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Ramifications of a Management Decision

In this case, a decision made by upper management becomes a subject for speculation by Jim, who has been passed over for promotion in favor of a new man in the department. Frank has been in the department for only a year, while Jim has been in the department for over five years. Two other members of the group, Maria and Janet, have been in the department for more than five years as well. Jim is concerned that he was not chosen, of course, and this leads him to ask why he has not been selected and why Frank has been selected. In analyzing the issue, Jim does so without having sufficient information. It is evident from this case that upper management has not done a good job of communicating its reasons for making a selection. It is also apparent that upper management does not provide sufficient ongoing job performance evaluations, for from the way Jim analyzes the issue, he does not seem to know how management views him or his performance.

Jim's analysis of the situation can be explained utilizing attribution theory, for much of what he assumes is true derives more from his own prejudices and attitudes in his social setting than from any evidence. This may be the fault of upper management for failing to communicate properly, but Jim is not controlling for his own prejudices and perceptions and so may not be coming to a proper and justifiable conclusion.

Attribution theory involves the way people infer the causes of behavior, and it centers on the perceived causes of behavior, explaining the processes by which the individual comes to understand his or her own behavior and that of others. Heider is the founder of attribution theory, and he notes several kinds of causal attributions made by people. Situational causes are those affected by the environment; personal effects are those things one influences personally; ability is the ability to do something; effort is the attempt to do something, desire is wanting to do some...

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Ramifications of a Management Decision. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 06:11, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1692317.html