Exam 9: Managerial Decision Making

Jefferson Inc. is an information technology consulting firm located in Washington D.C. Decisions at Jefferson are complex and involve many people, with a significant amount of disagreement and conflict. Which decision-making model fits best for this organization?

The four positions on the possibility of failure scale include certainty, risk, ambiguity, and _____.

People with a(n) _____ style usually are concerned with the personal development of others and may make decisions that help others achieve their goals.

Briefly describe the four major personal decision styles.

A(n) _____ occurs when the organizational accomplishment is less than established goals.

_____ is the step in the decision-making process in which managers analyze underlying causal factors associated with the decision situation.

.A situation where the goals to be achieved or the problem to be solved is unclear, alternatives are difficult to define, and information about outcomes is unavailable refers to ambiguity.

Nordstrom Department store's "No questions asked - Return's Policy" is an example of a(n):

The _____ style is often the style adopted by managers having a deep concern for others as individuals.

The concept that people have the time and cognitive ability to process only a limited amount of information on which to base decisions is known as:

Even good managers will make mistakes that are caused by bias. Bias is a partial perspective that clouds good judgment. In a short essay, define the six biases that can cause a manager to make bad decisions. Then, describe a situation that is public knowledge where bias was reflected in the manager's decision-making process.

People with a(n) _____ style usually are concerned with the personal development of others and may make decisions that help others achieve their goals.

The administrative model of decision making describes how managers actually make decisions in difficult situations.

The behavioral style is often adopted by managers who like to consider complex solutions based on as much data as they can gather.

Which of the following defines a technique that uses a face-to-face group to spontaneously suggest a broad range of alternatives for decision making?

Administrative and political decision making procedures and intuition have been associated with high performance in unstable environments in which decisions must be made rapidly and under more difficult conditions.

Devil's advocate technique is similar to brainstorming in that both techniques prevent individuals from challenging other group member's assumptions.

For a non-programmed decision, feasible alternatives are hard to identify and in fact are already available within the organization's rules and procedures.

When an organization falls short of established performance goals, or when a possibility exists of enhancing future performance, managers must make a decision. Summarize the six steps of decision making by providing a realistic example of a business problem or opportunity that you could encounter as a manager. Make the decision you think is most effective, and identify each step of the decision-making process in your example.

According to both research and managerial experience, intuitive decisions are best and always work out.