In the previous module we about learned about group decision-making techniques as well as some of the advantages and disadvantages of group decision making. Organizational leaders are paid to make tough decisions, but as you learned in the last module it is not always best for leaders to make decisions by themselves, and there are advantages to consulting your employees. However, leaders unavoidably face situations where they have to make a decision on their own.
So when should leaders make decisions on their own and when should they use a group decision-making approach? The answer is not so clear-cut, but fortunately some prominent leadership researchers have developed a tool to help leaders decide what kind of decision-making style to use based on the situation they face.
Yale management professor Victor Vroom along with his colleague Philip Yetton classify decision-making styles into three categories. The first is autocratic, which means the leader makes the decision on her own without consulting her employees. The second is consultative, meaning the leader seeks the opinions of employees before making the decision but still makes the decision he thinks is best regardless of what advice is given. Finally, there is the group-based style. In this case, the leader not only consults employees on the decision but also accepts the decision of the group.
Vroom and Yetton go beyond simply classifying decision-making styles but also provide a tool for choosing your style. To decide on what kind of decision-making style to use, they recommend analyzing the decision based on the following questions (taken from Vroom [1976]):
1. Does the problem possess a quality requirement?
2. Do I have sufficient information to make a high-quality decision?
3. Is the problem structured?
4. Is acceptance of the decision by subordinates important for effective implementation?
5. If I make the decision myself, am I reasonably certain that it would be accepted by my subordinates?
6. Do subordinates share the organizational goals to be attained in solving this problem?
7. Is conflict among the subordinates likely in preferred solutions?
Based on these questions, one can follow a diagram that will lead to the recommended decision-making style. Don’t be intimidated by the diagram that is presented in required readings for this module. Most importantly, make sure to read all of the required readings and make sure you understand the types of decision-making styles and how to apply the seven questions to a specific decision.
Background
Module 4 – Backgrou
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