Organizational Theory,

Design, and Change

Sixth Edition
Gareth R. Jones

Chapter 12

Decision Making,
Learning, Knowledge
Management, and
Information Technology
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 12- 1
Organizational Decision Making
Organizational decision making: the
process of responding to a problem by
searching for and selecting a solution or
course of action that will create value for
organizational stakeholders
Programmed decisions: decisions that
are repetitive and routine
Nonprogrammed decisions: decisions
that are novel and unstructured

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 12- 2

Models of Organizational
Decision Making
The rational model: decision making is a
straightforward, three-stage process

Underlying assumptions
Decision makers have all the information they need
Decision makers can make the best decision
Decision makers agree about what needs to be done

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 12- 3

The Carnegie Model
Introduces a set of more realistic
assumptions about the decision-making
process
Satisficing: limited information searches to
identify problems and alternative solutions
Bounded rationality: a limited capacity to
process information
Organizational coalitions: solution chosen is a
result of compromise, bargaining, and
accommodation between coalitions

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 12- 4

Table 12.1: Differences Between
the Rational and Carnegie Models

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Models of Organizational
Decision Making (cont.)
The incrementalist model: managers
select alternative courses of action that are
only slightly, or incrementally, different
from those used in the past
Perceived to lessen the chances of making a
mistake
Called the science of muddling through
They correct or avoid mistakes through a
succession of incremental changes
Tries to explain how organizations improve their
programmed decisions over time

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 12- 6

Models of Organizational
Decision Making (cont.)
The unstructured model: describes how
decision making takes place in
environments of high uncertainty
Unstructured model recognizes uncertainty in
the environment
Managers rethink their alternatives when they
hit a roadblock
Decision making is not a linear, sequential
process
Tries to explain how organizations make
nonprogrammed decisions

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 12- 7

 Models of Organizational
Decision Making (cont.)
The garbage can model: a view of decision making
that takes the unstructured process to the extreme
Decision makers are as likely to start decision making
from the solution side as the problem side
Create decision-making opportunities that they can solve
with ready-made solutions based on their competencies
and skills
Different coalitions may champion different alternatives
Decision making becomes a garbage can in which
problems, solutions, and people all mix and contend for
organizational action
Selection of an alternative depends on which persons
or groups definition of the current situation holds sway

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 12- 8

 The Nature of Organizational
Learning
Organizational learning: the process through
which managers seek to improve organization
members desire and ability to understand and
manage the organization and its environment
Creates an organizational capacity to respond effectively
to the changing business environment
Types of organizational learning
Exploration: organizational members search
for and experiment with new kinds or forms of
organizational activities and procedures
Exploitation: organizational members learn
ways to refine and improve existing
organizational activities and procedures

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 12- 9