Decision‐making Styles of White‐collar Workers

Abstract

The research reported in this article is the study of the preferences for decision‐making responsibilities indicated by white‐collar workers of a mining company′s headquarters in Perth, Western Australia. The research methodology used a “specific situation” item questionnaire with the preferred style for making the decision concerning the specific situation measured on a continuum with five alternatives of decision making. The results suggested that there were five factors underlying the data collected, each with a different desired decision‐making style. These preferred styles appeared to be influenced by the personal skills and experiences which allowed the person to feel (s)he could have some constructive input into the decision. Hence, management should consider installing a system of leadership which recognises that differences do exist concerning the preferred leadership styles depending on the worker′s perceived impact of the decisions on the individual′s work life.