Finding tools to improve decision-making in teams of experts is one of top priorities in management research. The present survey contributes to a research focusing on information processing in committees. The study should lead to the improvement of the
effectiveness and efficiency of the process of decision-making. We focus on the specific case wherein decisions are made regarding innovation and investments project proposals. In evaluating these project proposals go/no-go decisions and decisions regarding the allocation of budgets are made. These decisions are referred to as screening decisions.

When answering the questions, please keep in mind the last situation in which you are/were involved in a decision-making process regarding a specific case of an innovation or investment project proposal. The survey takes about fifteen to twenty minutes of your time.

Your answers will be treated confidentially and will only be used for an aggregate form of data analysis. No individual firm or manager will be identified in the study.

This study is part of a research program of the Institute for Management Research at the Radboud University in Nijmegen. This program investigates how the use of information and effectiveness and efficiency of decision-making could be improved.

When you are interested in receiving an executive summary of the study, please leave your e-mail address at the end of the survey.

Survey on Decision-making of committees.

We highly appreciate your cooperation!

Anouk den Ambtman Abstract Research – Decision-making of committees11th of May 2011

Purpose - The purpose of this research is the empirical investigation of the influence of market orientation as a strategic stance on the effectiveness and efficiency of the decision-making process under varying environmental conditions.

We investigate the moderating role of market orientation - the organization wide generation of market information mainly pertaining to customers and competitors, dissemination of this information across the business and the organization wide responsiveness with coordinated efforts to it – on the relationship between reflexivity - a ‘stop and think attitude’ and a dynamic capability at committee level - and the screening decision-making performance of committees. Market orientation refers to the idea of openness to the world outside and it is a process at organizational level.

Design/methodology/approach – Since it is impossible to capture the complex business environment in an experiment, a field research is developed. The added value of this methodological approach is the consideration of measuring the decision-making process in the reality of the complex business environment.

Expectations – Market orientation is thought to moderate the relationship between reflexivity and decision-making effectiveness and efficiency. The expectation is that the use of reflexivity makes more sense when at the same time the neutral external information (gathered by market orientation) is able to enter the organization and especially the decision-making room. However, it is also expected that market orientation could lead to an information overload and therefore might weaken the positive relationships between reflexivity and decision-making effectiveness and efficiency.

Implications – This exploratory research combines a dynamic capability and market orientation perspective.

Practical implications – Based on this research we promise to make recommendations to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of decision-making under high levels of complexity and uncertainty in committees.

Social Implications – Directly a more efficient decision-making process means a reduction of the waste of meeting time. Indirectly a more effective decision-making process means a reduction of the amount of money spent on bad investment projects.

Originality/value – The study is thought to be unique because it is a field study. Moreover, in recent research the dynamic capability perspective is assessed to be an important viewpoint to look at decisions. Finally, the combination of a market orientation and dynamic capability perspective is new.