Chapter 6 - Decision-making Flashcards
Decision-Making
The process of choosing a solution from available alternatives.
Rational Decision-Making
A systematic process of defining problems, evaluating alternatives, and choosing optimal solutions.
Steps to rational decision-making
- Define the problem
- Identify decision criteria
- Weight the criteria
- Generate alternative courses of action
- Evaluate each alternative
- Compute the optimal decision
Define the problem
Identify and define the problem
Problem
A gap between a desired state and an existing state.
Three things must happen for a manager to make decisions to solve problems
- Managers have to be aware of a gap
- Managers must be motivated to reduce the gap
- Managers must have the knowledge, skills, abilities, and resources to fix the problem
Identify decision criteria
General and specific factors that would be important for making a rational decision
Decision Criteria
The standards used to guide judgments and decisions.
Weight the criteria
Requires the decision maker to provide an initial ranking of the decision criteria… Figuring out the order of importance.
Absolute Comparisons
A process in which each criterion is compared to a standard or ranked on its own merits.
Relative Comparisons
A process in which each decision criterion is compared directly to every other criterion.
Generate alternative courses of action
Identify possible courses of action that could solve the problem and generate as many alternatives as possible.
Evaluate each alternative
Systematically evaluate each alternative against each criterion.
Compute the optimal decision
by determining each alternative’s value. (Using the ranking system)
Limits to rational decision-making
Bounded rationality, risk and decision-making under risky conditions and common decision-making mistakes
Bounded Rationality
Decision-making process restricted in the real world by limited resources, incomplete and imperfect information, and managers limited decision-making capabilities.
Information Overload
Situation in which decision makers have too much information to attend to.
Four problems that prevent managers from making rational decisions
- limited resources
- information overload
- memory problems
- expertise problems
Maximizing
Choosing the best alternative.
Satisficing
Choosing a “good enough” alternative.
Condition of Certainty
Conditions in which decision makers have complete information and knowledge of all possible outcomes.
Conditions of Risk
Conditions in which decision makers face a very real possibility of making the wrong decisions.
Positive Frame
Couching a problem in terms of a gain, thus influencing decision makers toward becoming risk-adverse.
Negative Frame
Couching a problem in terms of a loss, thus influencing decision makers toward becoming risk-seeking.
Conditions of Uncertainty
Conditions in which decision makers don’t know the odds of winning or losing.