Tools and Techniques: Effective Decision-Making
Tools and Techniques: Effective Decision-Making
Organizations undergo the rigors of decision-making dilemmas nearly every day. Within these organizations, managers are expected to contribute their decision-making knowledge and skills to the process. Some organizations succeed and some fail in their decision-making attempts due to lack of quantitative and qualitative participation in the decision-making process. For an organization, having the necessary tools and techniques for decision-making is as important as having an effective staff to put them into action. This paper will discuss the tools and the techniques of good decision-makers and examine the outcome of their application.
Following is a decision-making model created by Professor Hossein Arsham. This model is very similar to most organizational decision-making models and provides and effective strategic approach to decision-making.
1. Identification of the Problem: Although this is the first stage this may be where morality can have the greatest impact. This is often the most difficult stage for the researcher and if it is not completed properly the results will be unsatisfactory regardless of the quality (or morality) of the work that follows. The framework that is built here constrains or sets the scope of the project. From an ethical perspective the first question of importance may be – is this really a problem at all? More times than not the focus of problems relates to the reduction of costs or increase in revenue (or that may be my business bias). At this point the problem needs to be resolved by a choice of means, which many find unfavorable. Some proponents of ethical decision-making challenge decision makers to evaluate whether the perceived problem truly is a problem. It simple but in reality the process of considering all the potential alternatives, including do nothing, is not common. Business leaders are engrained with the belief that flexibility, change and adaptation are the
Organizations undergo the rigors of decision-making dilemmas nearly every day. Within these organizations, managers are expected to contribute their decision-making knowledge and skills to the process. Some organizations succeed and some fail in their decision-making attempts due to lack of quantitative and qualitative participation in the decision-making process. For an organization, having the necessary tools and techniques for decision-making is as important as having an effective staff to put them into action. This paper will discuss the tools and the techniques of good decision-makers and examine the outcome of their application.
Following is a decision-making model created by Professor Hossein Arsham. This model is very similar to most organizational decision-making models and provides and effective strategic approach to decision-making.
1. Identification of the Problem: Although this is the first stage this may be where morality can have the greatest impact. This is often the most difficult stage for the researcher and if it is not completed properly the results will be unsatisfactory regardless of the quality (or morality) of the work that follows. The framework that is built here constrains or sets the scope of the project. From an ethical perspective the first question of importance may be – is this really a problem at all? More times than not the focus of problems relates to the reduction of costs or increase in revenue (or that may be my business bias). At this point the problem needs to be resolved by a choice of means, which many find unfavorable. Some proponents of ethical decision-making challenge decision makers to evaluate whether the perceived problem truly is a problem. It simple but in reality the process of considering all the potential alternatives, including do nothing, is not common. Business leaders are engrained with the belief that flexibility, change and adaptation are the
References: Arsham, Prof. H. (2005). Leadership Decision Making. Overcoming Serious Indecisiveness. Retrieved November 27, 2005, from http://home.ubalt.edu/ntsbarsh/opre640/partXIII.htm. Decision Making – The Elements of Decision Making, Problem Solving (2005). Retrieved December 2, 2005, from http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/small/Co-Di/Decision- Making.html. Hargrove, T. (2004). The Components Of Decision-Making. ASHRAE Journal, 46(10), p68-p69. Retrieved December 2, 2005, from EBSCOhost database. Nutt, P.C. (1999). Surprising but true: Half the decisions in organizations fail. Academy of Management Executive. 13(4), p75 – p90. Retrieved November 27, 2005, from EBSCOhost database.