Participative Decision Making

The study aims to explore whether Ajzen's theory of planned behavior is determinant of managers' propensity for participative decisionmaking in Bangladeshi textile industries. Surveys measuring the theory of planned behavior assumptions and propensity for participative decision-making were administered to 384 full-time managers and supervisors from different textile industries across Bangladesh. A measurement and structural equation model were employed to explain the cause-and-effect relationship between the variables. Results generally support Ajzen's prediction that managers' psychological and psychosomatic predisposition is linked to participative decisionmaking. Findings suggest that managers' attitude toward participative decision-making, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control significantly impact their avoidance or acceptance of participative decision-making in prevailing organizational settings. The findings also present a convincing argument for managers to constantly challenge their assumptions about workers and objectively analyze whether their perceptions affect their decision-making practices. The previous studies concerning managers' propensity for participative decisionmaking are conducted in western developing and developed nations. This study has taken the initiative to advance previous knowledge into a least developed country. This study expands the landscape of participative decision-making literature, adding further evidence that individual-difference variables, in this case, theory of planned behavior assumptions, greatly influence managers' and supervisors' biases about employee participation.