Deck 16: Decision Making

Question 1

One person is not likely to be equally proficient in all phases of the decision-making process.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

"Consensus" is the process of joint decision making among key stakeholders of a problem.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

The control step of the decision making process involves both the evaluation of results against objectives and the implementation of change should deviations exist.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Without knowing all of the possible alternatives or their outcomes,managers frequently approach the selection of alternatives as satisficers rather than optimizers.

Question 5

When evaluating alternatives,the condition of uncertainty is one in which the evaluator has probabilistic estimates of the outcomes.

Question 6

Middle managers are typically focused equally on programmed and non-programmed decisions.

Question 7

The first step in the decision-making process is identifying problems.

Question 8

A survey of human resource managers found that most believe that employees misrepresent information when communicating with their supervisors.

Question 9

Value judgments,while pervasive in the decision making process,typically have a limited influence in the "control and evaluation" phase of the process.

Question 10

"Choosing the alternative" is the single most important step of the decision making process.

Question 11

While unethical decisions by co-workers and supervisors have been found to negatively impact trust levels,productivity has actually been found to typically increase.

Question 12

Groups typically are superior to individuals in the "establishment of objectives" step of the decision-making process.

Question 13

In the identifying problems step of decision-making process,"perceptual problems" are related with the distortion but not ignoring information.

Question 14

Of the individual factors that have consistently been related to ethical decision making,education has found to be the strongest.

Question 15

Escalation of commitment refers to the allocation of additional resources to support continuing favorable results.

Question 16

Distortion of information and the minimizing negative aspects of a decision may be the result of cognitive dissonance.

Question 17

A positive link has been found between the number of alternatives considered and the speed with which decisions can be reached.

Question 18

Cognitive dissonance can be reduced by admitting a mistake has been made.

Question 19

Decisions that are complex and that have not arisen in the exact manner before may be best addressed through the programming of complicated computer models and as such have been termed programmed decisions.

Question 20

When managers "zero-out risks," they attempt to gather more information.

Question 21

A decision may be characterized as nonprogrammed when it ________________.

A)is novel and unstructured
B)is made without the use of computer models
C)may be addressed through policy
D)is difficult

Question 22

Decision making is a responsibility shared by all managers,regardless of functional area or management level.

Question 23

Delphi process responses are typically anonymous to particapants.

Question 24

Problem identification may be hindered by _________.

A)perceptual problems
B)defining problems in terms of solutions
C)identifying symptoms as problems
D)All of the above

Question 25

Karl Weick coined the term _________ when he suggested that managers must constantly try to understand the contexts in which they operate.

A)sense making
B)contextualizing
C)organizational learning
D)scenario analysis

Question 26

Scenario analysis is ____________.

A)an intense examination of changes in the external environment
B)a method used to develop contingency plans
C)a means to focus management attention on past practices to find the best solution
D)a processes to help managers see what could be rather than what has been

Question 27

Brainstorming groups normally produce fewer ideas than do the equivalent number of individuals working alone.

Question 28

"Opportunity decisions" __________.

A)by definition must deal with long term potential
B)differ from other types of decisions in name only
C)is one the decision types defined by Karl Weick
D)differ from other decision types as they usually must be "found"

Question 29

Problems are usually classified as one of three types: __________.

A)programmed,nonprogrammed,and hybrid
B)nonprogrammed,routine,and hybrid
C)opportunity,crisis,and routine
D)opportunity,crisis,and procedural

Question 30

Research indicates a(an)__________ link between the number of alternatives considered and the speed at which decisions are reached.

A)negative
B)positive
C)curvilinear
D)inconsistent

Question 31

The decision-making process depicted in the text _______________.

A)is a sequential process rather than a fixed procedure
B)is intended to be applied most often for programmed decisions
C)starts with the identification of problems
D)ensures excellent decisions will be made

Question 32

Which of the following is a programmed decision?

A)Selecting a new CEO
B)Scheduling employees for overtime
C)Determining the location for a new sales office
D)Developing a new product line expansion

Question 33

A manager states "Our problem is a 32-percent decline in sales." The manager has _____.

A)been influenced by selective perception
B)identified a symptom as the problem
C)defined the solution for the problem
D)stated the problem in a quantitative and therefore measurable fashion

Question 34

Both the Delphi process and the nominal group technique do not require face-to-face communication.

Question 35

A CEO of a medium-sized computer programming company asks himself: "how will outsourcing to India impact my business?" This is an example of ________.

A)scenario making
B)an "opportunity"
C)sense making
D)evaluating alternatives

Question 36

Nonprogrammed decisions are typically handled most at what management level of the organization?

A)First-level supervisors
B)Middle management
C)Upper management
D)All of the above

Question 37

When top management fails to communicate a tolerance for experimentation and failure,middle and lower level managers are likely to _________.

A)act proactively
B)take a "zero-failure" approach
C)zero-out risk
D)follow the five by five risk assessment process

Question 38

Brainstorming has proven to be more effective than both the Delphi process and the nominal group technique.

Question 39

Michelle is supervisor at WidgetTech.Over the past year her manager and a fellow supervisor have been fired for implementing processes which were ultimately ineffective.Senior management may have __________.

A)created an environment in which will promote better decisions
B)created an environment in which Michelle is likely to zero-out risk
C)created a zero risk expectation for investors
D)encouraged Michelle to work harder on system innovation

Question 40

Perceptual issues when identifying problems ________.

A)rarely occur
B)may cause negative information to be selectively perceived as to distort its meaning
C)may be defined as identifying symptoms as problems
D)are typically associated with crisis type decisions

Question 41

Which of the following may increase the anxiety associated with cognitive dissonance?

A)the decision is financially important
B)the decision is psychologically important
C)the decision maker is a type A personality
D)Both A and B are correct

Question 42

Ethics is (are)_______________.

A)a universal code of what is right and wrong
B)a system or code that guides individual conduct
C)of no impact in the decision-making process
D)rarely an influence in the decision-making process

Question 43

Decision making is more than an act of choosing: it is ________.

A)multi-staged process which follows a fixed procedure
B)an end in itself
C)a means to ensure continued organizational success
D)a dynamic process

Question 44

The alternative-outcome relationship is based upon the following conditions: __________.

A)certainty,uncertainty,and risk
B)nonprogrammed,programmed,and hybrid
C)opportunity,crisis,and routine
D)chance of failure,importance of outcome,relative power of the decision maker

Question 45

Michael,the director of HR for WidgetTech,due to budget constraints has directed his team to only recruit at State U.The recruiting team has been given a job specification and the direction to hire the best candidate that interviews during the campus visit day.This is an example of a manager as a __________.

A)satisficer
B)optimizer
C)controller
D)sense maker

Question 46

Scenario analysis __________.

A)has been shown to be ineffective in stable environments
B)allows for easier extrapolation of historic behavior into future outcomes
C)allows managers to overcome tunnel vision
D)is a tool to aid in the evaluation of alternatives

Question 47

Decision makers may reduce cognitive dissonance by ____________.

A)seeking information that supports their decision
B)distorting information in order to support their decision
C)minimizing the importance of negative aspects of their decision
D)All of the above

Question 48

At the organizational level,which of the following exert a direct influence over how individuals make ethical decisions?

A)Culture
B)The religious orientation of the CEO
C)Climate
D)Both A and C

Question 49

_________ describe the individual's momentary state that results from the interaction of a specific situation with characteristics of the individual's personality.

A)Situational variables
B)Interactional variables
C)Personality states
D)Interactional states

Question 50

The framework for classifying decisions considers which of the following?

A)The clarity of established goals
B)The quantity of information on possible alternatives
C)Understanding the future outcomes associated with possible alternatives
D)All of the above

Question 51

In the context of decision making,_______ are the guidelines a person uses when confronted with a situation in which a choice must be made.

A)values
B)ethics
C)organizational ethical policies
D)personal variables

Question 52

Without these,there is no way to judge performance.

A)Measurable objectives
B)Impartial third party observers
C)Objective feedback
D)Diligence and control

Question 53

The only way to ensure excellent results from a decision is to ___________.

A)faithfully follow the decision steps
B)involve all stakeholders in the process
C)involve objective outsiders to critique the process
D)there is no way to guarantee an excellent result

Question 54

"Certainty" in decision making __________.

A)typically applies only to programmed decisions
B)occurs when the decision maker has complete knowledge of the probability of the outcome for each alternative
C)refers to those situations when there is only one alternative
D)is said to exist when all alternatives have been enumerated

Question 55

Michael is using a statistical model to evaluate the alternatives for a particular decision.He is most likely ___________.

A)converting a nonprogrammed to a programmed decision
B)an operations management specialist supporting the management team
C)making his decision under the condition of risk
D)moving his decision condition from risk to uncertainty

Question 56

The theory that suggests that the framing of the question influences decision is called _____.

A)framing theory
B)prospect theory
C)attribution theory
D)framing influence theory (FIT)

Question 57

Risk describes __________.

A)the situation when the decision maker has no knowledge of outcome probabilities
B)the situation when the decision maker has knowledge of alternatives but not their likely outcomes
C)a situation when the decision maker has some probabilistic estimate of the outcomes of each alternative
D)a decision making condition that is typically avoided by management

Question 58

Which of the following tend to take ethical considerations into account when making decisions?

A)Individuals who are older
B)Individuals that possess certain moral philosophies
C)College graduates
D)Both A and B

Question 59

Which of the following have been found to be consistently related to ethical decision making?

A)Gender
B)Education
C)Both A and B
D)None of the above

Question 60

Cognitive dissonance is what research today terms as ______________.

A)post decision anxiety theory
B)post decision dissonance theory
C)regret theory
D)decision regret theory

Question 61

_______________ has the advantage of having several judges while removing the biasing effects that may occur during face-to-face interaction.

A)The Delphi process
B)Brainstorming
C)The nominal group technique
D)Scenario analysis

Question 62

What are ethics and how do unethical decisions impact the workplace?

Question 63

Brainstorming ___________________.

A)follows a strict set of rules
B)advocates that no idea is too ridiculous
C)generates but does not evaluate ideas
D)All of the above

Question 64

Six individual behavior factors have been discussed as having a significant effect on the decision-making process.Describe the impact of these factors.

Question 65

Compare and contrast the three techniques presented in the text for simulating creativity in group decision making.Provide situations when each may be most effective.

Question 66

Describe the decision-making process and justify the statement that the process is "more of a sequential process rather than a series of steps."

Question 67

Problems may be classified into three categories.Describe how these categories differ.

Question 68

Describe four important conclusions concerning the influence of personality on the decision-making process?

Question 69

Define cognitive dissonance.Describe when it is likely to occur and strategies that individuals may employ as coping mechanisms.

Question 70

Three conditions describe the alternative-outcome relationship.Describe these conditions and provide an example of each.Under which of these conditions are most decisions made and why?

Question 71

Do most managerial decisions find "optimal" solutions? Justify your answer.

Question 72

When can group decision making produce better outcomes than individual ones? Provide examples and justifications.

Question 73

The nominal group technique __________.

A)is similar to the Delphi technique in that both techniques use surveys
B)refers to a process that limits the verbal communication between participants
C)has been found to be less effective than brainstorming
D)is typically used after brainstorming to evaluate alternatives

Question 74

What are "values" and how do they influence the decision-making process?

Question 75

How can organizations promote ethical behaviors?

Question 76

When the project was initiated,the Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant had an estimated cost of $75 million and a construction timeline of seven years.The project was eventually completed 23 years later at a cost of over $5 billion.The continuing allocation of resources to this project which ended up costing over 66 times its original estimate may be an example of ______.

A)tenacity
B)escalation theory
C)escalation of commitment
D)persistence theory

Question 77

Basic differences between the Delphi process and NGT include: __________.

A)Delphi participants are typically anonymous to one another,whereas NGT participants become acquainted.
B)In the Delphi process,all communication between participants is by way of written questionnaires and feedback from the monitoring staff.In NGT,participants communicate directly.
C)NGT participants are typically anonymous to one another,whereas Delphi participants become acquainted.
D)Both A and B are correct

Question 78

Three questions may be useful in determining the amount of risk involved in a decision.What are these questions and how do they relate to risk and the probability of failure?

Question 79

Define and provide an example of escalation of commitment.

Question 80

The text provided a number of issues that can hinder the identification of the problem.Describe these issues and provide examples.