A better approach to decision making is obviously required by many organizations as they contemplate the demands of the future.
Leadership style will vary between the extremes of task and relationships orientations, between authoritarian leadership and participative management, and between directive leadership and group decision-making (Morath, pp. 75-80). The administrator who is completely task oriented will likely make change implementation decisions which are geared to getting the job done. Such decisions will tend to concentrate on the economic use of material and human resources, regardless of any socio-psychological impact such decisions may have on the individual members of an organization. Conversely, the leader who is completely relationships oriented will likely make decisions which, while they avoid organizational conflict development, will often immobilize the organization from an economic perspective.
The most successful administrators give consideration to both economic and social factors in decision-making (McNerney, 1988, pp. 126-129). The balance between these two sets of values will vary between organizations, and will vary within organizations over time. This balance depends upon the prevailing situation at any particular point in time. Much of the contemporary research in decision making theory and practice emphasizes the complex and often conflicting value structures that must be incorporated into decision making approaches (Cray, Mallory, Butler, Hickson, and Wilson, 1988, pp. 13-37).
The practice of decision making in American health care organizations is far from standard (Tonges, pp. 27-32). Decision making practices range from the outmoded directive decision making behavior to a full embracing of the concept of participative decision making. The most effective decision making behavior for contemporary health care organizations will include participation by organizational subordinates in t...