UNIT 431: Leaders as Decision Makers

Overview

This unit examines different contemporary approaches to leadership decision making in organisations. Leadership is broadly defined, and is not confined to the top levels of organisations. Various theories and concepts of decision making are examined and students are encouraged to apply these to their managerial practice in their own organisations.

This unit examines the role of the leader in decision making, progresses through the process of decision making, and finally examines issues of decision implementation.

Decision making is examined both as an individual and as a group process, and the influence of the organisational environment is taken into account. An international perspective is given because of increasing globalisation, and ethical issues are considered as well.

Aims

After studying this unit you should be able to:

• identify the similarities and differences between management and leadership decision making
• apply a clear decision-making model, recognising the weaknesses of the model and adjusting it according to the types of decisions to be made and the existing constraints
• select and evaluate the usefulness of a range of decision-making tools to generate and assess alternatives
• identify your own and others' decision making styles and explain how decision makers must balance rationality and intuition
• describe the centrality of ethics to leadership decision making and evaluate a range of ethical models that you can use to enhance your decision making
• explain the benefits, weaknesses and complexities inherent in group decision making and evaluate a range of effective group decision-making techniques
• use decision-making systems and techniques to engage organisational intelligence and to enhance your decision outcomes at the enterprise level
• establish an organisational culture that promotes and rewards effective decision making, recognises and values cultural diversity and optimises widespread participation in strategic decision making and the achievement of strategic goals
• explain the different types of transformational decisions that leaders need to make to create an aligned, flexible and responsive organisation
• define a set of criteria that can be applied when making senior appointments and corporate governance and corporate social responsibility decisions.

Topics

• Introduction to leaders as decision makers
• Decision-making model
• Decision-making tools
• Human influences
• Ethical decision making
• Team decision making
• Organisational decision making
• Strategy, psychology and ethnic culture
• Organisational alignment
• Corporate governance

Unit Chair

Robert Marshall
BSc, MPubPol

Robert Marshall is a Director of Knowledge Teams International Pty Ltd. He specialises in executive coaching and the development teams and leaders. He designed the Knowledge Team Effectiveness Profiling System which is used by organisations throughout the world to increase their teams' effectiveness and creativity.

Before establishing Knowledge Teams International, Robert was the Group Manager, Leadership and Team Development with CSIRO with responsibility for the design, delivery and evaluation of professional and personal development programs for CSIRO's senior staff throughout Australia.

Robert has many years experience in designing and delivering a range of leadership courses in higher education having worked on programs offered by Melbourne and Deakin Universities. He has published extensively in the areas of leading and fostering creativity and innovation in teams.

Study Guide Author

Neil Francis
BAppSci, MMktg

Neil has had an extensive career in medical research, the IT industry and marketing. In the IT sector, Neil has held roles across business analysis, software development, management of technical support, sales and marketing. Neil specified, developed, deployed and supported a number of Web and Intranet initiatives during this time. He also has extensive experience in market research. In his current marketing role, Neil consults though his own business to SMEs across numerous sectors. He also lectures in New Venture Marketing, Marketing Strategy and Project Management/New Product Development at the postgraduate level. His focus is on driving positive, measurable results in the practical and competitive business world.