Psychosocial Factors Affecting Decision-Making Participation Among MIS Users. Preliminary Exploratory Study in Polish Army

The aim of this preliminary study is to explore social factors - selected psychosocial determinants of decision-making participation as collectivism and individualism in the process of the Polish Army units command and control.The conclusions of the research will develop methods to support the development of leadership competencies, staff recruitment processes, and factors necessary to promote participatory decision-making styles on various levels of management.The study sample consisted of 168 managers of military, using MIS (Management Information Systems), selected randomly, employed in five military units in the region of Lower Silesia, Lubuskie and Poznan.The study included soldiers serving in management such as unit the commander, deputy commander of the unit, the commander of sub-units to the platoon level, heads of divisions, departments and sections of the military employees in positions which are subject to at least two people. All respondents were IT users.The most important research questions concerned the impact of collectivism and individualism (both egalitarian and hierarchical), on military managers’ readiness to conduct participatory decision-making processes.The most important finding of current study indicated that collectivism and individualism (egalitarian and hierarchical) affected the level of decision-making participation of SPP. Managers with a high level of individualism hierarchical require less participatory decision-making process, probably due to the need for their uniqueness associated with the competition.While managers with a high level of collectivism egalitarian prefer to engage subordinates in the decision-making process according to common goals and mutual dependence with others.The results of our study expand existing knowledge and research stream on participatory decision-making process in the the modern military army in transition countries. The conclusions can be applied by educators and military MIS managers to improve and enhance the operational efficiency of the army, as well as to improve the image of the Polish army.