Менеджеры и менеджмент (Executives and Management). Коломейцева Е.М - 25 стр.

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by engineers to cut through the layers between chip designers and consumers. Intel could benefit from more participa-
tive decision making, particularly in regard to customer relations problems.
This chapter also explained the Vroom-Jago model, which managers like Grove can use to determine when a decision
calls for group participation.
Managers may use several types of groups, including interactive groups, nominal groups, and Delphi groups. As
competitive pressures force today's organizations to shift toward forms of decision making that encourage creativity and
sharing of diverse views, managers need to maximize the advantages of group decision-making and overcome the dis-
advantages. Useful techniques include devil's advocate, multiple advocacy, and brainstorming. These techniques can
help managers and groups define problems and develop more creative solutions.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. You are a busy partner in a legal firm, and an experienced secretary complains of continued headaches,
drowsiness, dry throat, and occasional spells of fatigue and flu. She tells you she believes air quality in the building is
bad and would like something done. How would you respond?
2. Why is decision making considered a fundamental part of management effectiveness?
3. Explain the difference between risk and ambiguity. How might decision making differ for each situation?
4. Analyze three decisions you made over the past six months. Which of these were programmed and which were
nonprogrammed?
5. Why are many decisions made by groups rather than by individuals?
6. What are three types of decision-making groups? How might each be used to help managers make a decision
to market a product in a new geographical territory?
7. What is meant by satisfying and bounded rationality? Why do managers not strive to find the economically
best solution for many organizational decisions?
8. What techniques could you use to improve your own creativity and effectiveness in decision-making?
9. Which of the six steps in the decision-making process do you think is most likely to be ignored by a manager?
Explain.
CULTURE/PEOPLE CHANGES
A culture/people change refers to a change in employees' values, norms, attitudes, beliefs, and behavior. Changes
in culture and people pertain to how employees think; these are changes in mindset rather than technology, structure, or
products. People change pertains to just a few employees, such as when a handful of middle managers is sent to a train-
ing course to improve their leadership skills. Culture change pertains to the organization as a whole, such as when Un-
ion Pacific Railroad changed its basic mindset by becoming less bureaucratic and focusing employee on customer ser-
vice and quality through teamwork and employee participation. The Leading the Management Revolution box describes
one company's innovative approach to culture change. Training is the most frequently used tool for changing the or-
ganization's mindset. A company may offer training programs to large blocks of employees on subjects such as team-
work, listening skills, quality circles, and participative management.
Another major approach to changing people and culture is organizational development. This has evolved as a
separate field that is devoted to large-scale organizational change.
ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Organizational development (OD) is the application of behavioral science knowledge to improve an organiza-
tion's health and effectiveness through its ability to cope with environmental changes, improve internal relationships,
and increase problem-solving capabilities. Organization development improves working relationships among employ-
ees. The following are three types of current problems that OD can help managers address.
1. Mergers/acquisitions. The disappointing financial results of many mergers and acquisitions are caused by the
failure of executives to determine whether the administrative style and corporate culture of the two companies "fit."
Executives may concentrate on potential synergies in technology, products, marketing, and control systems but fail to rec-
ognize that two firms may have widely different values, beliefs, and practices. These differences create stress and anxiety for
employees, and these negative emotions affect future performance. Cultural differences should be evaluated during the acqui-
sition pro-cess, and OD experts can be used to smooth the integration of two firms.
2. Organizational decline/revitalization. Organizations undergoing a period of decline and revitalization experi-
ence a variety of problems, including a low level of trust, lack of innovation, high turnover, and high levels of conflict
and stress. The period of transition requires opposite behaviors, including confronting stress, creating open communica-
tion, and fostering creative innovation to emerge with high levels of productivity. OD techniques can contribute greatly
to cultural revitalization by managing conflicts, fostering commitment, and facilitating communication.
3. Conflict management. Conflict can occur at any time and place within healthy organization. For example, a
product team for the introduction of a new software package was formed at a computer company. Made up of strong-
willed individuals, the team made little progress because members would not agree on project goals. At a manufacturing
firm salespeople promised delivery dates to customers that were in conflict with shop supervisor priorities for assem-

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