Jamila Works in the Marketing Department at Intelligentsia, a Cutting-Edge

Multiple Choice

Jamila works in the marketing department at Intelligentsia, a cutting-edge start-up in the process of launching Xanadu, a smart-home/smart-garden technology system. After a very successful crowdfunding campaign and an influx of new angel investors, the company's future is looking bright. The start-up's founders, Han and Martine, are very rational decision makers, balancing optimism with the understanding that most start-ups, and tech start-ups in particular, face many risks at every stage of development. Their partner Gerard, however, makes decisions more subjectively and believes he is in control of all situations, even if he is not. Based on the psychological bias Gerard exhibits, which of the following most likely describes his actions?

A) He dismisses risks, is overconfident in his experience and skills, and believes that he is immune to failure.
B) He ignores disagreements and makes decisions quickly, without consulting Han and Martine, citing time pressures.
C) He procrastinates, avoids discussing problems, and hands off important decisions to lower-level employees.
D) When he encounters resistance, he changes the way he words or discusses problems and decisions.
E) He chooses to focus exclusively on the company's immediate successes rather thinking about long-term issues.