Decision-Making Outcomes — Procedural Justice, Fairness, and Legitimacy
Procedural Justice
Procedural Justice Definition
The process by which a decision is made significantly influences implementation and follow-through of the solution.
Consensus
Consensus Key
The key aspect to the outcome of a critical decision is consensus among the team responsible for enactment.
Consensus ≠ Unanimity
Consensus Not Unanimity
In many cases, consensus does NOT mean unanimity; consensus is:
- A commitment to
- Shared understanding of
…the desired outcome.
Procedural Fairness
Procedural Fairness Definition
Airmen must work to make sure a decision process is fair and legitimate.
When Process Lacks Legitimacy
Process Lacks Legitimacy
Even when participants agree with the chosen course of action, if they do not see the process as legitimate, they are often disenchanted with the outcome.
Fairness Supports Decisions
Fairness Supports Decisions
Procedural fairness provides support to decision-makers, especially when they are making unpopular decisions.
Fair Processes Build Consensus
Fair Processes Build Consensus
Fair processes:
- Help build consensus
- More importantly, aid in implementation because participants feel that all perspectives have been considered and analyzed
Subjective Analysis Risk
Subjective Analysis Risk
If decision-makers are subjective in their analysis, participants lose faith in the decision process, making it difficult to support the outcome.
Time + Venues
Time + Venues Important
Providing participants with:
- Time and venues to express their positions
- A transparent system of weighing different perspectives
…is important.
Final Decision Confidence
Final Decision Confidence
When final decisions are made, the fairness of the process is what allows Airmen to rally around the designated way ahead with confidence that the decision-maker considered all aspects before finalizing which course of action to pursue.
Camel Adage
Camel Adage
From an application standpoint, some leaders seek consensus as a means of empowering their people; however, the adage that "a camel is a horse built by consensus" is not so farfetched. Great leaders do NOT seek consensus — they BUILD it.
Procedural Legitimacy
Procedural Legitimacy Definition
Procedural legitimacy in decision-making occurs when:
- The decision process is perceived to be in line with an organization's socially accepted norms and desired behaviors
Creating Decision Legitimacy
7 Decision Legitimacy Methods
To create an organizational culture of decision legitimacy, leaders should:
- Provide a process roadmap at the beginning of the decision process
- Reinforce and demonstrate an open mindset
- Engage in and encourage active listening
- Separate advocacy from analysis
- Explain the decision rationale once made
- Express appreciation for everyone's participation
- Express how alternative inputs contributed to the process