence of orientation, problem analysis, solution, reinforcement (23%)

complex cyclic path (multiple sequence model)

group interaction consists of multiple problem-solution cycles (47%)

solution-oriented path (multiple sequence model)

group interaction involves no activity related to problem definition of analysis (30%)

groupthink

a mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members striving for unanimity overrides their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action. there is more concern with appearing cohesive and maintaining group relations than there is with making a high-quality decision.

illusion of invulnerability

illusion of morality

stereotyping

self-censorship

ullusion of unanimity

direct pressure on dissidents

reliance on self-appointed mind guards

functional theory of group decision making

effective decision making depends on groups attending to critical functions through group communication.

the group should have correct understanding of issues to be resolved, determine minimal characteristics required in order for any alt to be acceptable, identify a relevant and realistic set of alts, carefully examine the alts in relation to each previously agreed-upon required characteristic, select the alt that is most likely to have desired characteristics.

symbolic convergence theory

considers the role of communication such as stories and jokes in creating a feeling of group identity.

bona fide groups

deals with concern of group decision making ignoring org context by studying contrived decision situations by proposing that group research considers factors such as shifting membership, permeable group boundaries, and interdependence within an org context.

affective model

based on human relations theorists, proposes that PDM (participation in decision making) is an org practice that should satisfy employee's higher-order needs. when they are met, job satisfaction should result. supporters argue that satisfied workers are more motivated and hence more productive.

PDM → satisfaction of higher order needs → work satisfaction → motivation → productivity

cognitive model

based on principled of human resources approach, proposes PDM improves the upward and downward flow of info in org. the improvement of upward info flow rests on the notion that individuals close to the work know the most abt how to accomplish the work. thus, when these individuals participate in the decision-making process, a decision is made with higher quality info. increased employee satisfaction is seen as a by-product of their participation in important org decisions.

workplace democracy

the participative ideal for organizations, workplace democracy involves realizing the standards for a democratic society in the workplace and is grounded in even more fundamental notions of free speech and human dignity. actively fosters the connection between individuals goals and feelings as well as organizational objectives, by encouraging individual contributions to important organizational choices. participatory management is both inevitable and ethically superior to authoritarian alternatives.

paradoxes of participative democracy

structure, agency, identity, power

interorganizational collaboration

can lead to tensions regarding both how contact is structured and how relationships evolve and change

synoptic knowledge

abstract representations that might be encoded in instruction manuals or expert systems

cultural knowledge

allows organizational actors to act in coordinated ways through understandings of particular sites and systems

improvisational knowledge

may be used when encountering unusual situations and must move beyond what is encoded in synoptic knowledge

knowledge management

involves identifying and harnessing intellectual assets to allow orgs to build on past experiences and create new mechanisms for exchanging and creating knowledge. involves the use of explicit knowledge that is saved in documents, systems, and programs and tacit knowledge that is held by individuals in an org. it is in argument that a successful system will allow individuals in an org to convert their tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge that can be shared and used in org decision making and operations. it will also allow org members to find ways to make the codified knowledge meaningful once it has been retrieved from org systems.