迫於時尚及圖書館員意識抬頭下，美國圖書館領導階層紛紛探試參與式決策在根生蒂固的階層式管理行政系統下的可行性，邀請館員一同參與決策，其中尤以與科技相關之事宜為盛。鼓吹此法者雖眾，極力反對之士亦不乏，有趣的是介於兩極聲浪之間，有一派人士強調引用參與式決策的象徵性意義遠大顧其實質作用。本研究旨在了解參與決策的館員對整個參與過程的認知，是否覺得整體委員會為真正的決策者，亦或被管理階層拿來作幌子，並試圖發現有那些組織結構和個人特質會加強參與者的參與感。 問卷調查二十一個美國大學及公共圖書館在選購自動化系統代理商期間所組成的自動化小組委員會的委員們在達成最終決定前六個月開會的情況。問卷並要求受調者評斷所做決策是否合宜、為委員會之共識亦或主管之片面決定。

　　　　　Twenty-one academic and public libraries in the United States participated in this survey study. The study focuses on the perceptions of automation committee members in the decision-making process of selecting a major automation vendor. The data suggest that the more participation perceived in the selection process, the stronger the committee members perceived themselves, as a group, to be the decision-makers; and the stronger the perceived themselves, as a group, to be the decision-makers; and the stronger the perception the decision was group-made, the more positive the attitude toward the appropriateness of the decision. Those respondents who perceived that committee members as a whole made the final decision also perceived that more communication with supervisors occurred, the library director displayed greater trust in them, and information about all available vendors was gathered before the final decision was made. No direct evidence was found that library management used participative decision making as a "play thing." Usually either the library director or the systems librarian chaired the committee. Library directors appointed most committee members. Chairpersons are significantly more positive. The ratio of professionals to non-professionals serving in the committee exceeded three to one. A few variables were statistically found to be good predictors of who was perceived to be the decision-maker.