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

Question 1

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.

A) employee relations model
B) focused decision-making model
C) interpersonal-decision agenda
D) solutions agenda
E) rational decision-making model

Answer 1

E
Explanation: Four steps in making a rational decision are as follows: (1) identify the problem or opportunity, (2) think up alternative solutions, (3) evaluate alternatives and select a solution, and (4) implement and evaluate the solution chosen.

Question 2

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?

A) synergy
B) diagnosis
C) analytics
D) feasibility
E) MBO

Answer 2

B
Explanation: Whether you're confronted with a problem or an opportunity, the decision you're called on to make is how to make improvements, or how to change conditions from the present to the desirable. This is a matter of diagnosis, which entails analyzing the underlying causes.

Question 3

How does the text suggest prioritizing your decisions?

A) Become a good and patient listener.
B) Load up on new facts and information.
C) Organize your decisions into three categories.
D) Identify weak spots in your process.
E) Keep an open mind.

Answer 3

C
Explanation: Organize your decisions into three categories: Strategic decisions, like deciding how to frame your job search, will require the most time and attention, can affect the largest number of people, and probably also require you to gather the most information. Significant decisions demand less energy and information but are still important. Quick decisions are the least complex you face, require the least input, and can often be resolved if you apply a simple rule.

Question 4

Shayla, the electronics department manager at a local Best Buy store, has a good working relationship with her employees. She believes in an open-door policy, and she encourages the open exchange of opinions in her department. Shayla utilizes the directive style of management.

Question 5

A decision tree, which is the hierarchy or chain of command used by many organizations when discussing alternatives, must be followed when getting decisions approved.

Question 6

If a decision doesn't turn out as well as you'd hoped,

A) review the steps you took to arrive at your decision.
B) start by forgiving yourself.
C) identify the weak spot in your process.
D) load up on new facts and information.
E) keep an open mind.

Question 7

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

Question 8

The model of decision making that explains how managers should make decisions, assuming managers will make logical decisions that will be the optimum in furthering the organization's best interests, is known as the ________. For example, a manager who uses this model may be personally opposed to outsourcing jobs overseas, but she nonetheless decides to outsource customer-service operations to India because doing so is in the company's best interests.

A) employee relations model
B) focused decision-making model
C) interpersonal-decision agenda
D) solutions agenda
E) rational decision-making model

Question 9

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.

A) do more research to look at types of training
B) select a contingency plan
C) implement and evaluate the training program chosen
D) determine how costly the solution will be
E) set up a diversity and synergy training plan to increase the chances of success

Question 10

With satisficing, managers look for alternatives until they find one that is satisfactory, not optimal.

Question 11

Max is in the marketing department with Loose Leaf Teas. He was given the responsibility of determining if customers liked the new calming chamomile. According to Loose Leaf's sales data, over 4,000 customers purchased the new tea last month. If Max surveys 25 of those customers to determine if they like the tea or not to base his marketing campaign on, he will most likely suffer from confirmation bias.

Question 12

A ________ is a choice made from among available alternatives.

A) decision
B) plan
C) goal
D) consensus
E) value statement

Question 13

In the third step of rational decision making (evaluating alternatives and selecting a solution), a manager needs to evaluate each alternative not only according to cost and quality but also according to which of the following questions?

A) Is it efficient, and how will it affect our marketing strategy?
B) Is it feasible, effective, and efficient?
C) Is it ethical and will it hurt diversity?
D) Is it ethical, feasible, and effective?
E) Is it feasible and profitable?

Question 14

________ is the tendency for people with strong prior beliefs, when confronted with a choice, to make their decisions based on assumptions they've already made.

A) Information bias
B) Narrow-minded perception
C) Tunnel vision bias
D) The curse of knowledge
E) Single-vision stereotyping

Question 15

When evaluating the alternatives of a decision, managers need to base decisions strictly on cost, quality, and feasibility.

Question 16

Eduardo's new company wanted to be transparent about all their products, so he chose to market his cleaners as 30 percent toxic and 90 percent effective. His brother, Marco told him that his idea would not work, but Eduardo said he was going to stick to his idea. He is using his hindsight bias.

Question 17

Managers with a low tolerance for ambiguity and an orientation toward task and technical concerns when making decisions have an analytical decision-making style.

Question 18

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

A) focused
B) analytical
C) decision
D) classical
E) logical

Question 19

Tyrone is always on time for work and stays late whenever he is needed. Last week though, he was late three days and asked to leave early on two other days. When it was time to post the schedule for the next week, Marie, the manager, reduced Tyrone's hours and when asked, she told him, "I just can't count on you." Marie has availability bias.

Question 20

The dialectic method calls for managers to foster a structured dialogue or debate of opposing viewpoints prior to making a decision.

Question 21

Isabel, the owner of The Daily Dispatch, a small city newspaper, started her business two years ago, believing that there was still enough demand for her product. However, because people are busy and because so much news is now available online, she has seen the demand for her paper drop steadily. Isabel made a decision to change the original direction of the company and focus more on an Internet news service. Isabel is relying on ________ by demonstrating that managers need to think and act as if their company is an unfinished prototype, and by seeing her business as outsiders do.

A) a decision tree
B) a knowledge dilemma
C) the knee-jerk reaction theory
D) evidence-based decision making
E) intuition

Question 22

Christin, the CEO of a national IT manufacturer, was approached by Ultimate Phones, a new company that is marketing a new type of phone, to partner with the company on a project. The results of the partnership are uncertain because the company (Ultimate Phones) and its technology are new. Christin is uncertain what to do because she is limited by numerous constraints, such as the uncertainty and complexity of the technology, the management success of Ultimate Phones, and time (because other companies are interested in the partnership). Christin is experiencing

A) an ethical dilemma.
B) bounded rationality.
C) groupthink.
D) a bounded dilemma.
E) limited scope.

Question 23

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.

A) a knowledge dilemma
B) a business reaction
C) a knee-jerk reaction
D) unbounded rationality
E) intuition

Question 24

________ is the idea that proposes that the ability of decision makers to be rational is limited by numerous constraints, such as complexity, time, cognitive capacity, values, skills, habits, and unconscious reflexes.

A) Rational decision making
B) MBO
C) Nonrational decision making
D) Analytics
E) Bounded rationality

Question 25

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

A) A writer with a large vocabulary writes a novel using many words that the average reader cannot understand.
B) A plumber brings every tool he owns to a job, just to make sure he has everything he could possibly need to do the job in one visit.
C) An experienced programmer points out a sequence of code that is likely to cause problems when the program is running.
D) A developer of iPhone apps develops several apps that nobody wants.
E) An experienced physician leaves private practice and becomes an X-ray technician.

Question 26

Which of the following is not a hindrance to perfectly rational decision making?

A) complexity
B) intuition
C) managers' different values
D) information overload
E) conflicting goals

Question 27

Erin likes working in the banking industry because it has a lot of structure and certainty, and the daily work is routine. Erin probably

A) has a high tolerance for ambiguity.
B) has a large need for ambiguity.
C) has a low tolerance for ambiguity.
D) is in the middle ambiguity range.
E) thrives on ambiguity.

Question 28

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

A) Cyber-age research
B) Mega research
C) Super market data mining
D) New age computing
E) Big Data analytics

Question 29

Grace is the owner of a local trinket shop. A successful global candle company approached her about selling its products in her shop. Grace knows this product and company can help her exceed her existing goals. Selling candles is a(n) ________ for Grace.

A) problem
B) opportunity
C) synergy
D) ethical dilemma
E) diagnosis

Question 30

Party Supply uses time-series forecasts, such as past holiday sales and the strength of store sales this year, to predict future sales based on patterns of historical data. Party Supply is using

A) analytics.
B) the synergy trend.
C) decisions by trends.
D) focused trend.
E) Big Data.

Question 31

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.

A) directive
B) conceptual
C) ambiguous
D) behavioral
E) analytical

Question 32

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

A) satisficing.
B) rational decision making.
C) intuitive decision making.
D) MBO.
E) nonrational decisions.

Question 33

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

A) No brag, just the facts.
B) See yourself and your organization as outsiders do.
C) If all else fails, slow the spread of bad practice.
D) Treat your organization as a closed system.
E) The best diagnostic question is: "What happens when people fail?"

Question 34

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

A) cyber-age databases.
B) mega IT.
C) super data.
D) new age computing.
E) Big Data.

Question 35

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

A) rational decision making.
B) MBO.
C) nonrational decision making.
D) analytics.
E) a code of ethics.

Question 36

________ are difficulties that inhibit the achievement of goals. For example, the lack of parking may be the main reason why a new restaurant is failing.

A) Objectives
B) Synergies
C) Values
D) Problems
E) Alternatives

Question 37

A person's ________ reflects the combination of how he or she perceives and responds to information.

A) location on the introvert/extrovert scale
B) decision-making style
C) time orientation
D) Big Data perception
E) ambiguity index

Question 38

Despite your best intentions, it's hard to bring the best evidence to bear on your decisions. Why?

A) It is too expensive; and it's not ethical and there's not enough good evidence.
B) It will hurt diversity and synergy within your organization.
C) There's no competition, or there's too much competition.
D) There's too much evidence; and there's not enough good evidence and the side effects outweigh the cure.
E) People are trying to mislead you; and the evidence will not allow MBO.

Question 39

Gloria, the controller of Luna Pizza, is purchasing several new delivery vehicles. Gloria has numerous work responsibilities, so she has limited time to shop for cars. Because of the time constraints, she cannot make an extensive search for the best alternative, so she looks for cars until she finds a model that is satisfactory. Gloria is following the ________ model.

A) dilemma
B) rational
C) limited focus
D) satisficing
E) limited scope

Question 40

________ is a data-mining technique used to predict future behavior and anticipate the consequences of change.

A) Data digging
B) The decision tree
C) Decisions by trends
D) Predictive modeling
E) GIGO

Question 41

It was brought to Dwight's attention that one of his hotel employees had a substance abuse problem. Without fully investigating the issue, Dwight decided to fire the employee. Dwight was using

A) unemotional analysis.
B) satisficing.
C) immersion.
D) feasibility.
E) intuition.

Question 42

Luke and Mia are selling their home. They listed their house three months ago at an extremely high selling price, a price they randomly chose. They do not want to reduce the price to reflect what the marketplace shows their home is really worth. Luke and Mia are participants in ________ bias.

A) blind
B) ego
C) confirmation
D) sunk-cost
E) anchoring and adjustment

Question 43

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.

A) directive
B) conceptual
C) ambiguous
D) behavioral
E) analytical

Question 44

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

A) blind bias.
B) a training trap.
C) confirmation bias.
D) sunk-cost bias.
E) a catch-22 effect.

Question 45

Wendy, the CEO of an oil drilling company, and her top management team recently discovered that their facilities are damaging a beach in Asia and the local wildlife. They understand that they need to decide if temporarily closing or not closing the facility is unethical. To help them make their decision, they consider the following four questions: "Is not temporarily closing the facility legal? If yes, does this proposed action maximize shareholder value? If yes, is not temporarily closing the facility ethical? If no, would it be ethical to take the proposed action?" Wendy and her top managers are using ________ to help them make their decision.

A) Bagley's ethical decision tree
B) Maslow's hierarchy of needs
C) the stakeholder's value statement
D) Frank Gilbreth's code of ethical conduct
E) the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

Question 46

A decision tree is

A) a structure of problem-solving ideas, with its roots based on the organization's mission.
B) the hierarchy that must be followed when getting decisions approved.
C) a graph of decisions and their possible consequences.
D) a location used by Chinese philosopher Confucius in times of intense pressure.
E) an organization's decision network.

Question 47

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.

A) overconfidence bias
B) hindsight bias
C) framing bias
D) escalation of commitment bias
E) sunk-cost bias

Question 48

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.

A) sunk-cost
B) adjustment
C) representativeness
D) availability
E) escalation of commitment

Question 49

Wes, the store manager, recently had to fire Andrea, an employee who graduated from Southern College. He felt that Andrea was not well trained at her school. So, when Zeke, also a graduate from Southern College, applied for Andrea's old position, he did not want to consider hiring him, feeling Zeke also probably did not receive the proper training. Wes was affected by ________ bias.

A) blind
B) training
C) confirmation
D) representativeness
E) adjustment

Question 50

Readily available information may not present a complete picture of a situation due to

A) availability bias.
B) information bias.
C) the representativeness effect.
D) anchoring and adjustment bias.
E) confirmation bias.

Question 51

Bradley was recently promoted to the production manager of a busy shoe factory. He was chosen because prior to his promotion he had proven himself to be very efficient, and as a department manager he had a logical and practical approach to solving problems. Bradley has a reputation for being decisive and getting things done. Most of the factory's employees like Bradley, but they feel he exercises too much control over them. Bradley has a(n) ________ style.

A) directive
B) conceptual
C) ambiguous
D) behavioral
E) analytical

Question 52

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.

A) blind
B) overconfidence
C) confirmation
D) representativeness
E) framing

Question 53

Micah was talking with Aaron, his assistant manager, saying, "When I make a decision on which employees will do a project, I use three simple factors. I consider their attitude, knowledge, and how hard they work." Micah uses ________ when making a decision.

A) thought steps
B) decision steps
C) planning model
D) the domino effect
E) heuristics

Question 54

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.

A) overconfidence
B) hindsight
C) framing
D) escalation of commitment
E) sunk-cost

Question 55

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.

A) availability
B) hindsight
C) framing
D) overconfidence
E) sunk-cost

Question 56

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

A) directive.
B) conceptual.
C) ambiguous.
D) behavioral.
E) analytical.

Question 57

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?

A) board of directors position
B) values specialist
C) ethical dilemma watchdog
D) decision tree manager
E) ethics officer

Question 58

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?"

A) Maslow's hierarchy of needs
B) the stakeholder's value statement
C) Frank Gilbreth's code of ethical conduct
D) Bagley's ethical decision tree
E) the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

Question 59

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

A) no brag, just the facts.
B) like everything else, you will need to sell it.
C) evidence-based management is not just for senior executives.
D) if all else fails, slow the spread of bad practice.
E) treat your organization as an unfinished prototype.

Question 60

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?

A) analytical style
B) conceptual style
C) value style
D) behavioral style
E) directive style

Question 61

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

A) goal bumping.
B) groupthink.
C) secondary placement.
D) satisficing.
E) goal displacement.

Question 62

Katia, the computer department manager at Tech Enterprises, is considering whether to use a group to develop a plan to help employees sell extended warranties on technology sales. Katia should consider having the group make this decision if

A) time is of the essence.
B) it will increase acceptance of the plan.
C) group members are not knowledgeable and need to learn more.
D) group members are overly confident about decision making.
E) the decision-making group is exceptionally large.

Question 63

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

A) Downplay risks and continue on a path.
B) Share results with others.
C) Try to not be trapped by preconceived notions.
D) Ignore orders and delay their implementation.
E) The evidence doesn't quite apply.

Question 64

The advantages of ________ are having a greater pool of knowledge, gaining different perspectives, gaining intellectual stimulation, having a better understanding of decision rationale, and having a deeper commitment to the decision.

A) group decision-making
B) a deeper commitment to the decision
C) the less-thought required decision
D) a quicker decision
E) more flexibility in the final decision

Question 65

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

A) take less time to make decisions, and their decision-making accuracy is higher.
B) take less time to make decisions, and the larger the group, lower the quality of the decision.
C) have higher decision-making accuracy when group members know a good deal about the relevant issues.
D) that are larger make higher-quality decisions.
E) take less time to make decisions, and are more confident about their choices than individuals are.

Question 66

Charles believes in having his team members present conflicting proposals before choosing one. He feels that this leads to the best decision and saves time in the long run because all options are explored up front. Charles uses the ________ decision method.

A) brainstorm
B) dialectic
C) devil's advocate
D) project post-mortem
E) Big Data

Question 67

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

A) Groupthink
B) Big Data
C) MBO
D) Brainstorming
E) Framing

Question 68

________ occurs when people's subjective confidence in their decision-making is greater than their objective accuracy. For example, Penelope thinks she is a superb writer and editor, but her reports are always filled with typos, grammatical errors, and sentence fragments.

A) Confidence bias
B) Overconfidence bias
C) Hindsight bias
D) Predisposition bias
E) The tunnel vision effect

Question 69

Goal displacement, satisficing, and groupthink are

A) some advantages of group decision making.
B) the disadvantages of individual decision making.
C) the disadvantages of group decision making.
D) problems with synergy.
E) a normal aspect of all groups.

Question 70

________ causes people to view events as being more predictable than they really are.

A) Framing bias
B) Hindsight bias
C) Sunk-cost bias
D) Narrow focus bias
E) The fog effect

Question 71

What is a sign that a group is suffering from groupthink?

A) Peer pressure makes members agree with the ideas of the other people in the group.
B) Minority dissent is allowed, even encouraged.
C) All ideas and conclusions must be backed up with data.
D) The group would rather take the time to come to the right decision rather than agree too quickly on what may be the wrong decision.
E) The group actively considers new ideas, even if these ideas challenge underlying assumptions.

Question 72

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

A) groupthink.
B) heuristics.
C) the Delphi technique.
D) group marketing.
E) goal displacement.

Question 73

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

A) rationalization.
B) the wisdom of crowds.
C) sense of invulnerability.
D) illusion of unanimity and peer pressure.
E) greater pool of knowledge.

Question 74

Republican advertisements about Representative Adam Johnson, the Democratic candidate, portray him as lazy, dishonest, and poor at his job. At the same time, the Democratic ads for Adam Johnson describe him as a caring, honest, hard worker. The sponsors of these advertisements know that ads can affect whom voters choose on Election Day. The tendency of decision makers (the voters in this example) to be influenced by how a situation or problem is presented to them is an example of

A) framing bias.
B) stirring the waters.
C) goal displacement.
D) overconfidence bias.
E) the fog effect.

Question 75

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

A) to encourage wild ideas
B) to be the cheerleader
C) to identify the truths
D) to be the critic
E) to explore opposite positions

Question 76

Which of the following is NOT an advantage of group decision making?

A) different perspectives
B) satisficing
C) intellectual stimulation
D) better understanding of decision rationale
E) deeper commitment to the decision

Question 77

In regard to decision making, which of the following statements reflects what research has found?

A) Individuals acting alone always make better decisions than groups.
B) Group decisions are seldom better than individual decisions.
C) Groups tend to be less productive than the best individuals working on any specific project.
D) Groups make better decisions than most individuals acting alone.
E) There has not been any research showing that either individuals acting alone or groups make better-quality decisions.

Question 78

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.

A) framing effect
B) narrow focus bias
C) anchoring and commitment bias
D) escalation of commitment bias
E) fog effect

Question 79

Which of the following is NOT a guideline that can lead to effective brainstorming?

A) Encourage wild ideas.
B) Eliminate ideas that will be too costly.
C) Go for quantity over quality.
D) Be visual.
E) Build on the ideas of others.

Question 80

Satisficing is the tendency of

A) people to view events as being more predictable than they really are.
B) decision makers to be influenced by the way a situation or problem is presented to them.
C) a group to settle on a decision that is "good enough."
D) people to see events based on what has happened in the past.
E) group members to agree for the sake of unanimity and thus avoid accurately assessing the decision situation.