scholarly journals Majority Decision-Making Works Best Under Conditions of Leadership Ambiguity and Shared Task Representations

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michaéla C. Schippers ◽  
Diana C. Rus
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Decision Rules ◽  
Business Simulation ◽  
Shared Task ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Majority Decision ◽  
Shared Task Representations ◽  
Task Representations ◽  
Positive Effect

The effectiveness of decision-making teams depends largely on their ability to integrate and make sense of information. Consequently, teams which more often use majority decision-making may make better quality decisions, but particularly so when they also have task representations which emphasize the elaboration of information relevant to the decision, in the absence of clear leadership. In the present study we propose that (a) majority decision-making will be more effective when task representations are shared, and that (b) this positive effect will be more pronounced when leadership ambiguity (i.e., team members’ perceptions of the absence of a clear leader) is high. These hypotheses were put to the test using a sample comprising 81 teams competing in a complex business simulation for seven weeks. As predicted, majority decision-making was more effective when task representations were shared, and this positive effect was more pronounced when there was leadership ambiguity. The findings extend and nuance earlier research on decision rules, the role of shared task representations, and leadership clarity.

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.

Affective antecedents of intuitive decision making

2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 382-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Sinclair ◽  
Neal M. Ashkanasy ◽  
Prithviraj Chattopadhyay
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Negative Mood ◽  
Emotional Awareness ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Intuitive Process ◽  
Affective Traits ◽  
Managerial Decisions ◽  
Intuitive Decision Making ◽  
Positive Effect

AbstractAlthough the use of intuition in managerial decisions has been documented, many questions about the intuitive process and its antecedent stages remain unanswered, in particular the role of affective traits and states. The study reported in this article investigates whether decision makers who are more attuned to own emotions and experience a particular mood have an easier access to intuition. Our findings indicate that emotional awareness has indeed a positive effect on the use of intuition, which appears to be stronger for women. Surprisingly, positive and negative mood seem to influence intuition according to their intensity rather than positive/negative distinction.

scholarly journals The ‘Trio Presidency’ of the Council of the European Union: Towards More Continuity?

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ele Raik
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Political Will ◽  
Formal Tool ◽  
Main Factors ◽  
Council Presidency ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Over Time

AbstractThis article addresses the Council presidency trio mechanism codified in the Lisbon Treaty with a particular focus on the continuity question in the Council's decision-making framework. The aim of the article is to explore the effect of the formalised trio programme on continuity in the Council's decision-making process. To this end, the article looks at how the trio mechanism has evolved over time and how it functions in practice.While some analysts have been sceptical about the usefulness of the trio programme, these findings demonstrate that the launch of this institutional tool has improved the continuity in the Council's decision-making process. The positive effect on continuity results from three main factors-the trio programme as a formal tool in the Council's institutional tool-kit; the existence of political will among the presidencies to cooperate; and, lastly, the guiding role of the Council Secretariat. The article presents evidence gathered by tracing the preparations of joint trio programmes from 2007 to 2012.

scholarly journals Social capital and knowledge sharing in academic research teams

2017 ◽  
Vol 85 (1) ◽  
pp. 191-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola García-Sánchez ◽  
Nieves L. Díaz-Díaz ◽  
Petra De Saá-Pérez
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Research Teams ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Positive Effect

The purpose of this article is to analyse the role of social capital within academic research teams and its influence on knowledge sharing. An empirical study was carried out with 87 academic research teams at a Spanish university. The results show that internal ties have a positive effect on trust. Moreover, the results also reflect that both dimensions of social capital (internal ties and trust) have a positive and significant effect on research teams’ knowledge sharing. Therefore, the findings reveal that the network’s structure has a positive influence on the quality of relationships among academic researchers that favour knowledge sharing. Points for practitioners The results provide universities’ managers with a better understanding of internal social capital in academic research teams, which has important implications for researchers’ willingness to collaborate and share knowledge. Public university managers may use strategies to improve interdependence among research team members, favouring social relations among researchers. Thus, public universities should enhance research teams with stronger ties and high levels of trust that increase knowledge sharing.

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