Abstract
A model was developed for training individuals to adapt better to the changing work environment by focusing on the subordinate to supervisor relationship and providing a heuristic approach to leadership. The model emphasizes a heuristic approach to decision-making through the active participation of both members of the dyad. The demand among business leaders for employee involvement, attributed most frequently to the Japanese style of business management, is increasing, spawning a new buzzword, "empowerment." Based on such demands, a model must propose a communication methodology whereby subordinates and their superiors coactively work toward "heuristic-leadership decisionmaking." The primary means of promoting such decisions is G. A. Kelley's theory of constructive alternativism, an options generator. Then, alternatives must be linked to consequences, producing what E. MacNeal has termed "alternaquences." The individual then implements incremental decision strategies based on a forecasting of events along with the feedback provided by others. While this model has potential for training employees of the 1990s, it is not well suited to all industries. The model will be most effective in industries that are rapidly changing or that rely on individual choice and decision-making. The ideal participants are individuals wanting a greater role in their businesses and who want to share their expertise in improving their job situations. (Six footnotes and 1 figure are included; 34 references are appended.) (HB)