Conclusion
Decision-making is important, not only in organizations, but in everyday life. Decisions are made on a daily basis, some which carry more weight than others, but it is imperative that leaders understand that the decisions made have an effect on individuals, and so there must be accountability for all those involved.
A review of this chapter’s major conclusions, include:
- Decision-making is thinking through a process and coming to a consensus. Within organizations, decision-making affects stakeholders (i.e. vendors, customers, employees, shareholders etc.).
- Hopefully, leaders choose the best decision out of a set of good options, or attempt to reduce harm from a set of bad options. This is ethical decision-making, so it is not enough to pick just one option, or two options.
- The style is dependent on the problem (structured, unstructured, and crisis). Using the best style that fits the specific problem will render the best results. One tool that can be used within decision-making styles is the role of delegation.
- Barriers of bounded rationality, escalation of commitment, time constraints, uncertainty, biases, and conflict can be detrimental to the decision-making process. Being knowledgeable about situations and using that knowledge can help remove barriers.
- Teamwork, for the most part is beneficial, depending on the power dynamic. If too much power is presented, that needs to be evened out to ensure a full collaborative nature.
The building of the decision-making process in groups will be explored in Chapter 9. Teams, teamwork, and collaboration will be examined. The understanding of how collaboration works within a learning organization, and some effective learning theories associated with collaboration and teamwork will be explored.
