| The purpose of the study was to examine executive level personnel's perceptions of decision-making styles and processes in four distinct complex organizations, using a major Northeast Urban area as a case study site. This study was principally an analysis of the classical, rational dimensions of decision-making.;The instrument employed was a scaled response, direct question, focused interview schedule. Forty questions were employed, specifically designed to highlight significant areas of similarity or contrast within organizations and among staff.;Summary tallies of all totals and differences were put into tabular form. Additionally, a measure of chief executive officers responses versus subordinates was conducted. A level of .7 or better was determined to be an appreciable difference in response between interviewees.;Direction for the study was provided by three research questions. These questions also served as the foundation for the structured interview: (1) What are the identifiable phases of decision-making in four selected complex organizations? (2) Who makes decisions? (3) What factors determine whether the approach to decision-making processes and/or styles in complex organizations will be 'rational' or 'non-rational'?;The case study method was employed because it provided a comprehensive view of decision-making and a logical procedure for examining the research questions. This method was determined to be appropriate also because of the sampling procedures used. The chief executive officer and three of his executives at the vice presidential level were interviewed from each type of organization. These organizations included a city government, a public school system, an international corporation and a metropolitan university.;The data indicated identifiable phases or steps in decision-making across organizations. Rationality of decisions were based on variables such as economics, politics, time constraints, peer pressure, information availability, role limitations and lack of experience.;Three major conclusions were drawn: (1) Formal decision-making processes existed in each complex organization in the study either in written form or in highly structured work ways. (2) Chief executive officers tended to be substantively more autocratic in their individual management style than other respondents. (3) Respondents, from the four complex organizations in this study, were perceived to be highly rational decision-makers by their peers. |
