Decision-Making Processes from the Perspective of Employees at the Headquarters of Yemeni Sovereign Ministries: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a Case Study

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the level of implementation of decision-making processes from the perspective of employees at the headquarters of the Yemeni Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as a model of sovereign ministries, and to identify differences in their perceptions according to gender, age, academic qualification, job title, and years of experience. The study adopted the descriptive-analytical approach and employed a questionnaire to collect data. Decision-making processes were examined through the stages of problem identification and diagnosis, data and information collection, generation and evaluation of alternatives, selection of the most appropriate alternative, and decision implementation and follow-up. The study population comprised employees holding supervisory positions and specialists at various administrative levels within the Ministry�s headquarters. A comprehensive census approach was applied by distributing 80 questionnaires, of which 71 valid responses were retrieved for statistical analysis, representing a response rate of 88.8%. The findings revealed that decision-making processes were implemented at a moderate level, indicating the presence of acceptable administrative practices that nevertheless require further development and greater integration across the different stages of decision-making. The results also showed no statistically significant differences at the significance level of ? ? 0.05 in participants� responses regarding the implementation of decision-making processes attributable to gender, age, academic qualification, job title, or years of experience. This finding indicates a convergence of employees� perceptions of the current state of these processes. The study recommended developing and regularly updating information-collection systems, strengthening the decision-making capabilities of leaders and employees, promoting participation and consultation, adopting objective criteria for evaluating alternatives, and enhancing mechanisms for monitoring decisions and evaluating their outcomes to improve decision quality and institutional performance efficiency.