Decision making in organizations has been described as a process of behavior with the economic model (or total rationality) at one extreme, and with the social model (or complete irrationality) at the other extreme (Kimberly and Rottman, 1987, pp. 596 619). This description implies that only irrational decision making accords human values precedence over economic values. In the organizational environments of the 1990s, leaders must find some middle ground between these extremes, for it is evident that neither set of values can be ignored. In many organizations, managers have been confronted with the tasks of making severe, undesirable, and unpleasant cuts of personnel and services in a hasty manner, because, in part, they failed to heed economic values in earlier decisions. Similarly, organizations have often been forced to retract decisions, and to act in confusing manners, in chaotic situations, because, in part, they failed to heed human values in reaching earlier decisions. A better approach to decision making
is obviously required by many organizations as they contemplate the demands of the future.
In the last quarter of the twentieth century, it is recognized that the application of specific approaches to decision making must, to some extent, consider leadership styles, personalities, and organizational requirements (Lenz and Engledow, 1986, pp. 69 89). First, in the context of organizational conflict which often develops at the time of change implementation, the decision making behaviors of managers and administrators affect significantly the development of such conflict, and these decision making behaviors are products of the leadership styles of the administrators and managers (Schilit and Paine, 1987, pp. 160 179). Second, specific approaches to decision making will often be shunned, if the procedure conflicts with the cognitive perspectives of decision makers (Schwenk, 1988, pp. 36 53).
Leadership style wil...