Decision-Making in Organizations

The use of a collaborative decision-making model has been shown to produce more creative solutions and to increase the size of the stakeholder pool, as well as increase the commitment of stakeholders to final decisions. This study combines the research in group decision-making using the functional theory and the bona fide group perspective along with the large body of research on Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS). The purpose is to assist organizations in both making decisions and understanding the processes used and individuals involved in those decisions. This longitudinal study of one university's collaboration process presents their multiple planning efforts in accreditation and creating civility. Two participant-observers discuss several bona fide decision making groups across a five-year period along with the application of a GDSS that uses Saaty's Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to assist in that decision-making. The usefulness of GDSS is discussed and its future applications are suggested.