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The relative influence of four power bases was investigated in four decision-making contexts using data from forty successfully implemented decisions. The analysis suggests that position power decreases in influence while resource power and political power increase in influence as decision contexts vary from less to more uncertainty. Expert power derives its influence when organizational uncertainty is low and when technical uncertainty is reduced, whereas political power thrives when organizational uncertainty is high and when technical uncertainty remains high. Indexing the influence of power bases provides greater understanding of decision processes than the sociological or social-psychological approaches of studying participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors identify the key organizational and environmental characteristics that influence the effectiveness and efficiency of publicly funded service organizations. In a study of 40 community mental health centers (CMHCs), they used fulfillment of community needs as a measure of effectiveness and utilization of various services as a measure of efficiency. The results indicate that client educational status, state facility utilization, minority population, personnel expense, management type, and board composition affect need fulfillment. The study also illuminates the relationship between efficiency and effectiveness of publicly funded service organizations. The findings suggest that the allocation of resources to these organizations from local, state, and federal governments tends to be based on the extent of unmet needs for services. That is, the less the publicly funded service organization meets community needs, the more government funds are allocated to meet the needs. If the unmet needs that stimulate higher levels of funding actually reflect inefficiency, the inverse relationship between effectiveness and efficiency suggests that the government's resource allocation may not be based on performance, but may in fact be rewarding inefficiency. The findings suggest that legitimacy does not enhance efficiency and that legitimacy and efficiency may be entirely independent, which is consistent with institutional theory. The study results will be of practical use to community leaders, taxpayers, consumer advocates, regulatory agencies, and managers of community mental health organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research evaluated four methods of eliciting subjective likelihood ratio estimates. The methods differed in terms of amount and structure of interaction permitted between estimators. These processes were individual estimates, and three group processes: a Talk-Estimate process approximating an interacting group, an Estimate-Feedback-Estimate process as an approximation of a Delphi group, an Estimate-Talk-Estimate process as combination of nominal and interacting groups. In this study the Estimate-Talk-Estimate group process was superior in approaching correct estimates in this judgmental task. This is consistent with the long research tradition which favors group as opposed to individual problem-solving in judgmental situations. The individual Estimate process and the Estimate-Feedback-Estimate technique performed about equally well with respect to both error and variability. If anything, written feedback appeared to lead to a reduction in the quality of estimates. Finally, the relatively poor results from the Talk-Estimate process are consistent with other studies which have pointed out dysfunctions of inter- acting group processes for judgmental tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]