TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT:

Decision making is an important management process in any organization. Without decision, nothing can be properly planned or accomplished. Decisions may be simple - and with sufficient foresight - or complex and with lack of foresight. Modern management techniques encourage the use of participative decision making, stressing that productive and efficient results can  come out of this decision making process. This management technique allows its employees, individuals or groups to take part in decision making. This is known as participative management. The availability of information is vital  to the decision making process.

Involvement of the staff  in the  decision making process is a  major strength of  participative management. Since participative management pushes decision making  down to lower levels, the higher level officials need to develop their competence, expertise and experience.

It does not believe in punishment as a tool of control. The group is supportive of the individuals/employees comprising it  and intended to fulfil  the organizational objectives. In the process of decision making, the participation of staff is considered from various aspects such as:

What are the systems of participation at present? 

Are people involved in issues that affect them? 

Are they being consulted specifically when a vital decision is being taken (e.g. Application of Information Technology)? 

Is involvement early enough or regular enough? 

Participative management, being one of the human  relations techniques, lays much emphasis on satisfying a greater proportion of people's needs at work. It is considered conducive to high staff morale to provide more delegation, to push decision making lower down the staff hierarchy, and to  involve staff in setting their own objectives and in evaluating their achievements.

Participative management structures and styles create conditions at work which enable staff to realize their potential, make greater use of their  professional training and thus improve  the effectiveness of the  service offered.