Decision rules and the search for a dominance structure: Towards a process model of decision making.

1981 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry Montgomery
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Decision Rules ◽  
Dominance Structure

An Exploration of Five Stages in Faculty Retirement Decision Making

2020 ◽  
pp. 193672442098298
Author(s):  
Beverlee B. Anderson ◽  
Jennifer Jeffries ◽  
Janet McDaniel
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Decision Process ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Working Life ◽  
Substantial Portion ◽  
Retirement Decision ◽  
Faculty Retirement ◽  
Cognitive Decision

Humans make thousands of decisions each day. Most of the decisions we make are trivial or relatively unimportant in possible consequences. However, there are a few decisions we make in life that are lifechanging; one of those is the decision to retire from the professoriate. Voluntarily deciding to leave a profession where one has spent a substantial portion of one’s working life is one of life’s major decisions. This qualitative research looks at the various influences, actions, and feelings through the process of deciding to retire. Using a five-stage cognitive decision-process model as a framework, this paper reports on the reflections of 20 recent retirees over the five stages of the decision process from when first seriously considering the decision to postretirement activities and feelings. The results show that while all faculty progressed through the five stages, the timeframe, influences, feelings, and actions were unique to each individual.

The role of agency in project initiation decisions

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 518-535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Mullaly
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Decision Rules ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Organizational Dynamics ◽  
Substantive Theory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Board Level

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of decision rules and agency in supporting project initiation decisions, and the influences of agency on decision-making effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach – The study this paper is based upon used grounded theory methodology, and sought to understand the influences of individual decision makers on project initiation decisions within organizations. Data collection involved 28 participants who were involved in project initiation decisions within their organizations, who discussed the process of project initiation in their organization and their role within that process. Findings – The study demonstrates that the overall effectiveness of project initiation decisions is a product of agency, process effectiveness or rule effectiveness. The employment of agency can have a direct influence on decision-making effectiveness, it can compensate for organizational inadequacies of a process or political nature, and it can be constrained in the evidence of formal and effective organizational practices. Research limitations/implications – While agency was recognized by all participants, there are clearly circumstances where actors perceive the ability to exercise agency to be externally constrained. The study is exploratory, contributing to the development of substantive theory. Theory testing as well as a more in-depth investigation of the underlying drivers of agency would be valuable. Practical implications – The study provides executives and individuals supporting the initiation of projects with insights on how to effectively influence the effectiveness of project initiation decisions, and the degree to which personal characteristics influence organizational dynamics. Originality/value – Most discussions of agency has been framed the subject as an executive- or board-level phenomenon. The current study demonstrates that agency is in fact being perceived and operationalized at all levels. Those demonstrating agency in the majority of instances in this study do so in exercising stewardship behaviours. This has important implications for how agency is perceived by executives, and by how agency is exercised by actors at all levels of the organization.

Decision rules, escalation of commitment and sensitivity to framing in group decision-making

2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (7) ◽  
pp. 1649-1668 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petru Lucian Curseu ◽  
Sandra G. L. Schruijer ◽  
Oana Catalina Fodor
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Decision Rule ◽  
Group Decision Making ◽  
Group Decision ◽  
Decision Rules ◽  
Escalation Of Commitment ◽  
Group Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Collaborative Decision

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to test the influence of collaborative and consultative decision rules on groups’ sensitivity to framing effect (FE) and escalation of commitment (EOC). Design/methodology/approach – In an experimental study (using a sample of 233 professionals with project management experience), the authors test the effects of collaborative and consultative decision rules on groups’ sensitivity to EOC and FE. The authors use four group decision-making tasks to evaluate decision consistency across gain/loss framed decision situations and six decision tasks to evaluate EOC for money as well as time as resources previously invested in the initial decisions. Findings – The results show that the collaborative decision rule increases sensitivity to EOC when financial resources are involved and decreases sensitivity to EOC when time is of essence. Moreover, the authors show that the collaborative decision rule decreases sensitivity to FE in group decision making. Research limitations/implications – The results have important implications for group rationality as an emergent group level competence by extending the insights concerning the impact of decision rules on emergent group level cognitive competencies. Due to the experimental nature of the design, the authors can probe the causal relations between the investigated variables, yet the authors cannot generalize the results to other settings. Practical implications – Managers can use the insights of this study in order to optimize the functioning of decision-making groups and to reduce their sensitivity to FEs and EOC. Originality/value – The study extends the research on group rationality and it is one of the few experimental attempts used to understand the role of decision rules on emergent group level rationality.

scholarly journals An analysis of systemic thinking in decision-making processes in the municipalities within the province of KwaZulu-Natal

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 531-547
Author(s):  
Mbuyiseni Goodlife Ntuli ◽  
Lawrence Mpela Lekhanya
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Rational Decision ◽  
Systemic Thinking ◽  
Rational Decision Making ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Decision Making Model

This paper advocates the adoption of systemic thinking in decision-making processes in municipalities. Most importantly, in this epoch of managing in complex and thought-provoking business environment, decision making is one of the most important skills required by any manager to remain effective. The success of a municipality or any business hinges on how well decisions are taken and implemented. In this paper, I intend to scrutinize decision making processes at strategic management levels in the municipalities within the province of KwaZulu-Natal. In doing that, a mixed method approach of qualitative and quantitative techniques was adopted in gathering data from sixty-one municipalities within the province of KwaZulu-Natal. This was done in order to substantiate theoretical perspectives from different erudite scholars on the discourse of systemic thinking in decision making processes. This notion of systemic thinking is coined upon the universally used rational decision making process model. Thus, the conceptualization of rational decision-making model was also considered in this paper, the possibility of decision failure, the complexity of the municipality, and systemic thinking as the recommended option of dealing with complexity was explored. The results indicates that the theory that underpins the adoption of systemic thinking in dealing with complexity today’s business environment is relevant.

scholarly journals Decision-making competence in younger and older adults: which cognitive abilities contribute to the application of decision rules?

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 174-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessia Rosi ◽  
Wändi Bruine de Bruin ◽  
Fabio Del Missier ◽  
Elena Cavallini ◽  
Riccardo Russo
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Decision Rules
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