Deck 5: Problem Solving

Question 1

One of the problems with organizational problem solving is that symptoms are more visible than their underlying structure.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Escalation of commitment is a source of judgment error in problem solving.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

There is a human tendency to collect evidence that supports rather than disproves our intuition.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Brainwriting is superior to brainstorming as a process for generating the highest volume of creative ideas.

Question 5

Some research suggests that brainstorming may be ineffective.

Question 6

Confidence estimates, trial-and-error calibration, and healthy skepticism are tactics used to overcome judgment biases.

Question 7

Leaving a "just so" song on the radio versus searching for a better song illustrates bounded rationality.

Question 8

With most problems, potential causes and solutions are limited.

Question 9

A productive failure is one that is regarded as an opportunity to learn.

A)brainstorming technique
B)brainwriting technique
C)affinity diagram
D)Q sort
E)Delphi technique

Question 10

Intuition should be totally discounted in problem solving in the workplace.

Question 11

One trick for reframing a problem is to narrow it; that is, reframe the problem with a narrower frame of reference.

Question 12

The first step in any good problem-solving process is to assess the various possible solutions.

Question 13

The first step in the postimplementation phase of problem solving is to examine whether the decision was truly successful and continues to be the right solution.

Question 14

Equifinality is a condition in which different initial conditions lead to similar effects.

Question 15

Most of us are not overconfident.

Question 16

Perfect decision making is a boundedly rational process.

Question 17

Risk can present itself in terms of dread, whereby people assume consequences truly are unknown.

Question 18

Many managers have damaged their careers by implementing solutions they knew were incorrect but forged ahead even with this knowledge.

Question 19

The ________ is an idea generation method that allows you to sort the major aspects of the problem into themes or categories.

Question 20

A good decision is the same as a good outcome.

Question 21

Which of the below is a method used to help illuminate tradeoffs by increasing debate and by exploring a problem from all angles?

A)brainstorming
B)brainwriting
C)the nominal group technique
D)the Delphi technique
E)devil's advocate

Question 22

Carl, a corporate recruiter, advises his job applicants to start negotiating salaries from a higher bracket. He suggests this, knowing that the applicant will end up with a higher salary if the hiring employer is susceptible to the judgment error of

A)availability.
B)representativeness.
C)anchoring and adjustment.
D)confirmation.
E)overconfidence.

Question 23

After binge-watching during shark week, you believe that the likelihood of a shark attack is more common than in reality. You then cancel your vacation to the ocean front. You are a victim of

A)satisficing.
B)escalation of commitment.
C)hasty generalization.
D)the representativeness bias.
E)the availability bias.

Question 24

The essence of the ________ is that people tend to overattribute behavior to external rather than internal causes.

A)self-serving bias
B)fundamental attribution error
C)anchoring and adjustment bias
D)escalation of commitment error
E)availability bias

Question 25

Should managers rely on intuition in problem solving?

A)Yes. Most people systematically apply intuition to problem solving.
B)No. Feelings have no place in management decision making.
C)Yes. Those who track what they learn can effectively replicate the process in future.
D)No. Those who use an inference ladder are more effective decision makers.
E)Yes. Unconscious biases help people hasten their decision-making process.

Question 26

___________ is a defense against judgment biases.

A)Availability
B)Representativeness
C)Anchoring and adjustment
D)Confirmation
E)A confidence estimate

Question 27

Your cousin Vicky remodelled an old beach house last year. Vicky put on a new roof and sealed the driveway. This year, she needs to upgrade the electrical wiring and replace most of the plumbing. When asked why she isn't selling the house instead of putting in more money to renovate it, Vicky replies, "I already put a lot of money into the place!" This statement is an example of the ________type of judgement error.

A)availability
B)escalation of commitment
C)anchoring and adjustment
D)confirmation
E)overconfidence

Question 28

Key aspects of a(n)________ approach to problem solving are irregular feedback, combined with knowledge of results.

A)bounded-rationality
B)intuitive
C)instinctive
D)coherent
E)trial-and-error

Question 29

Regarding ways to avoid problem solving biases, the term ________ is closely aligned with the term trial-and-error.

A)adjustment
B)manipulation
C)standardization
D)calibration
E)fine-tuning

Question 30

Zack arrived late for a meeting this morning because there was a 20-car pile-up on the beltway. Ryan, his manager, assumed Zack overslept because he partied too much last night. Which of the following statements is most accurate?

A)Ryan committed a fundamental attribution error.
B)Zack committed a fundamental attribution error.
C)Zack used the ladder of inference.
D)Zack used the self-serving bias.
E)Ryan used the self-serving bias.

Question 31

When asked about the leading cause of deaths in the U.S., Jill chose car accidents over heart disease as the cause of more U.S. deaths per year. When asked why she chose the wrong answer, she said, "I hear about fatal car accidents more often than I hear about deaths caused by heart diseases." The type of judgement error made by Jill is

A)availability bias.
B)representative bias.
C)anchoring and adjustment.
D)confirmation bias.
E)overconfidence bias.

Question 32

Because of a boom in technology stocks in the late 1990s, even novice investors experience huge growth in their portfolios. As technology stocks kept going up, many investors believe that their successes was due to their stock-picking ability rather than unsustainable growth in one sector of the economy. The result for many was huge losses. This scenario illustrates the concept of

A)availability bias.
B)representativeness bias.
C)anchoring-and-adjustment bias.
D)confirmation bias.
E)overconfidence bias.

Question 33

The frequency with which people belong to certain groups or categories is known as the ________ rate.

A)selection
B)base
C)ratio
D)inclusion
E)cluster

Question 34

"If we select Option A, there's a 90% chance of success," versus "if we select Option A there is a 10% chance of failure" is a good example of

A)framing.
B)equifinality.
C)bounded rationality.
D)the representativeness heuristic.
E)the availability heuristic.

Question 35

Salma asked Lillie, "How did you do in the final assessment?" Lillie responded, "I knew everything!" Salma said, "So you can expect a 100! That will be awesome!" Lillie thought for a moment and said, "Maybe not actually that much of everything. I would say 95 to 100." Lillie curbed Salma's judgment bias by using

A)a confidence estimate.
B)trial-and-error calibration.
C)healthy skepticism.
D)a defense hedge.
E)a hasty generalization fallacy.

Question 36

Which of the following causes more deaths per year in the United States, suicide or homicide? Most people believe homicides cause more deaths, but in fact suicides lead to more deaths by a ratio of more than 2 to 1. If you got this wrong, you were a victim of

A)satisficing.
B)escalation of commitment.
C)hasty generalization.
D)the representativeness bias.
E)the availability bias.

Question 37

The ________ occurs when we attribute personal successes to internal causes and personal failures to external causes.

A)anchoring and adjustment bias
B)fundamental attribution error
C)self-serving bias
D)escalation of commitment error
E)availability bias

Question 38

Joe has been dating Betty for about five years. Joe admits that he's not happy (and really has never been happy), and that things are not currently going well. However, Joe insists he is going to marry Betty because he has a lot invested in the relationship. In fact, he just bought Betty an expensive engagement ring. This is an example of

A)satisficing.
B)escalation of commitment.
C)hasty generalization.
D)the representativeness bias.
E)the availability bias.

Question 39

The prevailing assumptions, beliefs, and values that sustain current systems are known as

A)mental models.
B)cognitive forms.
C)patterns.
D)icons.
E)structures.

Question 40

Which of the below leads managers to engage in satisficing?

A)escalation of commitment
B)decision making via algorithms
C)decision making via heuristics
D)bounded rationality
E)equifinality

Question 41

Describe the key steps in the PADIL framework for solving problems.

Question 42

At a recent management department meeting, faculty were given five Sticky Notes to write down their responses to the question, "What are the possible causes of so many student cuts in class?" After all of the Sticky Notes were posted, the chairperson said, "These ten seem to deal with the attendance policy, these five talk about how hard it is to walk from one class to the next in the time allotted between classes, and these ten all say that tests don't cover lecture material." The management department was

A)using an affinity diagram.
B)creating a black and white fallacy.
C)trying the Swiss Cheese technique.
D)using a BOT chart.
E)conducting an iceberg test.

Question 43

Where does an after action review (AAR)fit into the PADIL approach?

A)problem
B)alternatives
C)decide
D)implement
E)learn

Question 44

The Gambler's fallacy is linked to which judgment error?

A)availability
B)adjustment
C)anchoring
D)representativeness
E)overconfidence

Question 45

Base rates are linked to which judgment error?

A)availability
B)adjustment
C)anchoring
D)representativeness
E)overconfidence

Question 46

Morgan is discussing a project rollout with his major suppliers as he begins the "________" PADIL stage.

A)problem
B)alternatives
C)decide
D)implement
E)learn

Question 47

I am left-handed and smart. All left-handers must be smart. This illustrates

A)adjustment.
B)hasty generalization.
C)satisficing.
D)the availability bias.
E)anchoring.

Question 48

In which step of PADIL are alternatives tables and weighted rankings used?

A)problem
B)alternatives
C)decide
D)implement
E)learn

Question 49

The question "How will this change affect other things?" is critical to being effective in problem solving. In the problem-framing PADIL step, this refers to a

A)black or white fallacy test.
B)satisficing sequence.
C)bounded approach.
D)systems approach.
E)rational confidence level.

Question 50

The hasty generalization fallacy is linked to which judgment bias?

A)availability
B)representativeness
C)anchoring
D)adjustment
E)overconfidence

Question 51

Mental models are ________ that sustain current systems.

A)linear learning functions
B)traditional bureaucratic processes
C)prevailing assumptions, beliefs, and values
D)nonlinear learning patterns
E)standard needs, goals, and expectations

Question 52

A CEO heading a major two-year corporate restructuring asked a stakeholder group questions such as, "Did you feel included in the process?" and "Were your voices heard throughout the two years?" These questions occur in the "________" step of the PADIL approach.

A)problem
B)alternatives
C)decide
D)implement
E)learn

Question 53

You are obsessed with your favorite football team. However, because they have won seven games in a row, you think it too improbable that they will win the eighth game, and so you bet against them. This illustrates

A)hasty generalization.
B)the availability bias.
C)adjustment.
D)anchoring.
E)the gamblers fallacy.

Question 54

The PADIL approach to problem solving includes five major steps. The first step is identified as

A)prepare.
B)problem.
C)probability.
D)process.
E)presumption.

Question 55

When a sequence appears to be nonrandom, it must be nonrandom. This is an example of

A)the availability bias.
B)escalation of commitment.
C)anchoring and adjustment.
D)confirmation.
E)the representativeness bias.

Question 56

Which of the following is not a good defense against decision bases?

A)Do not jump to conclusions.
B)Do not base your conclusion only on your own experience.
C)Do not look to support your case.
D)Look for nonsupporting evidence.
E)Look for causality in correlations.

Question 57

Abraham constructed a weighted rank alternatives table to decide where to go to graduate school. His most important criteria were cost, location, and publication opportunities. His four school choices all were ranked highest on the three criteria. Abraham does not know how to choose. He has reached a condition of

A)equifinality.
B)overconfidence.
C)anchoring and adjustment.
D)devil's advocacy.
E)satisficing.

Question 58

A shirt manufacturer lost 45 percent of its market share last year. The CEO put together a committee to find out what was wrong. He included office staff and vendors. He did not include any current or former customers. Did the CEO make a mistake?

A)Yes. He did not include key stakeholders.
B)No. That action would slow down the process.
C)Yes. He failed to find the facts.
D)No. That action would narrow the focus.
E)Yes. He should have hired an outside consultant.

Question 59

Which of the following warnings is a good defense for decision biases?

A)Do not jump to conclusions.
B)Do not listen to advice from your friends.
C)Do not look for nonsupporting evidence.
D)Do not fall prey to confidence estimates and ranges.
E)Do not ignore chance.

Question 60

Which judgment bias is the tendency to provide estimates based on the initial starting estimate, regardless of its accuracy?

A)the hasty generalization fallacy
B)the base rate fallacy
C)anchoring and adjustment
D)availability
E)representativeness

Question 61

Give two examples of the judgment error of anchoring and adjustment.

Question 62

Identify ways to avoid problem-solving biases.

Question 63

What is bounded rationality? Can you give an example of bounded rationality in play in a decision-making process?

Question 64

Identify evidence-based methods of increasing the number of possible solutions to a problem.

Question 65

Explain the major ways in which people make judgment errors.

Question 66

What are some useful tactics for avoiding common decision biases?

Question 67

Consider the fact that 81 percent of surveyed new business owners thought that their business had at least a 70 percent chance of success, but only 39 percent thought that most businesses like theirs would succeed. Describe the bias that this example illustrates.

Question 68

Define intuition and its role in problem solving.

Question 69

Apply problem-structuring tools to reframe or define a given problem.

Question 70

During an interview, Harry was asked: "Which of the following causes more deaths per year in the United States, suicide or homicide?" He answered homicide even though suicides lead to more deaths by a ratio of 2:1. What is this kind of bias called? Are there any uses of this kind of bias?

Question 71

Give two examples of the representative bias that arise from people's misconceptions about chance.

Question 72

Amy works as a junior HR executive at a retail chain. She has been given the responsibility of organizing walk-in interviews on the day before Thanksgiving. She turns up one hour late that morning because of the unusually high traffic. You are her boss and are trying to determine why she came in late. What would your response look like?

Question 73

Describe the judgment error of confirmation bias. Why is it important to avoid this bias when solving problems?

Question 74

Describe two tools available for understanding the scope of a problem.