An analytical study of health system managers’ decision-making models

Abstract

Background: Cultural differences between countries may lead to different decision-making styles. This may contribute to varied style choices being used by managers (in diverse countries), who play key roles in organizations’ decision-making processes. Objectives: The present study was conducted to analyze decision-making models used by health system managers in Iran. Patients and Methods: This was a qualitative research study conducted by interviews. The participants included 30 health system members employed at micro, intermediate and macro levels. In addition to the qualitative component of the research, after coding the responses were used. To gather qualitative data, participants were invited to illustrate their views and perceptions of how they processed allocation decisions in complex systems and what factors they applied. Data saturation was reached if an exaggerated response was found during analysis of the interview, and the response was removed from the sample. Results: The collaborative, authority submission and consultative decision-making styles were the most widely used among Iranian health system managers. The most widely used information sources for decision-making were official information, internal experts’ opinions, mental background and regulations, and upper level documents. Furthermore, 16.7 of the managers believed that they always had freedom in decision-making. There was no significant association between managers’ decision-making model and their position levels in the system, or their level of education. Conclusions: Crisis from inside or out-side the organization can affect health system managers’ decision-making processes. During the decision-making process, the most common restrictions can be attributed to a shortage of manpower and other sources. © 2015, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences.