Rational political decision making ⭐
Decision making biases
Rational
Strategic decisions
lack pre-existing procedures
require a significant investment in information gathering
discussion and reflection
how the decision relates to the organisation’s overall
purpose
faith in managers’ ability to analyse a situation dispassionately
principle here being that a rational decision is always more effective
Simon
Bounded rationaility
satisficing
people make decisions on information which is incomplete or even erroneous
consequences cannot be anticipated, assessed and valued with absolute accuracy
people employ methods for problem solving as rules of thumb (or
‘heuristics’) to simplify decisions in complex environments
not all possible alternatives are considered.
Rather than finding all alternatives - individuals seek out the best alternative from those that are available to them
select the first alternative that satisfies their aspirations
💥 FK buying equipment
Gore et al. decision making model
helps provide an overall structure to map and thus manage
complicated processes.
sequential
recognises the existence of bounded rationality and
satisficing - seeks to reduce impact
Weakneses
Not realistic
Limited evidence of rational process improving decision making quality
Assumes spirit of cooperation
Benefits
Improves on economic rationaility does not assume the existence of perfect information or the ability to calculate perfectly the outcomes of every alternative
Political - Pettigrew
marked more by conflict than by consensus
treats organisations as social systems of individuals with an unequal distribution of:
power
desired future for organisation
network of subtle relationships
process of coalition building, influence, discussion and lobbying to convince about existing preference
💥 pricing committee
preferences are set beforehand and are often in conflict, and the process concerns getting a preference chosen
Contrasts
conceptualisation of groups and group decision making
political approach sees analysis and information as a tool in the
political player’s armoury;
Rational: the group simply selects
the alternative that delivers the best outcome for the organisation
preference formation and discussion
rational model are tasked with providing the
best outcome for the organisation
political model starts with a vision of
competing preferences
implications for practice
design a strategic decisionmaking
process to
defuse
Harness
engage in creative conflict
politics are a positive, conflict-driven phenomenon or a power driven process
Sense-making
meaning is produced and reproduced
social identities are performed, constructed and altered
decisions and alternatives operate within broader
power relations
💥 In my personal work experience, Mrs X was promoted to manager of both supply chain and production departments. During scheduling meetings involving members of both teams, she was conscious of using language and terms that emphasised the co-dependence of these departments to avoid unproductive conflict, shifting focus to common goals. Also by playing up her lack of experience in the technical detail of each department, she avoided becoming associated with one rather than the other, able to play a middle ground and ensure she wasn’t considered part of the either department rather than equally both