4/15/2021 Laureate International Universitieshttps://laureate-au.blackboard.com/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_102672_1&content_id=_9647267_1&mode=reset 1/9MODULE 5Use of Collaboration, In~uenceand Strategy in Decision MakingCollaboration verses Competition in DecisionMakingIntroduction:An organisation’s ability to make best use of their resources in gainingcompetitive advantage generally relies on ready access to often widely heldand disparate resources and data. Access, which requires the manager towork across organisational boundaries and operate between functions orperhaps between organisational entities. Organisational boundaries provideroles and opportunities to operate eÞciently in creating value, but at thesame time, allow the growth of freedoms which help contain resources.Challenges clearly exist for those wanting to operate collaboratively acrossformal organisational boundaries as strong functional orientations tend tocreate competitive environments where individual goals have overtakenorganisational goals. The organisation, to make best use of disparateresources in securing integrated actions within and between functions, mustrely on more collaborative practices over competitive ones.Competitive Decision-Making PracticesCompetitive practices are often a feature of organisations, which mustactively compete with others across the organisation to gain resources. The4/15/2021 Laureate International Universitieshttps://laureate-au.blackboard.com/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_102672_1&content_id=_9647267_1&mode=reset 2/9functional design of organisations can lead to divisional or verticalgroupings developing positive and strong bonds. Only to have thosestrengths turned against outsiders (anyone from outside the immediatevertical) across the organisation in failing to collaborate and help. Rather,those in the vertical strive to compete and gain access to information, orfunds, or resources, including time needed to support others. Businessschools have long taught MBA students the merits of competition overcollaboration. It has only been a recent preference for collaboration bysome organisations that has facilitated the transition of shared resourcesbetween formerly competing units, through collaboration lead to abovebusiness wide capabilities, and provide above average returns to thebusiness. Moreover, knowledge that can be held unevenly by peoplescattered across the enterprise needs to be sourced through collaborationto be made available to others in the organisation. Competitiveenvironments and the decision-making Öowing from them can deny thebusiness eàectiveness of customer response and lead to low levels ofcustomer service as the customer Õghts their way between competingdepartments, or verticals, to have their questions answered or theirproblems resolved.Collaborative Decision-Making PracticesCollaborative practices can help develop strong functional and interfunctional relations by promoting shared goals allowing the organisation toreduce counterproductive behavior. This is achieved through frequentinformation sharing, strong managerial interaction and a willingness toshare risks and rewards.It has been identiÕed that collaborative practices undertaken byorganisations have reduced conÖict, improved supplier customer relations,developed willingness of people to work together, viewing colleagues fromother disciplines more favorably and fostering improved relations withmangers formerly considered inept (Allred, Fawcett, Wallen & Magnan,2011). The keys to developing collaborative practices can lie in aligned goals4/15/2021 Laureate International Universitieshttps://laureate-au.blackboard.com/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_102672_1&content_id=_9647267_1&mode=reset 3/9and metrics, improved information sharing and training in process thinkingand collaborative behaviours.Decision making which is based on managers having complete control overtheir decisions is more likely to Õnd that the decision maker has limiteddiscretion in selecting between courses of action. Decision making, to beeàective needs to be shared rather than be the province of the individual.Competitive environments deny the sharing of goals, ready exchange ofinformation and promote beneÕts for the few over the many.Diversity in Decision MakingPopular opinion has it that diverse groups, those with membership drawnfrom diàerent age, gender categories or ethnic origins, are likely to besmarter in problem solving decision making than their more homogeneouscounterparts. While research into the role of diversity and impact on groupdecision making has been scarce, several anecdotal reports drawn from thecorporate world have described higher levels of decision makingperformance from teams having diverse membership. One explanation forthis high performance lies in their members’ abilities to bring diàerentexperiences, skills and abilities to the group-based decision-making process.Diversity of team membership can be built around the formation of crossoragnisational work teams, composed of men and women, drawn fromintergenerational age and racially diverse categories who can stimulate newthinking. The advantages of having diversity of views operating in teams canhowever have a cost as perceived diàerences are not always readilywelcomed, particularly by those organisations with well-established subcultures driving their decision making. Creative tensions in decision making,can feature in diverse teams as diàerent approaches, views and beliefs canbe considered as troublesome or even challenging. The beneÕts however,creative tensions bring to the decision-making process are considerableMajor beneÕts for the diverse team include most importantly, the brining ofdiàerent points to bear on problems. Diversity in teams oàers the beneÕtsof opposing groupthink where decisions remain unquestioned andunidirectional, linear processes go unquestioned and remain harmonious.4/15/2021 Laureate International Universitieshttps://laureate-au.blackboard.com/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_102672_1&content_id=_9647267_1&mode=reset 4/9Building diversity into groups and teams brings diàerence and through thatdiàerence a questioning of established orders and unquestioned actions.Even though it may at Õrst be very challenging to confront and overcomefeelings of diàerence through conÖict the beneÕts of higher quality, morebalanced decision making associated with diverse teams can outweigh thecosts in loss of harmony and longer times devoted to decisions.Essential Resources:Allred, C.R., Fawcett, S.E., Wallin, C., & Magnan, G.M. (2011).A Dynamic Collaboration Capability as a source ofCompetitive Advantage. Decision Sciences. Volume 42,Number 1, February. Retrieved fromhttp://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.laureate.net.au/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bsu&AN=58612912&site=ehost-liveThe resource‐based view of the Õrm argues the essence of decisionmaking is to determine how Õrm and supply chain resources can beconÕgured to achieve inimitable advantage and superiorperformance. However, combining resources found among diversemembers of a supply chain requires higher levels of coordination thanexist at most companies. Manifest cross‐functional andinterorganisational conÖict impedes the relational advantages ofcollaboration.Ashridge Executive Education. (2014). Collaborating at work:The Collaboration Skills You Need. YouTube. Retrieved fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmwmg4pwdBcThis video is part of a collection of nine videos on collaboration. Videosuggests that more work inside organisations is done throughcollaboration rather than close teams. The video provides insights intohow to be good at this way of working and makes use of relationship4/15/2021 Laureate International Universitieshttps://laureate-au.blackboard.com/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_102672_1&content_id=_9647267_1&mode=reset 5/9maps and mapping as tools for identifying and acting on relationaldiàerences.Phillips, K. (n.d.) Better Decisions through diversity.KellogInsight. Retrieved fromhttps://insight.kellogg.northwestern.edu/article/better_decisions_throughNew research Õnds that socially diàerent group members do morethan simply introduce new viewpoints or approaches. In this study,diverse groups outperformed more homogeneous groups notbecause of an inÖux of new ideas, but because diversity triggeredmore careful information processing that is absent in homogeneousgroups.Gorte, J. (2017). The value of diversity in decision making.Huàpost. Retrieved fromhttps://www.huÞngtonpost.com/entry/the-value-ofdiversity-in-decision-making_us_589e02e6e4b0cd37efcfe7d5This article describes research by organizational scientists,psychologists, sociologists, economists and demographers showingthat socially diverse groups, those with a diversity of race, ethnicity,gender and sexual orientation are more innovative thanhomogeneous groups at solving complex, nonroutine problems. Thisis not only because people with diàerent backgrounds bring newinformation., simply interacting with individuals who are diàerentforces group members to prepare better, to anticipate alternativeviewpoints and to expect that reaching consensus will take moreeàortTEDx Talks. (2014). The Power of Collaboration: Dr. ShelleVanEtten deSanchez at TEDxABQWomen. YouTube.4/15/2021 Laureate International Universitieshttps://laureate-au.blackboard.com/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_102672_1&content_id=_9647267_1&mode=reset 6/9Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmQVNE-MbKIThe power of collaboration and teamwork is amazing. We learn more,grow more, and build more personal and professional skills in theprocess of collaborating! It’s a huge conÕdence booster too! The videodeals with comparisons between working alone and the beneÕts ofcollaboration when working with others in teams.Olsson, S., & Walker, R. (2003). Through a Gendered Lens:Male and Female Executives’ Representations of Oneanother. Leadership and Management DevelopmentJournal. 24/7, 2003, 387-396.Executive leadership is constituted as a predominantly male domain,placing women in an antithetical position to executive power. In takinga social constructionist model of gender, the paper suggests that inthe corporate world, as elsewhere, perceptions of the behaviour ofmen and women are “automatically Õltered through a gendered lens”and reconstituted within a more general discourse on genderdiàerence, tapping into subconscious images of leadership toreinforce a masculinist construction of executive power.Landsinger, D. & Deane, B. (2005). The Diversity Council BestPractices Study. Anheuser-Busch, Study Sponsor for The GilDeane Group, Inc. Diane Landsinger, SPHR, Senior ResearchConsultant Barbara Deane, Senior Research Consultant. April 21,2005.This paper is devoted to Corporate Business Research intomulticultural market opportunities to identify diàerences in imagingpatterns across diàerent ethnic markets, cultures and socialsegments. Quantitative methods are used to understand their habitsand practices, as well as ethnographic and anthropological methodsto get a deep understanding of the diàerent assumptions and beliefs.Diversity criteria are used in the selection of top 20 executives.4/15/2021 Laureate International Universitieshttps://laureate-au.blackboard.com/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_102672_1&content_id=_9647267_1&mode=reset 7/9Milken institute. (2016). Diversity is a Reality. Inclusion is aChoice. YouTube. Retrieved fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbAAyD93YP4Many organizations embark on diversity programs without trulyunderstanding inclusion, a self-defeating approach that leads to poorresults. Diversity in the absence of inclusion rarely adds value to aworkforce. How can companies foster an inclusive work culture andensure that diverse perspectives, backgrounds and beliefs arerespected and harnessed? In this breakfast session, our panel willexamine the challenges companies face and explore innovativethinking and forward-looking strategies for these crucial issues.Barco TV. (2014). Collaboration in the Workplace. Time for aswitch. YouTube. Retrieved fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bnrqjMRcLcA fast-moving video supporting the assertion that 78% of USexecutives want their organization to collaborate better? And that 8out of 10 business leaders expect technology to make meetings moreproductive? These and more interesting survey Õndings aresummarized in this infographics movie.Granthorntontv. (2015). Women in Business- The value ofdiversity. YouTube. Retrieved fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXcxK18pRVsGround-breaking research in this video reveals strong link betweendiversity in decision-making and business growth prospects.Companies with diverse executive boards outperform peers run by allmale boards according to a new study which covers listed companiesin India, the UK and US. Our research estimates the opportunity cost4/15/2021 Laureate International Universitieshttps://laureate-au.blackboard.com/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_102672_1&content_id=_9647267_1&mode=reset 8/9for companies with male-only executive boards (in terms of lowerreturns on assets) at a staggering US$655 billion in 2014.Metcalfe. B. (2010). An investigation of female and maleconstructs of leadership and empowerment. OrganizationalPsychology. Emerald. Vol.25. No. 8. Pp 640 – 618This interesting article investigates the diàerences between male andfemale understanding of leadership and how this aàects theirdecisions.Learning Exercise 5.1. Competition and collaborationReview the resources for module 5.1. What do you see as the diàerence between competitionand collaboration?2. Assertions are often made that Competition is theorganisation’s sole creator of wealth. How is collaborationperceived and enacted in your organisation? How doescollaboration contribute to wealth creation?3. How might greater collaboration and less competition beapplied to your organisation’s decision making?Record your response in Discussion forum 5.1.To participate in the Discussion Forum, click here to scroll to thebottom of this page then click on the “Module 5 – DiscussionForum” link.Learning Activity 5.2: Building DiversityReview the resources in module 5.4/15/2021 Laureate International Universitieshttps://laureate-au.blackboard.com/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_102672_1&content_id=_9647267_1&mode=reset 9/91. What elements of diversity can you identify in your projectteam / workplace team?2. What are the challenges and beneÕts of diversity in teammembership?3. How might resistance to diversity be overcome bymanagers-decision makers in organisations?4. How might the advantages of creative tension in decisionmaking be explained to middle managers resisting change?Record your response in Discussion Forum 5.2.To participate in the Discussion Forum, click here to scroll to thebottom of this page then click on the “Module 5 – DiscussionForum” link.
