Decision Making Theories and Factors
I work in a
local county hospital. The hospital started out as a small, single brick
building. As time went on, the hospital grew larger, with different departments
and an emergency room. They eventually built another building next to it to
serve as the family clinic. The hospital covered all of the basic needs of
patients inside and outside of the community. We offered emergency services,
physical therapy, cardiac rehab, respiratory therapy, sleep lab, a clinic with
many family physicians including a cancer care infusion center, lab and
radiology services, plus an inpatient floor, including a separate area for
obstetrics. Although we offered so much, there was always a feeling of wanting
more. The CEO was continuously asking for input from the employees and the
patients of ways that we could do more for our community. Over some years, the
idea started forming of us building on more and adding bigger and better
equipment. The remodel would also bring in visiting physicians from other
cities to help in specialty areas. The idea was to provide extended and
specialty services to the employees, community members and even those outside
of our area to prevent them from having to go to bigger cities to get the same
procedures done. The idea was amazing and made sense, but then the numbers
started flowing in. The CEO and board of directors had to decide what services
would be offered and what new departments and equipment would be involved
because it all came down to money. No matter which way the discussion went, the
amount of money needing to be spent on this project was going to be huge. Is the
idea worth the debt and is it going to provide the imagined outcomes? Once the
plans were all made up, the CEO had to decide to sign the papers or not to
complete the transaction.
The CEO
needed to decide what the possible outcomes would be. He needed to look at all
of the alternatives, risks and consequences that could be involved. “Decision-making
is usually defined as a process or sequence of activities involving stages of
problem recognition, search for information, definition of alternatives and the
selection of an actor of one from two or more alternatives consistent with the
ranked preferences” (http://www.politicalsciencenotes.com). He had to decide
how his decision would impact the hospital, the community, patients from other
towns and also all of the stakeholders involved. When leaders make decisions,
it is not just about themselves, but about everybody involved. According to
https://www.scribd.com/document/338844497/Decision-Making-Theories-and-Models-pdf, decision
and behavior may be the core characteristics of decision-making phenomena.
“They involve the process of human thought and reaction about the external
world, which include the past and possible future events and the psychological
consequences, to the decision maker, of those events” (https://www.scribd.com/document/338844497/Decision-Making-Theories-and-Models-pdf).
The CEO later confirmed that his decision would positively impact himself, the
hospital, the community and everybody else involved. They built on a brand new
surgical department, inpatient department and obstetrics department. Each
department includes brand new equipment and also the space to move in other
equipment as necessary for specialized procedures. The visiting specialty
surgeons and doctors provide services at our hospital on a weekly - monthly
basis. We now provide services at our small town hospital that nobody else
provides for miles around. Our employees and patients can access so much of
what they need right here in our small town. The CEO made a good decision and
provided patients with an ease of access, comfortable environment and a close
to home situation. With the services we provided before, we were surviving, but
with the impact of the decision made by the leader, we are now changing lives.
5. Explain how and why leaders face complex problems having to make
decisions on how technology can best serve an organization and its consumers.
If decisions to upgrade software systems must be made, how should a leader
evaluate the options? How does a leader plan a systems upgrade? Are the
Vroom-Yetton-Jago decision-making models the best method for making decisions
for a technological change? Why? How? Provide reasoning.
Leadership
and the process of decision-making have been in the works for so many years
now. Many of the ideas have stayed the same and many new ideas have also been
brought to the surface. Either way, there is nothing like the changes that
technology has brought to the world. Technology is a whole new world.
Technology brings change, impact, new ideas and also fear. Leaders may fear
technology because of the major changes that it can bring, and also because it
provides so many more alternatives, risks and consequences to consider. “In the
process, CEO, CFOs and COOs are becoming more immersed in technology decisions,
while CIOs and CTOs -- and their IT staff members as well -- are being asked to
join in on high-level decision-making teams” (www.forbes.com). According to www.forbes.com, many business leaders are
being pulled into the technology world because that is what the business world
is going to, leaders have to grasp the complexity of it all and also depend on
other executives much more now specifically in the information technology
department.
Leaders
need to evaluate several options when deciding to upgrade software, and they
can do so and plan implementation by answering certain questions and evaluating
situations. “Drawing on their long study of the difficulties managers have had
in closing this gap, the authors identify half a dozen key challenges that
managers responsible for implementing new technology must surmount: their
inescapably dual role, the variety of internal markets to be served, legitimate
resistance to change, the right degree of promotion, the choice of
implementation site, and the need for one person to take overall responsibility”
(https://hbr.org/1985/11/implementing-new-technology). Upgrading software and
introducing new technology brings more options, decisions and work for leaders.
The leader must take on a dual role as educator and implementer when it comes
to introducing new software. Leaders need to analyze the situation and decide
their role and how far they can dive in and still be an effective leader.
The
Vroom-Yetton Decision Model is the best method for making decisions for a
technological change. “The Vroom-Yetton model is designed to help you to
identify the best decision-making approach and leadership style to take, based
on your current situation” (https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_91.htm).
Not every situation is the same so it is major to have access to a model that
can form to your specific situation. Also, the Vroom-Yetton Decision Model can help
determine the most effective means of reaching a decision and provide
consistency and order to a process. It is easy to use for everybody, so all
team members can be included in the process. Also, according to https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_91.htm,
researchers have found that managers are more effective, and their teams are more productive and satisfied,
when they follow the model. When using the Vroom-Yetton Decision Model, three
factors need to be considered and those include decision quality, team
commitment and time constraints. The model framework consists of seven yes/no
questions that clearly direct the leader and the team towards a decision
because the answers to the questions lead them to a code. “This code identifies
the best decision-making process for you and your team” (https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_91.htm).
6. Managers
at every level of an organization are designated some form of legitimate power
to exert control. To be a leader, it’s not always necessary to rely on
legitimate power to assume control. Explain how you, as a leader with and
without legitimate power, can use decision-making to theories, concepts, and
models to assume control.
As a
beginner leader, without legitimate power, gaining power is a process. The
power gained comes from more than one place and that depends on the actions of
the leader. A leader begins with a certain amount of power just by being
announced as the leader. Team members relate the title to power. The leader
must gain influence to increase power. Not being able to gain influence can
decrease power. The influence must be over all team members. “Leaders must be able to influence their followers
to achieve greater performance; their superiors and peers to make important
decisions; and stake-holders to ensure the vitality of the organization”
(http://www.ccl.org). The leader must build relationships to build
trust and confidence among the group. A leader can prove himself in situations
but that process must be continuous to keep the influence and power flowing. “Through
strong communication, constant learning and the courage to pursue profitable
opportunities, a leader earns wealth, notoriety and privilege”
(http://smallbusiness.chron.com). A leader must also be looking out for his
team members, not just himself. He must get on a personal level with his team
members, show them he cares and provide the feeling that he wants them to
perform well. Team members need encouragement, rewards and knowledge from
somebody that cares about them. Power can also be gained through legitimacy.
According to www.ccl.org
there are seven sources of power for a leader, and those include the powers of
position, charisma, relationships, information, expertise, punishment, and
reward. “The top three most
frequently leveraged sources of power are: the
power of expertise, the power of information, and the power of relationships”
(http://www.ccl.org). Leaders must use their knowledge and expertise in
decision-making theories, concepts and models to assume control because that is
a proven way to do it.
A leader
can gain power through competence. Knowing and sharing information and ideas on
decision-making concepts, theories and models will help others see that the
leader fits well within the leadership role. “A leader is expected to be an
expert in his field with the ability to analyze a situation and develop several
potential solutions”
(http://smallbusiness.chron.com/ten-ways-build-credibility-leader-20954.html).
When a leader does not share knowledge and expertise the team members may feel
that they are not leading them towards their objective, and some of the
leader’s power can be lost. Some decisions may come easy, but many complex
situations will come along needing the assistance of decision-making models,
theories and concepts. It is important for a leader to keep up with their own
research and education. The leader is to know their role and keep up with the
times and complex situations. Team members expect to be guided by their leaders
through knowledge and motivation. The team members may come up with many of the
ideas and be a huge part of the final decision, but the leader is looked up to
as the final say. To gain power, a leader must provide many things to their
team members, and a big part of that is sharing knowledge on decision-making.
Knowledge is power in a leadership role.
References
odels-pdf
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