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

Nora is a small-business owner who loves to take risks. She also enjoys going out and meeting customers and potential clients-the social aspect of her job. Nora relies on intuition and discussions with others to acquire information. As an interior decorator, Nora utilizes her imaginative strengths, taking a broad perspective to problem solving, and she likes to consider many options and future possibilities. Nora's decision-making style is best described as

With regard to decision making, it is accurate to say that groups

Which of the following is an example of the "curse of knowledge"?

The Safety Committee at Washington Bakers was formed to help make the store a safer place, and some of the committee's suggestions are going to be costly. During the committee meeting, the vice president of accounting announced that company profits were much lower than expected, and she suggested that profits are more important than safety. The profit goal is now outweighing the committee's safety goal, which is an example of

What is the role of the devil's advocate in the decision-making process?

Hunter is the R&D manager at a technology company. He started a project for a new operating system that has shown evidence of difficulties in implementation. However, Hunter can't admit that his project will not work, and continues to invest his team's time and budget to the project. Finally, the CEO calls Hunter to her office to ask him to ditch the project and to tell him he suffers from ________ bias.

Daniel loves sales because he responds well to the pressure he faces in the many new or uncertain situations he encounters as a salesperson. Like most successful salespeople, he is high in his tolerance for ambiguity, yet he struggles with making decisions quickly. Daniel likely has a(n) ________ decision-making style.

________ is the process of studying large amounts of data of a variety of types to uncover hidden patterns, unknown correlations, and other useful information.

When Ford was slow to recall vehicles to fix a possible carbon monoxide leak, it was most likely due to ________, because Ford was convinced that the modifications made by police departments were the cause of the problem, not the manufacturing of the vehicle.

Henry, Bekah, and Marcella are on the five-member Benefits Task Force that is researching options for the new benefits package. Over lunch, Henry suggests that going with the Members' Choice HMO is the best course of action, and Bekah and Marcella agree with Henry for the sake of unanimity, without ever researching and accurately assessing the decision. Henry, Bekah, and Marcella are engaged in

Describe how knowledge of the decision-making styles will influence your own decisions.

Nicholas, a longtime hotel manager for Wyndham, was meeting with Sophie, a regional manager, and telling her about his recent decision not to fire a front desk employee about whom several guests had complained. Nicholas discussed the four stages of the decision process. He said, "I first identified the problem, and then I gathered alternative solutions. I evaluated each choice and selected a solution. I then implemented my decision to not fire the employee but instead to provide him with additional training. Finally, I followed up with an evaluation of the solution I'd chosen." Nicholas is using the ________ process.

Describe Pfeffer and Sutton's seven implementation principles to help companies that are committed to profit from evidence-based management. Placing yourself in the position of the CEO of Safe Home, a home-security company, give an example of how you might apply three of the implementation principles to your business.

This question has three parts. More companies are starting to invest in Big Data, but what does that mean? Define Big Data. Describe how it is different from analytics and list three of its possible uses.

Nikolai knows that what his boss has asked him to do is not in the best interest of the company. He also knows that if he does not do what he was asked to do, he will be written up and put on disciplinary action. He decides instead to do what his boss wants, just slower than his boss may have liked. Nikolai is using the principle of

When confronted with a decision on an action, managers should utilize ________, which includes these four questions: "Is the proposed action legal? If yes, does the proposed action maximize shareholder value? If yes, is the proposed action ethical? If no, would it be ethical to take the proposed action?"

With the community interested in eating healthy, Mary Catherine, a restaurant owner, is considering adding more gluten-free dishes to her menu. This decision is uncertain and risky, and she finally decides to go with her gut feelings. Mary Catherine is exhibiting

Evan has a Bachelor's degree in ethics and human resources, and he has extensive experience working with employees and managers regarding ethics, especially in the area of ethical dilemmas. In his current position he has assisted extensively in determining if the company's decisions are both ethical and lawful. Which position in the company does Evan's background make him ideally suited for?

Decision making is the process of identifying and choosing alternative courses of action.

Simon has been in the landscaping business for over 40 years. When Jorge, his business partner, suggested adding snow removal as an extra service, Simon responded with "My gut feeling is to say yes because of my experience in the past and what I have seen other companies do over the years, both successfully and not." Simon is acting on ________ in his response to Jorge.