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

When an individual is aware of his or her decision-making style,this assists the individual in identifying his or her strengths and weaknesses as a decision maker,facilitating the potential for self-improvement.

One management expert advises that to achieve a consensus,groups should use active listening skills,involving as many members as possible.

Some engineers design electronic products,such as DVD remote controls,with so many buttons that these devices are ultimately useful only to other engineers.As one writer noted,"People who design products are experts cursed by their knowledge,and they can't imagine what it's like to be as ignorant as the rest of us." This is known as the curse of knowledge.

The process of studying large amounts of data of a variety of types to uncover hidden patterns,unknown correlations,and other useful information is known as ____.

When confronted with a problem,the decision to be made is how to make improvements.This is known as diagnosis or analyzing the underlying causes.

Dave is a salesperson who takes a long time to make decisions.He loves sales because he responds well to the pressure he faces in the many new or uncertain situations as a salesperson.Like most successful salespeople,he is high in his tolerance for ambiguity.Dave represents a person with a(n)_____ style.

ABC Medical Technology,a fast-growing global research firm,has accumulated so much client information that conventional database management systems cannot handle its customer needs.Therefore,it purchased very sophisticated analysis software and supercomputing-level hardware.For the company's work with hospitals and university medical schools,ABC has been noted in publications as "real pioneers for innovation and productivity." This vast amount of data is known as ____.

The rational model of decision making is also called the logical model.

Greg is the general manager in a fast-paced restaurant,and when working with his employees,he emphasizes speed and results.Sue,his assistant manager,told Greg's boss that "I like Greg most of the time,but he is very autocratic and controlling." Greg utilizes a behavioral style of management.

The rational model of decision making is also called the ____ model.

The Delphi technique is a group process that uses physically dispersed experts who fill out questionnaires to ____.

Two disadvantages that can occur with group-aided decision making is that either a few people dominate or satisficing occurs.

During the Apollo 13 emergency,at various times during that crisis the flight commander brought Mission Control workers and experts together to generate multiple ideas and alternatives for solving the problems.This was an example of brainstorming.

Debbie likes working in the banking industry because there is a lot of structure and certainty,and the daily work is routine.Debbie probably _____.

Stanford professor Jeffrey Pfeffer suggests companies incur big costs when they cut their labor forces,and should turn to evidence-based decision making for accurate guidance.

With defensive avoidance,a manager can't find a good solution and follows by ____.

Gregory was talking with Tom,his assistant manager,saying,"When I make a decision on which employee to pick to do a project,I use three simple factors,which I call my decision making "rules of thumb." I consider their attitude and knowledge,and how hard they work." Gregory's rules of thumb,which he uses in decision making,are known as _____.

Roberta,the computer department manager at IT Mart,is considering if she should use a group to develop a plan to help employees sell extended warranties on technology sales.Roberta should consider having the group make this decision if ______.

Last year,Paul's home of 50 years,which contained so many family,school,and career memories,was destroyed in a fire.It is normal for this event to have a negative impact on Paul's life and decision making abilities for at least three years.

A choice made from among available alternatives is a ____.