Decision Dynamics in Two High Reliability Military Organizations

Karlene H. Roberts, Suzanne K. Stout and Jennifer J. Halpern
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Karlene H. Roberts: Walter A. Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, 350 Barrows Hall, Berkeley, California 94720
Suzanne K. Stout: University of Texas, Dallas, Mail Stop J051 Box 830688, Richardson, Texas 75081-0688
Jennifer J. Halpern: Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853

Management Science, 1994, vol. 40, issue 5, 614-624

Abstract: In this research we extend theoretical development about decision making in organizations in which many kinds of errors cannot be tolerated. Catastrophic consequences can be associated with faulty decision making in reliability-seeking organizations, a situation which does not occur in most organizations studied in the past. Observations are drawn from two nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. We find decision processes which appear to change often in these organizations. Important decisions can be made by a number of men even at the lowest levels of the organization. Task-related factors such as technical complexity, high interdependence, and catastrophic consequences associated with rare events and more cognitive factors such as accountability and salience affect decision processes. A model is presented that accounts for dynamic change in decision processes in these organizations.

Keywords: decision making; managing high reliability organizations; decision-making flexibility; accountability; expertise migration; decentralization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1994
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:40:y:1994:i:5:p:614-624

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