Scientific thinking and management are based on objectivity, facts and empirical evidence.

Decisions are made on quantifiable data and proof rather than on subjective opinions.

It's decision making and problem solving based on gathering the necessary information and data, and then analysing this, in order to make well-informed choices. It is based on managers being objective, rational, and logical rather than being instinctive or subjective.

They're objective, well informed decisions based on a range of primary and secondary evidence and calculation

Intuitive thinking and management are based on personal beliefs, perceptions and instincts (gut feelings).

It's decision making and problem solving that are based on instinct and experiences, rather than scientific methods such as logic, empirical evidence, and data. It is based on people's knowledge, insights, gut feelings, instinct, an inner voice, or faith.

Most decisions are based on a combination of both scientific and intuitive aspects.

The choice of decision-making depends on numerous factors such as:

• Extent of work experience.

• The scale of the decision.

• The urgency of the decision.

The work of directing a business organisation’s limited resources to achieve business objectives.

Responsibilities:

• planning

• coordinating – ensuring that everyone is performing their assigned duties and that efforts among employees are coordinated

• commanding – making decisions that impact a business’s day-to-day operations

• controlling – ensuring task and project completion

• resolving problems – solving day-to-day issues that arise

In general, management can be categorised into three levels:

• Senior management are the highest-ranking managers who set and oversee the long-term plans and strategies of the organization. They are ultimately held responsible for the results of the business.

• Middle management are managers who establish departmental goals and strategies and are responsible for the staff within their respective divisions.

• Supervisory management (or junior management) are the lower-ranking managers who monitor the regular and routine day-to-day tasks of the organization.

The use of strategic and creative thinking that inspires people to meet challenges and accomplish goals.

A leader has a more visionary role in a business than a manager. Strong leadership is required to keep a company operating competitively, which involves strategic and creative thinking. Leaders inspire and challenge the status quo; they engage in the fundamentally important task of ‘thinking outside the box’. 

Successful leader:

• a guiding vision

• passion

• integrity – consisting of self-knowing, honesty and maturity

• trust

• curiosity and daring

• leader has complete control of operations

• speeds up decision-making process

• provides workers clear sense of direction & clarity over their roles

  • understand exactly what is expected

• effective when critical and urgent decisions need to be made

• Suitable with Employees: unskilled, inexperienced, lack initiative, need clear directions

• Creativity & innovation are suppressed & discouraged as employees are not involved in the decision-making process

  • Does not build intrapreneurial spirit or leaders in the workplace 

• Does not develop internal talents of workforce

• Demotivates employees as their opinions are not valued

  • Some don’t like being bossed around

• These can result in a higher labour turnover rate, which is costly 

• Dependent on leader which freezes decision making when absent

• It can motivate staff as they feel guided and that their interests are protected

• It can ensure harmonious relationships at work as the leader genuinely values the staff

• high loyalty to the leader and the organization

• It can create a sense of belonging, helping to meet workers’ safety and social needs (Maslow’s hierarchy of needs)

• Overall, these advantages are good for staff morale, motivation and productivity and hence beneficial to the organization (such as lower staff turnover and higher profitability).

• Decision-making is still centralized, so workers can become dissatisfied if their views are ignored

• Demotivating being disciplined by a more family like figure

• Communication is mainly top-down, from senior management

• If the company experiences hard times, difficult decisions will have to be made and employees let go. This can cause great disruption to a business.

• Workers feel valued as they are actively encouraged to participate in the decision-making process

• Workers feel motivated as they are empowered

• The most is made out of the skills, experiences and creativity of the employees

• Collaboration leads to higher morale and improved productivity

• The organization takes advantage of the innovative potential of its employees

• Getting regular feedback and consulting employees also helps the organization to better understand their concerns

• These advantages benefit the organization from higher levels of motivation and staff loyalty.

• It may result in disagreement and disharmony; it is not realistic to please everyone, all of the time

• It is ineffective when critical decisions need to be made quickly, and sometimes workers just need to do what they are told to get their jobs done

• It can be time consuming, especially if managers do not have the time to consult everyone, so decision-making is often delayed

• Hence, democratic decision-making can be costly

• These disadvantages can cause negative impacts on the daily operations of the organization.

• Can be motivational as employees have freedom to carry out tasks in any effective way they wish

• Encourages individuals to be creative, and thus helps the firm become more innovative

• helps to develop an intrapreneurial culture in the organization, helping the business to gain competitive advantages

• It helps to build drive (Pink’s motivation theory) among employees because the leader is places implicit trust in the workforce by giving them autonomy in decision-making

• Overall, the positive impacts of laissez-faire leadership help to achieve greater productivity, staff morale, lower labour turnover and higher profitability.

• Monitoring and coordination of business operations are made more difficult and time-consuming, especially as there is an absence of managerial control

• Slack (complacency) can arise due to a very minimal level of supervision involved

• It does not suit all workers as they may want or prefer clear guidance and direction; having a large amount of freedom to make decisions can worry some workers.

• effective leaders have to be adaptive, rather than rigid in their leadership style

• Possibly most practical as it applies to almost all business organizations

• The dynamic nature of the external business environment means that leaders have to adjust their style to suit different situations and changes in the market.

• If workers become used to a particular leadership style, they may become disheartened and unsettled if the leader or manager needs changes their style

• Most people have a preferred or natural leadership style, so changing or adopting a different style can be difficult and uncharacteristic for them.