Essay Example. Importance of Decision-Making and Timely Completion of Task

As Jankelová (2017) notes, decision-making is one of the most significant concepts both in life and the work environment since it has a strong linkage with such aspects, including timely completion o tasks, efficiency, effectiveness, and success. Notably, successful organizations and individuals achieve their life and work objectives through efficient and prompt decision-making (Jankelová, 2017). Therefore, it is worth noting that the decision-making process is determined and influenced by organizational and individual values, attitudes, and beliefs. Decision-making is defined as a situational process in which a decision-maker selects one cause of action from several alternatives, and thus decision-making forms part of problem-solving. Therefore, through the incorporation of relevant articles, the paper aims to analyze the importance of decision-making and prompt completion of tasks to both individual and organizational perspectives.

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Achievement of Objectives

Decision-making relates to major organizational functions, including directing, organizing, controlling, planning, and staffing. Hence, the decision-making process plays a significant role in achieving short-term and long-term organizational goals (Jankelová, 2017). The organization's management should use decision-making to allocate resources required in achieving specific roles in the organization. Planning is a significant organizational role put forth by Henri Fayol, mainly recognized as the father or pioneer of management principles. Managers have ever since incorporated the aspect of planning in decision-making to achieve desired results (Jankelová, 2017). Managers plan for resources and choose the best alternative cause of action that achieves organizational goals.

Moreover, timely completion of tasks would also create efficiency in the achievement of organizational objectives. Through their supervisors, employees can structure their time management so that daily operational objectives get completed within less duration and fewer complexities. The benefits of timely completion of the task would enable the organization to save operational costs and provide additional time to concentrate on other core organizational activities that add value and maximize profits (Jankelová, 2017).

Employee Motivation

Decision-making improves employee motivation and thus leads to prompt completion of the task. Effective decision-making provides an efficient operational framework in organizations (Hoch, 2012). Management is in a position to make relevant decisions that improve employee morale, making them work for the organization's common good. The management ensures that all decisions they undertake are directed toward creating an effective and enabling environment for the employees through the provision of relevant facilities and safety equipment (Hoch, 2012). The move would make employees feel valued and thus make them feel part of the organization. Moreover, the employees would perform their tasks according to the organization's guidelines, leading to maximum compliance with the organization's internal controls.

Notably, time is a precious commodity or asset that both individuals and organizations need desperately. Thus, effective time management would influence how the management plan for various programs directed towards employee's motivation. Motivated employees would complete their task in time as they would avoid any form of distraction while performing their duties (Hoch, 2012). The contemporary corporate environment offers multiple sources of distraction, including mobile technologies, instant messages, funny videos, and other social media platforms. A motivated employee or a motivated individual devoted in his work would not engage in such distractive elements, unless outside the scope of work. As the days go, "time is indeed money," Thus, the organization would realize much productivity and save on related cost on resources (Hoch, 2012).

Proper Utilization of Resources

Organizations have multiple resources ranging from human resources and money to materials and machines. Therefore, managers are responsible for ensuring the effective use of such resources to minimize cost and maximize profit. Notably, lack of organization process clarity undeniably implies slow and undesirable outcomes on the organization, especially on productivity (Practical cases, 2017). The concept holds not regarding the type of activity being undertaken by both individuals and organizations. Therefore, decision making is aligned with the concept of effective utilization of resources in maintaining an organization's productivity since it monitors staff performance and set targets (Practical cases, 2017). Moreover, decision making allows managers to manage organization projects with much-anticipated visibility, thus, reducing the risk of resource wastage while at the same time maximizing adequate return on investments (ROI).

Through effective decision-making, managers can coordinate the efficient flow of organizational activities since fewer resources would be used at the right time. For instance, managers can decide on alternative methods of energy to save on electricity costs. Moreover, every task would be allocated the required amount of resources for its adequate completion, and hence employees would be capable of completing the concerned jobs without delay (Practical Cases, 2017). Notably, human resource is the most important organizational resource as it determines the overall performance of the organization. Management should, therefore, make decisions directed toward the efficient use of employees. The organization should ensure that maximum output per worker is achieved and that all employees feel part of the organization. Such loopholes, including 'ghost workers,' should be eliminated, and fair remuneration should be implemented to avoid employee rotation (Practical cases, 2017).

Employees who receive fair remuneration would complete organization tasks in time and improve corporation and coordination among themselves, thus creating an effective, cohesive organizational environment. Effective management and utilization of resources would create time for the next phase of the planning process when the task is completed in time. The management can have adequate time to project production and resource requirements needed for subsequent production (Practical Cases, 2017). Moreover, prompt completion of tasks gives management time to evaluate the performance of the employees and develop more initiative toward improving human resources. In sum, timely completion of tasks ensures effective use of resources; hence the organization can save on cost.

Evaluation of Managers' Performance

Decisions are not only made to determine the best alternative cause of action, but they are equally used to measure the performance of the management. Notably, the management's quality or success largely depends upon the type of decision they make, which adds value to the organization. Therefore, a manager who makes the right decision would be rated high in terms of performance compared to managers whose decisions have less or no impact on an organization's success (Practical cases, 2017). Performance measurements are often carried out among the top-level managers. Most managers are mandated to make the decision that maximizes shareholders' value and wealth maximization. Most managers would be evaluated based on strategic decisions involving project appraisal on investments.

Managers would decide on appropriate investment among the many projects and ascertain the most viable investment with a positive net present value. Notably, these decisions are critical since they involve a commitment of a huge amount of capital; they are irreversible; they can lead to a substantial loss of financial resources, and lastly, they have an impact on organizational performance. Therefore, effective care should be undertaken while undertaking such decisions, and good return on investments on such projects would form the basis of performance evaluation (Practical cases, 2017). The decision-making process on the projects is also aligned with the concept of timely completion of the task. Managers are confronted with several projects with positive NPV but with different life cycles. The selection of projects with a minimum number of years to recoup the initial cash outlay would be most ideal as it would allow the company to reinvest into other projects after recovering its initial cash outlay (Practical cases, 2017). Projects with a small life circle would guarantee that there is no intention of liquidation once the cash outlay is recovered and that the organization would continue in existence for the foreseeable future. Hence managers must critically evaluate the cause and effect of the decision they make since it would act as a basis of performance evaluation or benchmark.

Cohesive Working Environment

Decision-making and timely completion of tasks are perceived as conjoined twins. The latter determine the achievement of the former. Different types of organizations exist, and thus different forms of decision-making (Moore et al., 2018). The decision types include centralized and decentralized decision-making. In a centralized decision-making approach, only top management and executives are responsible for making the decision. This type of organization has been associated with low employee morale due to non-involvement (Moore et al., 2018). Moreover, the employees feel left out in major issues affecting the organization. Thus, they lose a sense of ownership, which may jeopardize the organization's smooth operations and, hence, cause adverse effects on a cohesive working environment. Lack of corporative environment would only ensure that employees work to get remuneration to meet their needs, and the aspect of passion would be missing. Consequently, this would lead to untimely completion of tasks, which may also translate to wastage of resources.

In contrast, organizations that embrace decentralized decision-making have been tipped to reap the benefits arising from such an approach. Employees are perceived as important aspects of the organization, and hence they are involved and engaged in the decision-making process. Subsequently, employees would feel part and parcel of the organization, therefore, creating a sense of ownership, which translates to long-term cohesive working culture in the organization (Moore et al., 2018). Moreover, the participation of decision-making enables employees to have an opportunity to voice out their concerns, including their working environment, and provide solutions for necessary improvements. As stipulated by Moore et al. (2018), an organization that employs decentralized decision-making has an excellent corporate working climate and an increased level of teamwork, enabling employees and management to complete their tasks in time. Other benefits include increased productivity, improved manager-employee relations, maximum compliance to organizational rules, and increased output per worker.

Conclusion

In conclusion, decision-making and timely completion of tasks form a significant part of the organization's problem-solving process. Managers should select the most appropriate cause of action when confronted with multiple alternatives. The chosen alternative should be primarily aimed at maximizing organization value, improving organization operations, and benefiting all stakeholders of the organization.