- A. Collaboration
- B. Majority rule
- C. Dominance
- D. Compromise
Answer: (B) Majority rule
Majority rule involves dividing the house and the highest vote wins.1/2 + 1 is a majority.Decision-Making Strategies in Organizational Change
When an organization like a clinic or hospital staff is facing a problem (like low patient satisfaction) and has generated solutions, the method they use to select the final strategy is crucial to its success.
1. Majority Rule (Voting)
As established, this is the strategy where a vote is taken, and the option receiving more than half the votes 50% + 1) is adopted.
- Pros: It's fast, clear, and feels democratic. It's excellent for resolving issues quickly when consensus isn't possible and every option is reasonably viable.
- Cons: It creates a "win/lose" situation. The losing minority may feel unheard, leading to low commitment to implementing the strategy they voted against. This can breed resentment and sabotage the change effort.
2. Collaboration (Consensus)
Collaboration (or Consensus Building) is a strategy focused on integrating the concerns of all parties to find a solution that everyone can genuinely support—even if it's not their first choice.
- Process: Instead of voting on predefined options, the staff works together to synthesize the best elements of all proposed strategies, often creating a new, hybrid solution.
- Pros: It fosters the highest level of buy-in and commitment because everyone's perspective was integrated. It often leads to more creative and robust solutions than simple voting.
- Cons: It is time-consuming and requires high levels of communication skill and trust among team members.
3. Compromise (Negotiation)
Compromise is a middle-ground strategy where parties give up something they want to meet somewhere in the middle.
- Example: One group wants to hire two new nurses, and another wants to invest in new patient management software. They compromise by hiring one nurse and buying basic software instead of the top-tier version.
- Pros: It's a quick way to resolve disagreements without escalating conflict, ensuring that key needs on both sides are partially met.
- Cons: No one is fully satisfied, which may lead to a suboptimal solution that addresses core problems only superficially.
4. Dominance (Forcing)
This approach involves an authority figure (like a chief nurse or hospital administrator) imposing a decision without a vote or negotiation.
- Pros: It is the fastest method and is necessary in crisis situations or when swift, non-negotiable compliance is required (e.g., safety protocol changes).
- Cons: It causes the most resentment and resistance from staff, leading to passive aggression, high staff turnover, and very low commitment to the change.
The Context: Lewin's Change Management Model
In the context of solving a problem like low patient satisfaction, the staff is engaged in an intentional process of organizational change. A classic framework for managing this is Kurt Lewin's Three-Step Model:
- Unfreeze: Recognizing that the current state (low satisfaction) is unacceptable and preparing the staff for change. The initial discussion on "possible effects of the low patient satisfaction rate" is part of this step.
- Change: Implementing the new strategy. The staff is currently in the process of selecting the best strategy (where majority rule, collaboration, etc., comes into play).
- Refreeze: Solidifying the new procedures and behaviors into the organizational culture so that the improvement (higher patient satisfaction) becomes the new norm.
The choice of a decision-making strategy during the Change step directly impacts how smoothly and successfully the organization can Refreeze the new solution. A collaborative approach generally leads to a stronger Refreeze because of the high buy-in.