Deck 2: Decisions and Decision Makers

Question 1

The decision maker is considered both an element and participant in the decision.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

All decisions in an organization are ultimately made by a single individual.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

A problem is defined as the perception of a difference between the current state of affairs and a desired state of affairs.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

A typical decision is often made using the exact order suggested by a normative model of decision making and tends to use all of the steps contained in the model.

Question 5

Two examples of group decision making are organizational committees and juries.

Question 6

The manner in which a decision is made is referred to as decision style.

Question 7

Decision style is affected by the perception of the problem.

Question 8

The reason there are so many different types of DSSs is that there are many different types of decisions.

Question 9

Policies and procedures can affect organizational decision making.

Question 10

Simon proposed to classify problems from procedural to non-procedural.

Question 11

Programmed decisions are more difficult to automate in a DSS than non-programmed decisions.

Question 12

When conflict exists in either goals or approaches to the decision then Delbecq would classify that as the need for a creative decision.

Question 13

When a novel approach is needed to handle the complexity of the problem, then Delbecq would classify that as the need for a negotiated decision.

Question 14

Mintzberg classifies adaptive activities as characterized by high risk and motivated by the proactive and reactive considerations.

Question 15

According to Thompson, his classification scheme differentiates decisions based upon the type of activities with which the decision is most associated.

Question 16

The most clear-cut phase in the decision making process is the design phase.

Question 17

Simon referred to the process of search-limiting strategies as inferencing.

Question 18

Symptoms of a problem are identical to the problem itself.

Question 19

Stereotyping is a common perceptual block.

Question 20

The tendency to view alternatives as mutually exclusive events is a bias of individualdecision makers.

Question 21

Which of the following is not part of the decision-making process?

A) Stimulus
B) Alternative selection
C) Decision maker
D) All of the above are part of the decision making process.

Question 22

Which of the following is not a category of decision makers within an organization?

A) Individual decision makers
B) Team decision makers
C) Group decision makers
D) All of the above are categories of decision makers.

Question 23

Which of the following is not a factor that affects decision style?

A) Context
B) Inference
C) Values
D) Perception

Question 24

Which of the following is not a decision style behavior?

A) Analytical
B) Behavioral
C) Conceptual
D) All of the above are decisions style behaviors.

Question 25

According to Mintzberg, which of the following is not a decision typology?

A) Entrepreneurial activities
B) Knowledge activities
C) Adaptive activities
D) Planning activities

Question 26

According to Delbecq, which of the following is not a classification scheme for negotiation?

A) Inferred decisions
B) Routine decisions
C) Creative decisions
D) Negotiated decisions

Question 27

According to Thompson, which of the following is not a type of strategy based decision scheme?

A) Inspirational strategies
B) Judgmental strategies
C) Conversational strategies
D) Compromise strategies

Question 28

The perception of a problem context is typically caused by one or more:

A) crisis.
B) stimuli.
C) telephone calls.
D) catastrophes.

Question 29

The term used to describe the manner in which a manager makes decisions is called:

A) decision methodology.
B) decision model.
C) decision style.
D) cognitive style.

Question 30

In any problem context, before any effective investigation of alternative solutions can be conducted, the decision maker must first:

A) establish the available resources.
B) determine the best solution.
C) define the problem.
D) None of the above.

Question 31

A decision in which many people may serve to influence the final decision but only one decision maker has the authority and responsibility to make the decision is called a:

A) unilateral decision.
B) bilateral decision.
C) negotiated decision.
D) unanimous decision.

Question 32

Which of the following involves factors relating to the forces acting on the decision maker in the course of making the decision?

A) Problem space
B) Problem style
C) Problem context
D) Decision style

Question 33

Which of the following best describes the basic characteristics of the directive decision style? A directive decision style is characterized by:

A) a high need for structure in the problem context combined with a relatively low tolerance for context ambiguity and a tendency to function best in a verbal setting rather than through written communication or other multichannel media.
B) a relatively greater tolerance for context ambiguity, a tendency toward the need for greater volumes of information and the consideration of large sets of alternatives, and a preference for written communication media.
C) a long-term thinker with a high tolerance for ambiguity and a tendency to be much more of a "people person".
D) conflict-averse with a tendency to rely on meetings and consensus for communicating to and organizing subordinates.

Question 34

Which of the following best describes the basic characteristics of the analytical decision style? An analytical decision style is characterized by:

A) a high need for structure in the problem context combined with a relatively low tolerance for context ambiguity and a tendency to function best in a verbal setting rather than through written communiqué or other multichannel media.
B) a relatively greater tolerance for context ambiguity, a tendency toward the need for greater volumes of information and the consideration of large sets of alternatives, and a preference for written communication media.
C) a long-term thinker with a high tolerance for ambiguity and a tendency to be much more of a "people person".
D) conflict-averse with a tendency to rely on meetings and consensus for communicating to and organizing subordinates.

Question 35

Which of the following best describes the basic characteristics of the conceptual decision style? The conceptual decision style is characterized by:

A) a high need for structure in the problem context combined with a relatively low tolerance for context ambiguity and a tendency to function best in a verbal setting rather than through written communiqué or other multichannel media.
B) a relatively greater tolerance for context ambiguity, a tendency toward the need for greater volumes of information and the consideration of large sets of alternatives, and a preference for written communication media.
C) a long-term thinker with a high tolerance for ambiguity and a tendency to be much more of a "people person".
D) conflict-averse with a tendency to rely on meetings and consensus for communicating to and organizing subordinates.

Question 36

Which of the following best describes the basic characteristics of the behavioral decision style? The behavioral decision style is characterized by:

A) a high need for structure in the problem context combined with a relatively low tolerance for context ambiguity and a tendency to function best in a verbal setting rather than through written communiqué or other multichannel media.
B) a relatively greater tolerance for context ambiguity, a tendency toward the need for greater volumes of information and the consideration of large sets of alternatives, and a preference for written communication media.
C) a long-term thinker with a high tolerance for ambiguity and a tendency to be much more of a "people person".
D) conflict-averse with a tendency to rely on meetings and consensus for communicating to and organizing subordinates.

Question 37

Simon classified problems on a continuum that ranged from:

A) structured to unstructured.
B) parallel to perpendicular.
C) discrete to obtuse.
D) 1 to 10.

Question 38

Which of the following is not included in the Keen and Scott Morton classification of decision-making perspectives?

A) Process-oriented perspective
B) Knowledge-engineer perspective
C) Political perspective
D) Rational manager perspective

Question 39

Which of the following is not a satisficing strategy?

A) Simulation
B) "What-if" analysis
C) Markov analysis
D) Linear programming

Question 40

Which of the following is not an optimizing strategy?

A) Goal programming
B) Environmental impact analysis
C) Investment models
D) Transportation models

Question 41

Define a 'good decision'.

Question 42

List 10 common types of support provided by a DSS.

Question 43

Define Mintzberg's activity-based decision typology.

Question 44

List the advantages of using heuristics.