The Decision Style Inventory : O.D.

Applications
by James D. Boulgarides Introduction This article reports the use of the Decision Style Inventory (DSI) [1] in two different organisational development contexts. The first was at the organisational level, while the second was at the individual level. The results demonstrate the flexibility of the DSI as an organisational and personal development tool. The two O.D. interventions are identified as Case 1 and Case 2. Decision Styles Decision styles, as used here, describe the manner in which an individual makes decisions, reacts to problems, handles information, and interacts with others. The early work in the field dealt principally with such aspects of decision making as information handling or problem solving. A number of approaches dealt only with leadership and interpersonal relations. The Decision Style Inventory used in this study incorporates both information handling and leadership. The decision style model shown in Figure 1 is based on how people think and what is important to them. Early research in cognitive psychology examined an individual's ability to extract a number of dimensions from data or examined the individual's ability to utilise varying constructs to evaluate information. Thus individuals were found to have either a need for structure or a high tolerance for ambiguity, which is used as one dimension of the model. The second dimension of the model incorporates research in the field of leadership. This includes the leader's concern for people contrasted with how they feel regarding the work to be done. Putting the above two dimensions together, we derive four basic decision styles. These are: *Directive Style: This style covers those individuals who enjoy directing others and are very concerned with the work to be done. *Analytic Style: This style characterises those individuals who are very logical, are good problem solvers, and think abstractly. *Conceptual Style: This style covers those who are broad thinkers, are creative, and enjoy art or music. *Behavioural Style: This style includes those who are very concerned about others and are supportive. Another way of looking at decision styles is to consider whether people are predominantly left- or right-brain oriented. The left hemisphere of the brain deals with our ability to think logically and to be verbal. The right hemisphere is primarily used for global thinking and covers the emotional and artistic aspects of decision making. The four styles shown above are consistent with the left/right brain description. The relationship of decision style to left/right brain can be readily seen in Figure 1. The Directive and Analytic styles together constitute the left brain, while the Behavioural and Conceptual represent the right brain functions. 17
Directive Analytic Conceptual Behavioural

Case 1 - Organisational Assessment Case 1 is a high technology company in a rapid growth cycle. As a result of the growth, there were many new supervisory appointments. The DSI was applied at two levels of the engineering department, the executive and manager levels. The sample sizes were all male executives (N=9) and managers (N=18). The time frame for the OD intervention was from November 1982 to January 1983. The decision styles of the two groups are shown below.
Comparison Executives to Managers + 11 -11 + 3 - 3 0

Executives N=9 83 83 82 52 300

Managers N=18 72 94 79 55 300

Comparing the two groups, we note that the executive group is more Directive (+11) while the manager group is more Analytic (+11). The groups are very close in Conceptual and Behavioural. The Directive bias of the executives indicates they are more concerned with output, while the managers are more concerned with technical performance. As far as left-brain, right-brain orientation is concerned, the data for the two groups show that they are the same. Both groups are left-brain which is task-oriented, (Analytic + Directive = 166). As far as top-half, bottom-half orientation is concerned, the managers are slightly more top-half which is thinking oriented, while the executives are more bottom-half which is action oriented.

An interesting comparison with a sample of 259 women architects, Boulgarides [2], shows a strong similarity to the managers.

individual. The Production Control manager is also highly Analytic (103), almost identical in that respect with the General Manager. Also left-brain task oriented, but not as Directive as the General Manager. The Production Control manager is a very ambitious, hard working, impatient and serious individual. While the production control function is very action oriented, fast-paced and focused, the marketing function is less well-defined, more ambitious and longer term in perspective. The behaviour which produces the desired results in production control would be inappropriate in the marketing function. It is interesting to compare the Production Control manager with the predecessor Marketing manager.

It is very interesting to note that the managers and women architects have identical scores for the Analytic and Behavioural. The women architects are slightly more Conceptual (+6) than the managers. Case 2 - Organisational Change Case 2 involved a lateral transfer within a speciality manufacturing firm which was in a declining, highly competitive market. The time frame was October, 1982. During the period from 1979 the general manager of the division had made a number of structural changes. The changes included a shift from individual management responsiblity to group responsibility for performance. The changed emphasis represented a shift from the individual to a team concept. The resulting improved performance was very impressive. The lateral transfer involved the appointment of the Production Control manager to the position of Marketing manager. It is helpful to analyse the decision styles of the General Manager and the Production Control manager at the time of the transfer.

The Analytic and Directive scores are close, within six units. There is an eight unit difference in the Conceptual, but the most significant difference is in Behavioural, with a 19 unit difference. The marketing function is more customer service oriented and Behavioural is an important characteristic. The predecessor Marketing Manager is more right-brain than the Production Control manager, (129 compared to 118). Discussion of the Decision Style scores with the newly appointed Marketing Manager in terms of the functional responsibility of marketing compared to production control lead to some significant behavioural changes which were described by both the new Marketing manager and the General Manager as an opening-up, a change in focus from internal to external events. Decision Style and Values An individual's personal value system determines how that individual will behave. For that reason, values of individuals have been studied over a long period of time. The values of women architects were measured using the Allport, et al., "Study of Values" [3]. The Allport system of values measures the relative strength of six values, theoretic, economic, aesthetic, social, political and religious. A description of these six values is contained in the Appendix. England (4) has provied the following description of a value system: "A personal value system is viewed as a relatively permanent perceptual framework which shapes and influences the general nature of an individual's behaviour. Values are similar to attitudes but are more ingrained, permanent and stable in nature." The signficant correlations between the Allport Values and the Decision Styles are shown in Table 1. The Directive is positively correlated with Economic and Political values which represent materialism, results and power. The Directive is also negatively correlated with Aesthetic and Religious values which include artistic sensitivity and spiritual values. The Directive individual is thus results and task oriented. The Analytic is positively correlated with Theoretic value which relates to theory and problem solving. The Analytic is also negatively correlated with Economic and
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The General Manager is highly Directive (108) and Analytic (105), a very strong left-brain, or taskorientation. A very results oriented, demanding, impatient

Table 1 : Significant Correlations - Allport Values and Decision Styles. Women Architects (N=259) Decision Styles Allport Values Theoretic Economic Aesthetic Social Political Religious +.1793 .002 -.0991 .059 +.1953 .001 -.2045 .001 -.0995 .058 Directive Analytic Conceptual Behavioural +.1759 .003 -.1063 .046 -.2101 .001 -.2462 .001 -.0920 .073 +.2768 .001 -.1551 .007 + .1200 .029 -.2995 .001

sense, the high Directive characteristic may be counterproductive in terms of the negative effect on organisational creativity. The question merits further study. In the second setting of a lateral transfer, the Decision Styles of the new Marketing manager were not compatible with the new job requirements. One of the reasons stated by the General Manager for the transfer was to "broaden" the individual who had been effective as Production Control manager. In this instance, the Decision Style Inventory served as a personal development tool. Having validated his own scores, the Marketing manager recognised the differences in job requirements between the two assignments of production control and marketing. While the production control function is very left-brain and task oriented, the marketing function is more right-brain and people-oriented. The Marketing manager then proceeded to change his work behaviour. The correlations between the Decision Style Inventory and the Allport Values further strengthen confidence in the Decision Style Inventory. In the study of women architects the predicted correlations between the two instruments do occur in five out of six cases. Dr. Boulgarides is a registered professional engineer in the State of California. His experience covers many years in business, education and government. He is a management consultant in the areas of creativity, management objectives, leadership and team building. He has served as Mayor of Culver City and chairman of its Redevelopment Agency. Dr. Boulgarides is currently Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, California State University, Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, California 90032, USA. Appendix : Description of Allport Values Theoretical - The dominant interest of the theoretical man is the discovery of truth.. .Since the interests of the theoretical man are empirical, critical, and rational, he is necessarily an intellectualist, frequently a scientist or philosopher. His chief aim in life is to order and systemise his knowledge... Economic - The economic man is characteristically interested in what is useful... This type is thoroughly "practical" and conforms well to the prevailing stereotype of the average American businessman... Aesthetic - The aesthetic man sees his highest value in form and harmony. Each single experience is judged from the standpoint of grace, symmetry, or fitness. He regards life as a procession of events, each single impression is enjoyed for its own sake.... Social - The highest value for this type is love of people... The social man prizes other persons as ends, and is therefore himself kind, sympathetic and unselfish. He is likely to find the theoretical, economic, and aesthetic values cold and inhuman. Political - The political man is interested primarily in power... Leaders in any field generally have high power value... There are certain personalities in whom the desire for a direct expression of power is uppermost, who wish above all else for personal power, influence and renown. Religious - The highest value of the religious man may be called unity. He is mystical, and seeks to comprehend the cosmos as a whole, to relate himself to its embracing totality... A person does not belong exclusively to one or the other of these types of values. That is, the six areas represent "ideal types"; no person is fully explained by any one type.

Social values. The Analytic is thus a theoretical individual not too concerned with results or with social issues. The Conceptual is negatively correlated with Economic, Aesthetic and Social values. The Conceptual is the creative thinker, not always practical, artistic or socially concerned. The Behavioural is positively correlated with Social and Religious values which means socially concerned, caring and spiritually inclined. The Behavioural is also negatively correlated with Theoretic and Political values, which indicates lack of interest in abstract issues or in having power over others. The Behavioural individual is people oriented. The correlations between the Allport Values and the Decision Styles support the Decision Style Model concept. The match, or "fit" between the Decision Style Model and the Allport Values is shown in Figure 2.

The one anomaly between the Allport Values and the Decision Style Model is in the Conceptual-Aesthetic which showed a negative correlation. This may be explained by the high Aesthetic score of the women architects. Conclusions The utility of the Decision Style Inventory as a diagnostic and personal development tool has been demonstrated in two different settings. The first setting was a vertical comparison of two different levels in an engineering organisation. The primary finding is that the upper level is more Directive while the lower level is more Analytic. This is consistent with the primary responsibilities of the respective levels. The results may also be indicative of the characteristics which result in promotion to higher levels in an engineering organisation, the high Directive. In one 19

References 1. Rowe, A.J. and Boulgarides, J.D., "Decision Styles... A Perspective", paper presented at the Western Academy of Management meeting, Santa Barbara, California, March 1983. 2. Boulgarides, J.D., "A Profile of Women Architects in the United States", Equal Opportunities International, 3(2), 1984 (forthcoming). Allport,G.W., Vernon, P.E. and Lindzey, G., Study of Values, 3rd ed., Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1960.

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4. England, G.W., "Personal Value Systems of American Managers", Academy of Management Journal, 10, 1967, pp. 53-68.

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