Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-15-2013
Abstract
Associations have the capacity to transform society because every day they touch people's lives in meaningful ways. Association boards of directors have the tremendous responsibility of being the key decision-making body for their organizations. Too often they fail to deliver crucial decisions for consequential issues. How do association boards make high-quality, consequential decisions? This study, which spanned more than 3 years, produced a body of research that can help association chief executive officers (CEOs) and board presidents lead their boards toward making wise decisions. Key variables studied during the research project included decision consensus and decision quality, procedural justice, strategic attention, affective and cognitive conflict, and understanding. The findings showed that CEOs established criteria used to consider which issues to bring before their board and structured processes to help the board navigate debates regarding important issues. The study revealed that utilizing sound and fair processes allowed leaders to manage conflict while promoting members' understanding of the issue. The research also showed that the effects of both functional and dysfunctional conflict on decision consensus and decision quality ran counter to those asserted in the prevailing literature; the CEOs tenure affects the efficacy of boards depending on their size and their relationship with the CEO.
Keywords
conflict, decision-making, decision quality and consensus, procedural justice, strategic attention, board size
Rights
© The Author(s). Kelvin Smith Library provides access for non-commercial, personal, or research use only. All other use, including but not limited to commercial or scholarly reproductions, redistribution, publication or transmission, whether by electronic means or otherwise, without prior written permission is strictly prohibited.
Department/Center
Design & Innovation
Recommended Citation
Engle, Mark T., "The Strategic Decision-Making Process of the Board and its Impact on Decision Outcomes" (2013). Student Scholarship. 495.
https://commons.case.edu/studentworks/495