| Abstract: | Reviews theory and research on the distribution of power in organizations. Theories stressing power centralization are contrasted with the contemporary emphasis on the sharing of decision-making power. A situational-process approach to power relationships and group decision making integrates previous research and directs future study. This approach views power relationships as intervening processes in organizational development, with multiple determinants and outcomes. The group decision process is characterized as a multiphased process, in which participation, multiple bases of power, and interaction dynamics affect power relationships. Linkages between decision processes and power, and between power and organizational consequences, are mediated by characteristics of the organizational environment, decision tasks, and individual motives. (89 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
