Required Material
The following interactive tutorial will give you a good introduction to the topic of the class:
Decision making. (2014). Pearson Learning Solutions. New York, NY.
After you’ve reviewed the tutorial, dig into the main concepts of the module with the following two readings. Pay close attention to concepts such as 1) programmed versus non-programmed decisions, 2) strategic versus operational decisions, and 3) rational versus intuitive decision-making:
For a good overview of the concepts of this module, take a look at the following reading:
Moshal, B. S. (2009). Chapter 7: Decision making in an organization. Principles of Management. New Delhi: Global Professional Publishing Ltd. [eBook Business Collection. Note – you don’t have to read the whole chapter, just the first half up to the section “Decision Making Environment”. Also, do not copy the entire reference into the eBook search engine. Instead just copy the title of the book, e.g. “Principles of Management”]
For a more detailed discussion about rational versus intuitive decision-making, see the following chapter. The first few pages are especially important:
Kourdi, J. (2011). Chapter 2: Assessing your decision-making style. Effective Decision Making : 10 Steps to Better Decision Making and Problem Solving. London: Marshall Cavendish International [Asia] Pte Ltd. [eBook Business Collection]
Module 1 – SLP
INTRODUCTION TO DECISION MAKING
For the Session Long Project for this class, you will be applying the concepts from the background materials to your own experiences in the workplace. More specifically, you will be examining the decisions and decision-making processes of the leadership of the organization you currently work for or one that you have worked for in the past.
For this first SLP assignment, think about some major and minor decisions made by your managers that you were involved with or impacted by. Review the background material concepts, and think carefully about how you have personally observed some of these concepts. Then write a 2- to 3-page paper addressing the following issues:
1. Give some specific examples of strategic and operational decisions that you have observed in your workplace. Give at least one example of each type of decision, and explain why you think this decision falls into this category with references to the background materials.
2. Give some specific examples of both programmed and non-programmed decisions that you have observed. Give at least one example of each type of decision, and explain why you think this decision falls into this category with references to the background materials.
3. Discuss the specific decision-making style of a supervisor you have worked closely with, and discuss whether this supervisor’s style is rational or intuitive. Give specific examples to explain your reasoning as to why you think this supervisor is rational or intuitive.
SLP Assignment Expectations
• Follow the assignment instructions closely and follow all steps listed in the instructions.
• Stay focused on the precise assignment questions; don’t go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials.
• Make sure to cite readings from the background materials page. Rely primarily on the required background readings as your sources of information.
Include both a bibliography and in-text citations.
