Suchergebnisse

Chapter 1: Europe -- Intercultural Conflict and Synergy in Europe -- Culture: The National Component -- National Cultures in Four Dimensions -- European Heterogeneity -- Origins of Intra-European Cultural Differences -- European Cooperation as a Laboratory for the World -- References -- Chapter 2: Belgium -- Management and Culture in a Pillared Society -- Does Belgium Exist? -- Resourceful Survivors -- The Ethnic Split -- History of Belgium -- History of Flanders -- A Deep Recession (1880-1900) -- Belgian Industrial Structure -- Three Stages -- Local Politics -- Foreign Takeovers

Strategic decision-making processes at the top of organizations are examined. Research is reviewed on types of process movement, on the matters under decision, the problems raised, the interests implicated, the rules of the game, and its outcomes and implementation. Methodology is found to have gone through a conventional sequence of development from the small-scale intensive study to the large-scale extensive study, the latter very recently. Methodology has been catching up with theory, which has long been well developed. There are three main theories, overlapping and complementary—the incrementalism theory, the garbage-can theory, and the dual rationality theory. Five areas for further research are indicated.

A special case of the big bad decision is identified. It is called decision overreach. Two separate elements constitute overreach, namely, disproportionality and irreversibility. Four conditions seem to dispose managers to take decisions that are disproportionate and irreversible. These are small size of firm, relatively short duration of decision process, a lack of foresight, and overfamiliarity with products and markets. The data are drawn from U.K. manufacturing organizations.