Decision Making Processes at Virgin AtlanticVirgin Atlantic is a multinational company of British origin trading as Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited. Virgin group owns majority of the shares in the organization. Sir Richard Branson is the owner of Virgin Group (John, 2009). Fifty one percent of the Virgin Atlantic is owned by the virgin group while the remainder is owned by Delta Air Lines. The headquarters of virgin Atlantic is based in Crawley, West Sussex in the United Kingdom. Virgin Atlantic dates back to 1984; the operating bases are at Gatwick Airport, Manchester Airport and London Heathrow Airport (Virgin-atlantic.com, 2013). The organization has developed a flying club for the frequent flyers. Virgin Atlantic currently owns forty fleets, flying to over thirty four destinations. The current people are Sir Richard Branson as the president, Stephen Murphy as the chairman and Craig Kreeger as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Estimates of 2013 indicated revenue of 2.9 billion pounds (Virgin-atlantic.com, 2013). This paper reflects ate the decision making processes within Virgin Atlantic.Richard Branson has set rules on decision making processes within Virgin Atlantic, which is critical in the running of the organization and to other stakeholders like Delta Airlines (Virgin-atlantic.com, 2013). Bransons art of decision making comprises of four major principles identifying with trusting own instincts, focusing on target customers and not criticizing customers, supporting teams and knowing when to exit or say goodbye (John, 2009).It has been noted that entrepreneurs and chief executives have the responsibilities of making major decisions within organizations that influence the destiny of the organizations. Branson argues that supporting the stakeholders is critical for the success of the organization. Running of Virgin Atlantic on day to day basis is facilitated by effective decision making processes (Virgin-atlantic.com, 2013). Branson indicated that game changing decisions have the possibility of resulting to break or a competitive edge over the competitors.Branson strongly trusts his instincts, Branson is a daredevil and has dared expensive markets and highly competitive markets and made ends meet. Virgin Atlantic is an example of a daring business, the industry was dominated by the state owned British airways, but Branson dared to initiate an airline (John, 2009). In the same concept, Branson has developed highly competitive teams that have responsibility of making the day to day running of Virgin Atlantic.Launching of Virgin Atlantic and virgin Blue (Australia) was characterized with difficult decision making processes. The competitors had resources and experience, concrete decisions made by Bransons teams yielded the desired results. Branson felt that complacency was the order of the day at the competitor airlines, an indication that they were not adopting to change as it happened in the business environment. Branson and the group engaged the right focus, energy, flair and attitude (John, 2009).Decision making processes focus at the satisfaction of the target customers and never criticizing customers. Venturing at the tough markets was not easy, and Virgin Atlantic had to engage calculated expansion, basing on the available information on the complex markets. Virgin Atlantic decision making processes supports best value for the customers, best service and innovative products.Branson strongly supports teams involvement in the decision making processes, it has been noted that Branson stepped out of the day to day running of Virgin Atlantic so that he could focus at the main opportunities and challenges facing Virgin Atlantic (Virgin-atlantic.com, 2013). Quitting the day to day running of Virgin Atlantic by Branson meant that he trusted the teams involved in the management processes. Branson always supports new opportunities as ways of expanding the airline to the tapped and untapped markets.Branson and the group have developed mechanism of understanding when to say goodbye or quit. Branson engage consultants in knowing time to quite, it has been noted that as the founder of the organization, it means that he is very attached to the teams and to the business, to a point that he may not realize when the organization is not selling (Shapira, 2002). An example of quitting is when Branson transferred ownership of Virgin records to EMI, and the proceeds were used in the expansion of Virgin Atlantic, this happened in 1992.Decision making processes involves making choosing an action among possible alternatives that are competing. Branson believes that decision making processes at the end results to a choice, which must be implemented in Virgin Atlantic in realizing the target objectives and goals (John, 2009). Virgin Atlantic supports a number of stages that are engaged in the decision making processes. Stages are establishing the objectives, classifying objectives according to their order of merit, developing alternative actions, evaluating alternatives against the objectives, choosing tentative decision from the alternative that supports majority of the decisions, evaluating tentative decision in accordance to possible consequences, taking decisive, addressing possible problems or challenges and finally developing a production plan (Shapira, 2002).Virgin Atlantic supports effective planning before embarking on critical decision making processes, it has been noted that planning enables decisions to be made in a smart and comfortable way (Virgin-atlantic.com, 2013). Planning has four major benefits identifying with making independent goals, planning acts as a standard used in the measurement of the desired objectives, planning has the capability of converting values into important actions within the organization and planning ensures that the organization engages minimal resources.Decision making stages at Virgin Atlantic involves orientation stage, conflict stage, emergence stage and reinforcement stage. The steps of decision making processes involves establishing the community, dealing with perceptions, addressing diverse interpretations, making judgment, encouraging motivation for change, taking action and reflecting on the actions (John, 2009). Decision making processes in Virgin Atlantic is not an easy task, since the organization is a multinational organization operating in different environments. Branson argues that there is no one piece of decision making processes that suits all organizations. There are a number of factors to be considered while making decisions.Moral decision making is concerned on setting rules that modify the behavior of people, while they are at social settings. Moral considers doing no harm but doing good, and to some extent, moral in Virgin Atlantic sets standards within the organization. Virgin Atlantic has been critical in developing a shared vision, which shapes the actions taken in the decision making processes (Virgin-atlantic.com, 2013). Moral values in Virgin Atlantic reflect on shared values that are encroached within the organizational culture. Shared values are critical in making teams agree on the course of actions to be taken by the organization. Moral in decision making processes gear at points of agreement and room for disagreement. Moral standards in Virgin Atlantic have facilitated ethical decision making processes within the organization (Shapira, 2002).Kohlbergs theory of moral development could be applied as an ethical theory in analyzing the issues within Virgin Atlantic (Bergling, 2001). It has been noted that moral development has gained support in the twenty first century, particularly in education and in psychology. Lawrence Kohlberg is the brains behind Kohlbergs Theory of moral development, which is critical in expressing moral reasoning in human beings, which is vital in decision making processes of Virgin Atlantic.According to Piaget, the moral development is comprised of two stages (Bergling, 2001). Kohlbergs theory on the other hand expanded the work of Piaget to incorporate a six stage model on moral development. Level one is comprised of pre-conventional morality, stage two comprises of convectional morality and stage three on post-convectional morality. Stage one is characterized with punishment and obedience and exchange and individualism. Stage three focuses at the interpersonal relationships, stage four deals with maintaining social order, stage five is on individual rights and social contract and stage six focuses on universal principles (Bergling, 2001). Incorporating Kohlbergs theory is critical in ethical decision making processes.Decision making processes are very critical in Virgin Atlantic, which determines building a competitive edge or losing opportunities. Making good decisions incorporates preparing an organization for changes (Shapira, 2002). The current business environment is very dynamic; an indication that Virgin Atlantic must develop models of adapting to the global changes in seizing opportunities that comes with changes. Making sound decisions in an organization needs experience, good information and knowledge of interpreting information in a meaningful manner. Decision making processes is not a one person attribute but requires participations of the teams (John, 2009). This is an indication that teamwork and team spirit is critical in making efficient and ethical decisions. Consulting is critical in seeking expertise and views of other stakeholders in managing subjectivity. The common decisions made in Virgin Atlantic are programmed decisions, non-programmed decisions, strategic decisions, tactical decisions and operational decisions among others. Ethics in Virgin Atlantic has been emphasized in the decision making processes.ReferencesBergling, K. (2001). New York: Almquiest & Wiksell Intl.John, B. (2009). London: Midland Pub Ltd.Shapira, Z. (2002). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.Virgin-atlantic.com. (2013). . Retrieved October 27, 2013, from Virgin-atlantic.com: http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/us/en.html