Exam 8: Problem Solving, Decision Making, and Creativity

List two advantages and two disadvantages of group decision making.

In which of the following situations should a supervisor make a decision alone?

Often, supervisors and employees have difficulty being creative because they are afraid their ideas will fail. A supervisor can overcome this barrier by

Identify a disadvantage of using brainstorming to generate ideas in a group.

Phil, the manager of a grocery store, orders truckloads of pumpkins as he believes that there will be a huge demand for it based on the sales of the previous month. He doesn't know that the demand was due to the State Pumpkin Week held the previous month. This is an example of the human compromise known as

How is the scientific method in decision making similar to the rational model? List the steps a supervisor must take if he chooses the scientific method in decision making.

In the rational model of decision making, identifying alternative solutions is the

A fundamental way to become more creative is to

In decision making, why is feedback important for a supervisor?

A graph that helps decision makers use probability theory by showing the expected values of decisions in varying circumstances is known as a(n)

Subjective rationality is the tendency to

Mark, a supervisor at KMT Inc., encourages his team members to come up with innovative suggestions. He reviews the suggestions with the employees, and if it results in monetary savings or profits, the employee who made the suggestion is awarded a $500 bonus. In this case, Mark is trying to

When a supervisor needs to build support for a solution, such as cutting costs or improving productivity, it is best for him or her to

Lisa, a supervisor in a manufacturing firm, observes that her team members are always late. This annoys her so much that she wants to fire everyone in her team. However, she knows that this choice will be demoralizing. She rejects this alternative realizing that this will create a sudden need for hiring and training and probably will not impress her manager. Then, she remembers that she gave "timeliness awards" last year, but that did not stop the tardiness of her team members, so she rejects that alternative, as well. Finally, she recollects reading an article that recommends spelling out the consequences of tardiness and then letting the employees experience those consequences. She decides to try that approach. This is an example of the human compromise known as ________.

Choosing an alternative that meets minimum standards of acceptability is a form of

The cure for stereotyping is to

In using a decision tree, decision makers should select the alternative that has the

Which of the following is the first step of the Osborne-Parnes Creative Problem Solving process?

One basic way of encouraging participation is for a supervisor to avoid monopolizing the discussion.

Which of the following refers to the tendency to most readily remember events that have just occurred?