Abstract

When dealing with poorly structured problems for which there are unclear solution techniques, good decision-making is particularly helpful. There is little research on effective decision-making and business performance. Therefore, the primary goal of this study was to assess how effective decision-making methods affected the productivity of the Douala-based OSS Consulting firm. Specifically, the study sought to examine the influence of advocacy and dialogic decision making on OSS Consulting firm performance.

To achieve these objectives, survey research design was adopted to randomly sample 16 staffs and employees of OSS Consulting firm in Douala using structured-questionnaire. Collected data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with the aid of SPSS.

The study revealed that the performance of the OSS Consulting firm was considerably impacted by sound decision-making methods. Additionally, it was discovered that dialogic decision-making procedures had a considerable impact on OSS Consulting.  The study did discover that the performance of the OSS Consulting firm was not greatly impacted by advocacy decision-making procedures. The study came to the conclusion that OSS Consulting should adopt advocate decision making, in which the company moved forward with a choice regardless of the result.

Dialogic decision-making procedures made guaranteed that all decision-makers carefully considered all proposals. The study suggested that when OSS Consulting uses advocacy decision making and just one option is chosen, all decision-makers and stakeholders should evaluate the choice to determine its viability.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background To The Study 

Decisions are essential in everyday personal, career or professional life. Making a decision means making a judgment or making a choice between two or more alternatives. As human beings, we make decisions every moment of our lives with the belief that such choices are logical and rational, having weighed the advantages and disadvantages of the various likely outcomes (Asikhia and Mba, 2021).

A distinct characteristic of an effective manager is making a calculated and wise choice from a range of available options. Decision-making plays a major role in both private and public organizations as well as in profit and not-for-profit organizations (Elbanna & Child, 2007). Every organization grows, prospers or fails as a result of the decisions made by its managers, such that the business world is replete with evidence and outcomes of both good and bad decisions. It is essential, therefore, to build skills in being a good decision-maker.

A good decision-maker chooses actions that give the best outcome for themselves and others, by not being biased, but by making rational choices after researching the alternatives and understanding their consequences. Strategic decision-making as an important aspect of every organization is the responsibility of top-level management because there is an important link between the decision-making process and outcomes.

Decisions are effective and accurate if they correspond with rationality since they consist of several alternatives for consideration before concluding execution (Skinner, 2007). This is embedded through the rational choice theory that suggests that the best decisions are those which are rational such that they have been articulated under clear reasoning as a result of thorough cost and benefit analysis to assure that they are certain to fit the required and expected outcome as far as they are concerned (Grant, 2011). In any organization, it is usually obligatory and mandatory that Directors and Managers make numerous decisions that may be either simple or complex with low or high impact within or outside the organization.

Due to increasing competition, the organization is required to constantly revise its product and service mix and managerial methods to increase productivity (Batley & Daly, 2006). Modern conditions of dynamic competition, sophisticated information technology, knowledge economy, and market globalization, have changed the relation to the importance of decision-making in organizations. Then, strategic decision-making will play a critical role in the performance of the organization. Of course, financial, technological, and other material resources are undoubtedly also critical to the organization‟s success in any competitive market.

Characteristically, strategic decisions are long-term, highly unstructured, complex, and inherently risky and have a great impact on the future of the organization. Strategic decisions are those important decisions that typically require a large number of organizational resources and a firm’s environmental consideration. In decisions, top management usually plays a central role, in making decisions (Hofer & Schendel, 2008).

These decisions influence organizational direction, administration, and structure (Christensen et al., 2002). Since decision not only affects the organization in which they are taken but also the society (Colignon & Cray, 2000), it is not surprising that the decision-making process has been heavily researched (Amason, 2006). One stream of this research has focused on the decision-making process and factors influencing the process. (Van Bruggen et al., 2008).

Decision-making is so important that none of the managerial functions can be performed without it (Trewatha & Newport, 2012). They argued that for management purposes, decisions are required in planning, organizing, actuating and controlling. Plunkett and Attner (2004) suggested that decision-making is an important part of managers’ jobs. A manager makes decisions constantly while performing managerial functions. But none of his activities is more important than making wise decisions (Newman & Warren, 2007).

1.2 Statement Of The Problem

Decisions can be costly or beneficial depending on the approach to the decision-making process used and the quality of the decisions made. The gravity of decision-making increases as one moves up the organization’s hierarchy. While the impact of erroneous decision-making at the lower levels of the firm is at times costly, the situation could be more pronounced even catastrophic when the erroneous decision was made at a higher managerial level in the firm.

In other words, the propagation of errors made at the higher levels of management is more severe than at the lower levels of the firm. This then underscores the need to enhance decision-making practices at the firm.

At OSS consulting company, most of the decision-making practices are problem-oriented rather than objective or goal-oriented. This puts OSS consulting firms in a reactive situation rather than proactive which often limits the time and resources needed to solve the problems and also stifles strategic operations. Therefore, most decision-making approaches adopted by OSS consulting firms lack this strategic or good element.

Furthermore, there is scant literature on good decision-making practices and firm performance concerning the service industry in Cameroon. Consequently, not much has been done to evaluate the influence of good decision-making practices on the performance of service firms in Cameroon which usually operate on limited resources and fixed timelines to achieve their objectives. It’s against this gap that this current study sought to assess the influence of good decision-making on the performance of OSS consulting Douala.

1.3 Research Questions

1.3.1 Main Research Question

What is the Influence of Good Decision Making on the Performance of OSS Consulting Douala?

1.3.2 Specific Research Questions

1. To what extent do advocacy decision-making practices influence the performance of OSS Consulting Douala?
2. To what extent do dialogic decision-making practices on the performance of OSS Consulting Douala?

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