TrainingBriefs® Understanding Decision-Making Styles

Making decisions. It’s a part of your life, every day. Deciding what to wear to work in the morning, what to eat for dinner, and whether to walk up the stairs or take the escalator are some of the easier decisions to make during a typical day. On the other hand, when it comes to making decisions at work that involve other people, your decision is dependent on a variety of perspectives, including your hierarchical or equality decision making style.

Different cultures have different perspectives on hierarchy vs. equality. Sometimes this is referred to as power distance. Power distance refers to the degree to which less powerful members of organizations accept that power is distributed unequally.