
A New Look at The Decision Making Process in Management from The Framework of Actor Network Theory
Chapter from the book:
Mücevher,
M.
H.
(ed.)
2025.
New Concept and Theory Proposals for Management Science.
Synopsis
Decision making covers a wide range from individuals to organizations. Although it evokes a choice between options, determining the most appropriate option complicates the decision-making process. In traditional approaches, decision making has been considered as an approach specific to humans only. However, over time, increasing technological developments, changing conditions and complex structures have caused the decision-making process to become related to other entities and processes beyond humans. At this point, actor network theory is important in terms of showing that non-human entities (actants) also play an important role in understanding many processes. Therefore, this study aims to examine managerial decision-making processes within the framework of actor network theory. In this framework, the decision-making process, which consists of the stages of defining the problem, revealing the options, examining the options, determining the most appropriate option and implementing the decision, has been associated with the basic concepts of actor network theory such as translation, generalized symmetry and mandatory transition point. It is important for managers to frame the problems correctly and develop solution alternatives through appropriate actors in a healthy decision-making process. Sometimes, in addition to making decisions alone, managers also make decisions with group members. This situation involves managers convincing other actors and including them in the process. It is seen that managers use the actants in the network to make decisions at each stage, and that actants play a central role in convincing the actors. In addition, it can be said that the elements such as procedures, ethical codes and legislation that managers must comply with when making decisions are mandatory transition points and sometimes make it difficult for managers to make decisions. In this respect, it has been concluded that they are guided by the networks that frame them rather than just their own preferences when making decisions, and that they transform over time.