1. Lecture 6
Topics
Observation
Observation Sampling
STROBE

2. Observation helps confirm what has been found through other methods
Observation provides insight on what organizational members actually do
Observation provides information about decision makers and their environments that is unavailable through any other method
Observation helps confirm what has been found through other methods

3. Observing Decision Makers
Guidelines
Decide what is to be observed (activities)
Decide the level of concreteness of the activities
Create category of activities that adequately capture key activities
Prepare appropriate scales, checklists, or other materials for observation
Decide when to observe

4. Basic Approaches to observation
Time sampling
Observe the decision maker’s activity 5 randomly chosen 10 minutes intervals throughout 7 days
Advantage:
Reduce bias from random Observation
Views the activities that occurs frequently
Disadvantage:
May not give the entire picture
Event sampling
Sampling a single event
Event Example: board meeting, training session
Observation of an important event
More time
Observe the body language of the decision maker

5. Recording Observations
Systematic techniques for recording observations include
Adjective pairs
Category systems
Play scripts
Checklists
Scales

6. Adjective Pairs

7. Category Systems

8. Playscript

9. STROBE (STRuctured OBservation of the Environment )
A technique for observing the decision maker's environment
Provides a standard methodology and classification for the analysis of the elements that influence decision making
Other analysts can apply the same framework to the same organization
Limits analysis to the organization as it exists during the current life cycle stage

10. Analyzes the following environmental elements
STROBE Elements
Analyzes the following environmental elements
Office location
Placement of the decision maker's desk
Stationary office equipment
Props
External objects
Office lighting and color

11. Accessible offices Inaccessible offices Main corridors, open door
Office Location
Accessible offices
Main corridors, open door
Major traffic flow area
Increase interaction frequency and informal messages
Inaccessible offices
May view the organization differently
Drift apart from others in objectives

12. Placement of the Decision Maker's Desk
Visitors placed in a tight space, back to wall, large expanse behind desk
Indicates maximum power position
Desk facing the wall, chair at side
Encourages participation
Equal exchanges

13. Stationary Office Equipment
File cabinets, bookshelves, and large storage equipment
If not present, person stores few items of information personally
If an abundance, person stores and values information

14. Pens, pencils, and rulers If present, person processes data personally
Props
Calculators
Personal computers
Pens, pencils, and rulers
If present, person processes data personally

15. Trade Journals and Newspapers
Trade journals or newspapers present indicate the person values outside information
Company reports, memos, policy handbooks indicate the person values internal information

16. Office Lighting and Color
Warm, incandescent lighting indicates
A tendency toward more personal communication
Gather more informal information
Brightly lit, bright colors
Gather information in more formal ways (memos, reports)