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Organizations manage information in order to interpret the environment, create innovative knowledge and make pivotal decisions, such as defining their path and strategies. Despite the complexity of the organizational decision process, it is part of the life of the organization, and the combination of culture, information and consensus can make it more eficiente. From this point of view, information from the environment is essential for the organizational decision-making process.
This study aims to understand the practices of Brazilian and American small and medium enterprises with regard to the use of environmental information in strategic decision process. Some aspects were studied in depth: description of the activities performed by these business owners regarding the environmental information and analysis of the differences and similarities between the practices of business owners of the two countries.
In this chapter was present the theoretical concepts that guided the empirical research aboutSmall and Medium Enterprises and their business owners,Information from the environment, Strategic decisions and decision-makers.Were discuused three models: model of Mintzberg et al. (1976) which represented a break in the previously existing linear models, Eisenhardt's (1989) for being a model proposed to IT companies and Huang´s (2009) for being specific to small and medium enterprises.
This study is exploratory and the choice for a qualitative approach is justified since it focuses on understanding and describing human behavior through a frame of reference.The method used was a mapping of experience cited by Mattar (2007) that aims to understand the relevant experiences, deepening knowledge of the topic under study. Efforts were concentrated on the selection of social subjects, considering a few requirements. Were investigated 14 strategic decision.
The findings of the interviews were analyzed according to the theoretical framework used as support for this study.All Brazilian business owners interviewed felt more intuitive to make strategic decisions for their companies.Yet, American business owners interviewed, considered themselves more rational in the process of decision making and in the execution of the decision, using for such various data collected earlier.There was no unanimity too in other aspects, like centralization.
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