OB AT WORK
For Review
1. What is the rational decision-making model? Under what conditions is it applicable?- Describe organizational factors that might constrain decision makers.
- What role does intuition play in effective decision making?
- What is groupthink? What is its effect on decision-making quality?
- What is groupshift? What is its effect on decision-making quality?
- Identify five organizational factors that block creativity at work.
- Describe the four criteria that individuals can use in making ethical decisions.
- Are unethical decisions more a function of the individual decision maker or the decision maker’s work environment?
Explain. - What is corporate social responsibility, and why do companies engage in it?
For Critical Thinking
1. “For the most part, individual decision making in organizations is an irrational process.” Do you agree or disagree?
Discuss.- What factors do you think differentiate good decision makers from poor ones? Relate your answer to the six-step
rational decision-making model. - Have you ever increased your commitment to a failed course of action? If so, analyze the follow-up decision to
increase your commitment and explain why you behaved as you did. - If group decisions consistently achieve better-quality outcomes than those achieved by individuals, how did the
phrase “a camel is a horse designed by a committee” become so popular and ingrained in our culture?
OB for You
■ In some decision situations, you might consider following the rational decision-making model. This will ensure that you
examine a wider variety of options before committing to a particular decision.
■ Analyze decision situations and be aware of your biases. We all bring biases to the decisions we make. Combine
rational analysis with intuition. As you gain experience, you should feel increasingly confident in using your intuition
with your rational analysis.
■ Use creativity-stimulation techniques. You can improve your overall decision-making effectiveness by searching for
innovative solutions to problems. This can be as basic as telling yourself to think creatively and to look specifically for
unique alternatives.
■ When making decisions, you should consider their ethical implications. A quick way to do this is to ask yourself: Would
I be embarrassed if this action were printed on the front page of the local newspaper?