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Management Chapter3
Chapter3
Question | Answer |
---|---|
Decision | Making a choice from two or more alternatives. |
The Decision-Making Process(P/D/W/D/A/A/A/E) | -Identifying a problem and decision criteria and allocating weights to the criteria. -Developing, analyzing, and selecting an alternative that can resolve the problem. -Implementing the selected alternative. -Evaluating the decision’s effectiveness |
PROBLEM | A discrepancy between an existing and desired state of affairs. |
Characteristics of Problems | -A problem becomes a problem when a manager becomes aware of it. -There is pressure to solve the problem. -The manager must have the authority, information, or resources needed to solve the problem. |
Decision criteria are factors that are important (relevant) to resolving the problem. | -Costs that will be incurred (investments required) -Risks likely to be encountered (chance of failure) -Outcomes that are desired (growth of the firm) |
Decision criteria are not of equal importance: | Assigning a weight to each item places the items in the correct priority order of their importance in the decision making process. |
Identifying viable alternatives | Alternatives are listed (without evaluation) that can resolve the problem. |
Appraising each alternative’s strengths and weaknesses | An alternative’s appraisal is based on its ability to resolve the issues identified in steps 2 and 3. |
Choosing the best alternative | The alternative with the highest total weight is chosen. |
Putting the chosen alternative into action. | Conveying the decision to and gaining commitment from those who will carry out the decision. |
The soundness of the decision is judged by its outcomes. | -How effectively was the problem resolved by outcomes resulting from the chosen alternatives? -If the problem was not resolved, what went wrong? |
Rationality | Managers make consistent, value-maximizing choices with specified constraints. |
Assumptions are that decision makers | -Are perfectly rational, fully objective, and logical. -Have carefully defined the problem and identified all viable alternatives. -Have a clear and specific goal -Will select the alternative that maximizes outcomes in the organization’s interests rath |
Bounded Rationality | Managers make decisions rationally, but are limited (bounded) by their ability to process information. Assumptions are that decision makers: Will not seek out or have knowledge of all alternatives Will satisfice—choose the first alternative encountered |
The Role of Intuition | Intuitive decision making Making decisions on the basis of experience, feelings, and accumulated judgement. |
Structured Problems | Involve goals that clear. Are familiar (have occurred before). Are easily and completely defined—information about the problem is available and complete |
Programmed Decision | A repetitive decision that can be handled by a routine approach. |
Types of Programmed Decisions A Policy | A general guideline for making a decision about a structured problem. |
Types of Programmed Decisions A Procedure | A series of interrelated steps that a manager can use to respond (applying a policy) to a structured problem. |
Types of Programmed Decisions A Rule | An explicit statement that limits what a manager or employee can or cannot do in carrying out the steps involved in a procedure. |
Unstructured Problems | -Problems that are new or unusual and for which information is ambiguous or incomplete. -Problems that will require custom-made solutions. |
Nonprogrammed Decisions | -Decisions that are unique and nonrecurring. -Decisions that generate unique responses. |
Certainty | A ideal situation in which a manager can make an accurate decision because the outcome of every alternative choice is known. |
Risk | A situation in which the manager is able to estimate the likelihood (probability) of outcomes that result from the choice of particular alternatives. |
Uncertainty | Limited or information prevents estimation of outcome probabilities for alternatives associated with the problem and may force managers to rely on intuition, hunches, and “gut feelings”. |
Maximax | the optimistic manager’s choice to maximize the maximum payoff |
Maximin | the pessimistic manager’s choice to maximize the minimum payoff |
Minimax: | the manager’s choice to minimize his maximum regret. |
Dimensions of Decision-Making Styles | -Ways of thinking *Rational, orderly, and consistent *Intuitive, creative, and unique -Tolerance for ambiguity *Low tolerance: require consistency and order *High tolerance: multiple thoughts simultaneously |
Types of Decision Makers | -Directive *Use minimal information and consider few alternatives. -Analytic *Make careful decisions in unique situations. -Conceptual *Maintain a broad outlook and consider many alternatives in making long-term decisions. -Behavioral *Avoid confli |
Decision-Making Biases and Errors Heuristics | Using “rules of thumb” to simplify decision making. |
Decision-Making Biases and Errors Overconfidence Bias | Holding unrealistically positive views of one’s self and one’s performance. |
Decision-Making Biases and Errors Immediate Gratification Bias | Choosing alternatives that offer immediate rewards and that to avoid immediate costs |
Decision-Making Biases and Errors Anchoring Effect | Fixating on initial information and ignoring subsequent information. |
Decision-Making Biases and Errors Selective Perception | Selecting organizing and interpreting events based on the decision maker’s biased perceptions. |
Decision-Making Biases and Errors Confirmation Bias | Seeking out information that reaffirms past choices and discounting contradictory information. |
Decision-Making Biases and Errors Framing Bias | Selecting and highlighting certain aspects of a situation while ignoring other aspects. |
Decision-Making Biases and Errors Availability Bias | Losing decision-making objectivity by focusing on the most recent events. |
Decision-Making Biases and Errors Representation Bias | Drawing analogies and seeing identical situations when none exist. |
Randomness Bias | Creating unfounded meaning out of random events. |
Sunk Costs Errors | Forgetting that current actions cannot influence past events and relate only to future consequences. |
Self-Serving Bias | Taking quick credit for successes and blaming outside factors for failures. |
Hindsight Bias | Mistakenly believing that an event could have been predicted once the actual outcome is known (after-the-fact |
Guidelines for making effective decisions: | -Know when it’s time to call it quits. -Practice the five “whys”. -Be an effective decision maker. |
Habits of highly reliable organizations (HROs) | -Are not tricked by their success. -Defer to the experts on the front line. -Let unexpected circumstances provide the solution. -Embrace complexity. -Anticipate, but also anticipate their limits. |
Characteristics of an Effective Decision-Making Process | -It focuses on what is important. -It is logical and consistent. -It acknowledges both subjective and objective thinking and blends analytical with intuitive thinking. |
Characteristics of an Effective Decision-Making Process | -It requires only as much information and analysis as is necessary to resolve a particular dilemma. -It encourages and guides the gathering of relevant information and informed opinion. -It is straightforward, reliable, easy to use, and flexible. |
Error and bias... | Overconfidence b,Immediate gratification b, Anchoring effect,Selective perception b, Confirmation b,Framing b,Availability b, Representative b, Randomness b,Sunk cost error, self serving b,hindsight b. |
How to avoid error and bias? | -being aware of them and try not to exhibit them -pay attention to how they make decision -try to identify the heuristics they typically use |