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Decision-making Style (decision-making + style)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	36%
Business, Economics, Finance and Accounting	36%

Selected Abstracts

Style of Knowing Regarding Uncertainties

CURRICULUM INQUIRY, Issue 1 2007
DEBORAH HELSING
This article addresses a key contrast in how teachers may regard the uncertainties of their work, considering how an orientation to uncertainty can be regarded as a decision-making style. Through the use of case studies, the author contrasts two teachers. One is oriented toward uncertainties in her work and describes her herself as being always "on the edge" of her capabilities, constantly seeking out perspectives that differ from and challenge her own and remaining vigilant to the need for improvising to respond to the circumstances of the moment. The other is oriented away from uncertainties and describes herself as prepared and deliberate; committed to achieving outcomes in line with her articulated goals and purposes; and purposeful about which unresolved questions she chooses to pursue. This contrast has implications not only for how these teachers make decisions and view their professional growth, but also for how some teachers may be understood, and misunderstood, by others. In a culture that often seeks to ignore pervasive moral ambiguities and focuses instead on questions for which there are easily identifiable answers (Cuban, 1992), an orientation toward uncertainty is more likely to be devalued or seen as an indication that one is not teaching well. Identifying these different approaches to decision-making styles enables us to appreciate the integrity and strength of each, as well as the limitations of each, suggesting new possibilities for research and for teachers' professional development. [source]

A Person-Organization Fit Model of Owner-Managers' Cognitive Style and Organizational Demands

ENTREPRENEURSHIP THEORY AND PRACTICE, Issue 1 2007
Keith H. Brigham
Based on survey responses from 159 owner-managers in small high-technology firms, we examined the association among specific individual characteristics, firm characteristics, and the individual outcomes of satisfaction and intentions to exit. Regression analyses indicated higher satisfaction and lower intentions to exit for owner-managers whose dominant decision-making style complemented the levels of formalization and structure in their firms. In addition, we found that both satisfaction and intentions to exit were significantly associated with actual turnover over a 5-year period. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed. [source]

Nurse and resident satisfaction in magnet long-term care organizations: do high involvement approaches matter?

JOURNAL OF NURSING MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2006
KENT V. RONDEAU PhD
Aim, This study examines the association of high involvement nursing work practices with employer-of-choice (magnet) status in a sample of Canadian nursing homes. Background, In response to a severe shortage of registered nursing personnel, it is imperative for health care organizations to more effectively recruit and retain nursing personnel. Some long-term care organizations are developing employee-centred cultures that allow them to effectively enhance nurse and resident satisfaction. At the same time, many nursing homes have adopted progressive nursing workplace practices (high involvement work practices) that emphasize greater employee empowerment, participation and commitment. Method, A mail survey was sent to the director of nursing in 300 nursing homes in western Canada. In total, 125 useable questionnaires were returned and constituted the data set for this study. Separate ordinary least squares regressions are performed with magnet strength, nurse satisfaction and resident satisfaction used as dependent variables. Results, Nursing homes that demonstrate strong magnet (employer-of-choice) characteristics are more likely to have higher levels of nurse and patient satisfaction, even after controlling for a number of significant factors at the establishment level. Magnet nursing homes are more likely to have progressive participatory decision-making cultures and much more likely to spend considerable resources on job-related training for their nursing staff. The presence of high involvement work practices is not found to be a significant predictor in magnet strength, nurse or resident satisfaction. Conclusion, Merely adopting more high involvement nursing work practices may be insufficient for nursing homes, which desire to become ,employers-of-choice' in their marketplaces, especially if these practices are adopted without a concomitant investment in nurse training or an enhanced commitment to establishing a more democratic and participatory decision-making style involving all nursing staff. [source]

The Urge to Merge: A Multiple-Case Study

NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP, Issue 2 2002
Martha Golensky
The authors undertook a comparative study of three recent mergers of nonprofit organizations in a Midwestern urban center, within the context of political-economy theory. The research explored the impact of the same environmental factor, managed care, on the initial decisions by organizational leaders and the effects of these early decisions on subsequent actions taken to implement the merger. The study tested the authors' model of the motivations for merging, which proposes that the relationship between the decision-making style of the leadership and the internal and external resources of the prospective partners determines whether the merger is driven primarily by mission, practicality, stability, or fear. Although the findings provide initial support for the hypotheses derived from the model, a demonstration of the differences in the approach to the merger by each organization indicated that other factors emerged as important driving forces during the various phases of the process. [source]

Australian clinical nurse supervisors' ethical decision-making style

NURSING & HEALTH SCIENCES, Issue 1-2 2002
Ingela Berggren RNT
Abstract This paper explores clinical nurse supervisors' ethical styles with regard to supervision in health care. Eighty-six registered nurses, all with experience of supervising clinical nurses and students in nursing, completed a specifically designed questionnaire. A qualitative interpretative content analysis identified three core themes: (i) ,Is it safe?'; (ii) ,Is it right?'; and (iii) ,Is it kind?', describing the clinical nurse supervisors' ethical styles. The first core theme ,Is it safe?' covered the supervisors' rules, codes and values that guide their supervisory actions, as well as two subthemes: (i) empowerment and (ii) integrity. The second core theme ,Is it right?' described the supervisors' responsibility and advocacy as well as the ethical dilemmas experienced in the supervisory process. The third core theme ,Is it kind?' included the supervisors' relationships with patients, professionals and supervisees. The results demonstrate the value of offering a support system, such as clinical supervision, which helps nurses to explore their professional identity for the benefit of the patients. [source]

Project portfolio control and portfolio management performance in different contexts

PROJECT MANAGEMENT JOURNAL, Issue 3 2008
Ralf Müller
Abstract This article investigates the nature and relationship of project portfolio control techniques and portfolio management performance, and how this relationship is moderated by situational idiosyncrasies of internal and external dynamics, industries, governance types, and geographic location. A worldwide questionnaire with 242 responses was used, of which 136 high-performing responses were filtered out for quantitative analysis of best practices. Three portfolio control factors were identified: portfolio selection, portfolio reporting, and decision-making style. Two measures for portfolio management performance were identified: achievement of desired portfolio results and achievement of project and program purpose. The results indicate that different portfolio control mechanisms are associated with different performance measures. A contingency model was developed, including moderating effects by contextual variables. [source]

Changing trends in the decision-making preferences of women with early breast cancer,

BRITISH JOURNAL OF SURGERY (NOW INCLUDES EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SURGERY), Issue 3 2008
L. J. M. Caldon
Background: Previous studies have indicated a predominance of passive decision-making styles among women with early-stage breast cancer in the UK offered a choice between breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and mastectomy. The aim of this study was to determine current decision-making styles and establish their association with operation choice and breast unit mastectomy rate. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among women from three specialist breast units representing high, medium and low case mix-adjusted mastectomy rates. Results: Of 697 consecutive patients, 356 (51·1 per cent) completed the questionnaire, a mean of 6·9 (range 1·3,48·6) weeks after surgery. Some 262 women (73·6 per cent) underwent BCS and 94 (26·4 per cent) had a mastectomy. Some 218 patients (61·2 per cent) achieved their preferred decision-making style. The proportions of women achieving an active decision-making style were high, particularly for those choosing mastectomy (83 versus 58·0 per cent for BCS; P < 0·001) and in the high mastectomy rate unit (79·6 versus 53 and 52·2 per cent for medium and low rate units respectively; P < 0·001). Conclusion: More women chose an active decision-making style than in previous UK studies. The provision of greater treatment selection autonomy to women suitable for BCS may not reduce mastectomy rates. Copyright © 2007 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Style of Knowing Regarding Uncertainties

Leadership Style and International Norm Violation: The Case of the Iraq War

FOREIGN POLICY ANALYSIS, Issue 1 2007
VAUGHN P. SHANNON
We examine the topic of decision making and norm violation in international politics. While constructivists emphasize norm conformity due to global social pressures, and realists emphasize the ease of norm violation due to self-interest and the lack of a world enforcer, we argue that these approaches fail to explain variation in normative behavior in foreign policy. We suggest that normative behavior is mitigated importantly by leaders' beliefs and decision-making styles. Leaders who view the international environment in state-centric, Hobbesian terms and are less sensitive to the political context are more likely to violate international norms than leaders who view world politics in more benign terms and are more sensitive to contextual pressures. We test these expectations by correlating key leadership traits of Bush Administration officials with their positions regarding the normatively suspect invasion of Iraq in 2003. The findings suggest that need for power, belief in ability to control events, ingroup bias, and especially distrust may be important predictors of one's willingness to violate international norms. We discuss the implications of our results for the prospect for international society to regulate force, and call for a third wave of constructivism wedded to its ideational ally of political psychology. [source]

The influence of consumer decision-making styles on online apparel consumption by college students

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 6 2007
Kelly O. Cowart
Abstract Apparel purchases now constitute one of the fastest-growing segments of e-commerce. Thus, there are strong theoretical and managerial reasons to better understand consumer characteristics associated with buying apparel online. This paper investigates motivations for online apparel consumption using the Consumer Styles Inventory. Data from a sample of 357 US college students showed that quality consciousness, brand consciousness, fashion consciousness, hedonistic shopping, impulsiveness and brand loyalty were positively correlated with online apparel shopping. Price sensitivity was negatively correlated with online spending. [source]