Six Sigma Project Teams and Rational Decision Making

Abstract

An understanding of how teams make decisions in the team environment is of utmost importance to organizational leaders. This research aims to determine the relationship that a shared leadership environment has on a team's approach to decision-making. A systematic review of past research efforts has shown that a strong relationship exists between the internal and external conditions of shared leadership and that a strong relationship exists between shared leadership and six sigma team decision-making principles and approaches. Furthermore, a review of the relationship between shared leadership and team decision making techniques has shown that the consensual approach is the most effective method to achieve the functional conditions of shared leadership. Based on the presented research, a model of decision-making in shared leadership environments is proposed for use by teams to determine the type of decision-making method that should be employed as a team's level of shared leadership increases. This model has been shown to have many practical applications for business as well as for academic research.