Exam 7: Individual and Group Decision Making: How Managers Make Things Happen

Rosie, the sales manager for a software development firm, is working on the problem of increasing sales by using the rational model of decision making. In the first step she identified the problem of her employees needing more training. In the second step she thought of alternative solutions; and in the third step she evaluated alternatives and selected a solution. Rosie needs to ________ in the fourth and final step.

When people seek information to support their point of view and discount data that do not, they are subject to ________ bias. For example, Rick uses the fact that his commute is now shorter to confirm his belief that there are fewer cars on the road. However, Rick is not accounting for the fact that he recently took over the graveyard shift, and that traffic is always lighter at night and in the wee hours of the morning.

When Damien, the sales manager, is deciding on who will train the new sales trainee, he tries not to look at just the recent sales numbers but also checks past sales reports to determine who is the most productive salesperson. By using this method he is not affected by the ________ bias.

Bill is the new CEO at World's Fair, a nationwide store that specializes in unique items from around the world. At his first managers meeting, he told them he likes to think of his management style as practical, efficient, logical, and systematic. Which style of decision maker is Bill?

Glenn is the R&D manager with Quick Print Inc. The company is having a problem with one of its most popular copiers jamming. The vice president of marketing told Glenn that "we need to quickly discover how to turn this problem into a desirable situation. You need to determine the underlying cause of the problem and perhaps even make improvements to the copier." When Glenn analyzes the underlying causes of the paper-jam problem, which function is he performing?

Deidre, who is the CEO of a shoe retailer, needs to make a tough decision on whether to close 3 of the 200 stores that are unprofitable. Closing the stores will mean laying off 45 employees right before the holiday season. Leaving the communities also means that local people will have no place to purchase reasonably priced shoes and sneakers. Use the decision tree to recommend what Deidre should do. Be sure to consider each of the steps.

Climax Medical Technology, a fast-growing global research firm, has accumulated so much client information that conventional database management systems cannot handle its customers' needs. Therefore, Climax purchased very sophisticated analysis software and supercomputing-level hardware. Climax Medical Technology is tapping the power of

Uri, a server in a popular family restaurant, is the most popular employee with both customers and employees, and as a result, he usually earns the most in tips. He is always ready to lend a hand when asked, and with his warm personality and supportive nature, people confide in him. Uri does have a problem telling people no, and he has a tendency to avoid conflict because he is concerned about hurting others or getting people mad. Uri likely has a(n) ________ decision-making style.

Otis, the manager of a camera store, believes that his store may be closed by corporate in the near future, so he cannot sleep well at night and he is dealing with severe anxiety and irritability, and he has been ill several times this month. Several times Otis has missed important details in his job, and he almost got in an automobile accident this morning. The district manager is coming today to do his bimonthly evaluation of Otis's store. Although Otis usually performs well, he is worried about this one. His district manager may be influenced by ________ bias.

Dale, the owner of a local real estate agency, is even more committed to making the used copier, which he recently purchased, work even though it keeps jamming, and his employees have been telling him about other problems they have been having with the copier. The ________ affects Dale's decision making.

Which of the following is NOT recognized as a key implementation principle of evidence-based management?

Ashante was telling a friend about her new job. She commented, "We work in groups all the time and everyone is able to share ideas. I am so new I just listen, but if I wanted to, I know they would listen to me too. Ashante is suffering from

Satisficing is the tendency of

When Sebastian wrote the contract with BP for over two billion dollars, he included targets for performance that had to be met before a payment would be released. Sebastian was trying to avoid ________bias.

________ is a technique used to help groups generate multiple ideas and alternatives for solving problems.

Scott and his partner, Greg, have decided to update their computer network, although they have no expertise in this area. During a meeting with Greg, Scott commented that "Our decision is limited by numerous constraints, such as our understanding of the complexity of technology, time and money, imperfect information, and our conflicting goals." These limitations are hindrances to

Describe how learning decision-making skills will help prepare you for a job interview.

Which of the following reasons makes it hard to be evidence-based?

Pablo and his managers spent a large sum of money on the new training program, and they feel that there has been little improvement as a result of the investment. The training is scheduled to continue for two more months, and Pablo feels that the company has already spent too much money on the training to simply abandon it. Pablo is experiencing

Imagine that you are an office manager who has decided to implement a new policy of requiring all employees to be at their desks at 9 a.m., because too many employees have been arriving late. Explain how you will implement this policy based on the two criteria of successful rational decision making.