Chapter 7: Decision-Making Processes, Giving Voice, Listening, and Involvement

This chapter explores decision-making processes, giving voice, listening, and involvement within the actual perceptions of superintendents and principals who describe what giving voice, listening, and involvement meant to them in relation to their daily practices (theories-in-use; Argyris & Schön, 1978; Yukl, 2010). We situate superintendent and principal practices and rational decision-making models within a functionalist paradigm. We openly acknowledge that because functionalism is the prevailing paradigm for educational leaders’ work today (Burrell & Morgan, 1988), it is impossible to ignore; yet at the same time, it has inherent limitations that must be reconciled with building more democratic decisionmaking communities. To accomplish this, leaders must challenge existing systems of control over decision-making processes and enact a system that promotes more involvement and shared decision making. Leaders who are thoughtful about decision-making involvement choose to articulate and clarify shared decision-making models and processes. Enacting democracy within current normative assumptions of leadership control over decision-making behavior is at odds with moving toward more inclusive practices. We offer explicit models for decision-making processes for leaders to cultivate organizational cultures of shared decision making and where different perspectives can be heard to create an environment for dialogue around shared values (Sidorkin, 1999). We acknowledge inherent contradictions leaders face in promoting more democratic decisionmaking communities that challenge top-down mandates and hierarchical practices. Contradictions between individual and organizational expectations require leaders to be educated in new roles as collaborators and facilitators versus managers and enforcers of status quo practices.