The British & Autocratic Decision Making

The combination of egalitarian and hierarchical values, and the focus on status and formality result in a slightly autocratic decision making process.

This creates bureaucratic organisations that can at times be slow to respond to challenges, but which on the other hand are very stable and long lived. The thinking behind this is that bureaucracy often results in a less bumpy ride which many of the slightly risk-adverse British like.

The British are aware that their slightly autocratic decision making process can mean that decisions are made by people who are not the experts. This is often the case because the decisions makers are at the top of the organisation whilst the people who experience the problems are at the bottom of the hierarchy. This can create a situation where the decisions can only be as good as the information provided.

However, the decision making model has and is working well for many British. The reasons for its success are often said to be:

• The managers in charge have the experience and are the best decision makers in the companies
• It is preferable to have senior people being responsible for making the correct decisions. This frees the other employees in the organisation to do their jobs.
• Autocratic decision making results in rapid and efficient decisions.