many school administrators feel uncomfortable with theories. they prefer that social scientists provide them with practical prescriptions for administering their schools. upon closer examination, however, almost every action a school administrator takes is based to some degree on a theory. for example, a school administrator may include others in a decision involving an issue that is relevant to them and that they have the expertise to make, instead of making the decision unilaterally. such action is referred to in the research literature as participatory decision making. participatory decision making, also referred to as shared, collaborative, or group decision making, focuses on decision processes that involve other.