scholarly journals Symbolic Management of Process

2020 ◽  
pp. 42-76
Author(s):  
James Westphal ◽  
Sun Hyun Park
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Impression Management ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Strategic Decision Making ◽  
Symbolic Management ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Strategic Advice ◽  
Actual Decision

In this chapter we examine the symbolic management of social processes in firm leadership and governance. We explain how firm leaders engage in verbal impression management about their strategic advice network, and how such communication is decoupled from their actual advice-seeking behavior. We go on to describe how firms gain legitimacy by adopting participative strategic decision-making programs that ostensibly use cutting-edge information technology to solicit input, despite decoupling the programs from actual strategic decision making. We then consider how and when firms manage impressions about the diversity and inclusiveness of firm leadership, and how such rhetoric may also be decoupled from actual decision-making processes. We conclude that the symbolic management of social and organizational processes in firm leadership is among the most efficient and effective means of increasing the legitimacy of firm governance and strategy.

Seeking input when the train has left the station: The decoupling of participative strategic decision-making processes and the role of new technology in symbolic management

2021 ◽  
pp. 147612702110468
Author(s):  
James D Westphal ◽  
David H Zhu ◽  
Rajyalakshmi Kunapuli
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Strategic Decision Making ◽  
Strategic Option ◽  
Symbolic Management ◽  
Longitudinal Survey Data ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Executive Suite

We examine the symbolic management of participative strategic decision-making programs that purportedly use crowdsourcing technology to solicit strategic input below the executive suite, but are often decoupled from actual strategic decision making. Specifically, top management may decide on a strategic option before soliciting input under the program. The first portion of our theoretical framework explains why disclosure of a participative strategic decision making program in communicating with security analysts is associated with more positive analyst appraisals, despite decoupling, and why the benefits of disclosure are amplified to the extent that leaders highlight the use of crowdsourcing technology in the program. The second portion of our framework addresses the antecedents of symbolic adoption. We suggest that firms are more likely to adopt and decouple a program when the CEO has a personal friendship tie to the CEO of another firm that has adopted and decoupled, especially following relatively negative analyst appraisals. Analysis of a unique dataset that includes longitudinal survey data from executives supported our predictions.

scholarly journals Analysis of Customers’ Reactions to E-Commerce Companies Using Instagram Data

Proceedings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 12
Author(s):  
Ekin Akkol
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Web Application ◽  
Customer Relations ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Strategic Decision Making ◽  
Stock Management ◽  
Decision Making Processes

The aim of this study is to develop a web application that supports decision-making processes on subjects—such as customer relations management, marketing, and stock management—with data such as posts, comments, and likes from Instagram to four e-commerce companies. In this context, the data obtained from the Instagram accounts of e-commerce companies were recorded in a database after the pre-processing and classification stages. A web application has been developed that can support managers in their decision-making processes at operational, tactical, and strategic decision-making levels by visualizing the data recorded in the database.

Strategic decision-making processes in internationalization: Does national culture of the focal firm matter?

2011 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 194-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pavlos Dimitratos ◽  
Andreas Petrou ◽  
Emmanuella Plakoyiannaki ◽  
Jeffrey E. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
National Culture ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Strategic Decision Making ◽  
Focal Firm ◽  
Decision Making Processes

Examining the Implications of Process and Choice for Strategic Decision Making Effectiveness

2013 ◽  
pp. 344-359
Author(s):  
Paul L. Drnevich ◽  
Thomas H. Brush ◽  
Alok Chaturvedi
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Decision Processes ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Strategic Decision Making ◽  
Political Decision ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Response Choice ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Using Data

Most strategic decision-making (SDM) approaches advocate the importance of decision-making processes and response choices for obtaining effective outcomes. Modern decision-making support system (DMSS) technology is often also needed for complex SDM, with recent research calling for more integrative DMSS approaches. However, scholars tend to take disintegrated approaches and disagree on whether rational or political decision-making processes result in more effective decision outcomes. In this study, the authors examine these issues by first exploring some of the competing theoretical arguments for the process-choice-effectiveness relationship, and then test these relationships empirically using data from a crisis response training exercise using an intelligent agent-based DMSS. In contrast to prior research, findings indicate that rational decision processes are not effective in crisis contexts, and that political decision processes may negatively influence both response choice and decision effectiveness. These results offer empirical evidence to confirm prior unsupported arguments that response choice is an important mediating factor between the decision-making process and its effectiveness. The authors conclude with a discussion of the implications of these findings and the application of agent-based simulation DMSS technologies for academic research and practice.

Strategic decision-making

2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satyanarayana Parayitam ◽  
Chris Papenhausen
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Conflict Management ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Strategic Decision Making ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Decision Outcomes ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the effect of cooperative conflict management on agreement-seeking behavior, agreement-seeking behavior on decision outcomes, moderating role of competence-based trust on the relationship between agreement-seeking behavior and decision outcomes, and mediating role of agreement-seeking behavior between cooperative conflict management and decision outcomes. Design/methodology/approach Using a structured survey instrument, this paper gathered data from 348 students enrolled in a strategic management capstone course that features strategic decision-making in a simulated business strategy game. The data from 94 teams were collected from the student population using a carefully administered instrument. The data were aggregated after running the inter-rater agreement test and the analyzed to test the hypotheses. Findings The results from the hierarchical regression of the complex moderated mediation model reveal that cooperative conflict management is positively related to agreement-seeking behavior, and agreement-seeking behavior mediates the relationship between cooperative conflict management and decision outcomes. The results also suggest that competence-based trust acts as a moderator in the relationship between agreement-seeking behavior and decision quality; agreement-seeking behavior and team effectiveness, and agreement-seeking behavior and decision commitment. Results also support mediation of agreement-seeking behavior between cooperative conflict management and decision outcomes. Research limitations/implications The present research is based on self-report measures, and hence, the limitations of social desirability bias and common method bias are inherent. However, adequate care is taken to minimize these limitations. The research has implications for the strategic decision-making process literature. Practical implications In addition to the strategic management literature, this study contributes to practicing managers. The study suggests that competence-based trust plays a vital role in decision effectiveness. Administrators need to select the members in the decision-making process who have competence-based trust on one another and engage in agreement-seeking behavior. Social implications The findings from the study help in creating a fruitful social environment in organizations. Originality/value This study provides new insights about the previously unknown effects of cooperative conflict management and agreement-seeking behavior in strategic decision-making process.

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