Constructive controversy, the Vroom‐Yetton model, and managerial decision‐making

Abstract Empirical tests have indicated that following the Vroom‐Yetton Normative Model of leadership predicts reliably to successful managerial decision‐making. However, it does not consider the kind of social interaction among decision makers. Recent experiments have demonstrated that controversy constructively discussed can facilitate decision‐making. To see whether constructive controversy can supplement the Vroom‐Yetton model, 58 managers enrolled in an executive‐level MBA programme described a successful and unsuccessful decision‐making experience by answering the Vroom‐Yetton questions and by indicating the extent those involved in making the decision experienced constructive controversy. Results indicate that both the Vroom‐Yetton model and constructive controversy are significantly related to successful decision‐making. A regression analysis indicated that constructive controversy accounted for 45 per cent of the variance of decision success whereas the Vroom‐Yetton model accounted for 5 per cent. While the Vroom‐Yetton model is useful at the preplanning stage for choosing a decision style, much greater contribution is provided by constructive discussions of opposing opinions when actually generating the decision.