SlideShare a Scribd company logo
by: Muhammad Rizwan Qamar

DECISION MAKING
Decision Making

The process by which
managers identify problems
and try to resolve them
NATURE OF MANAGERIAL DECISION
MAKING
Types of problems faced:

• Crisis problems
Serious: require immediate action
• Non-crisis problems
Require resolution but not both immediate and
important
• Opportunity problems
Opportunity for organisational gain IF appropriate
action taken
Decision Making
• Decision
– Making a choice from two or more alternatives.

• The Decision-Making Process
– Identifying a problem and decision criteria and
allocating weights to the criteria.
– Developing, analyzing, and selecting an alternative
that can resolve the problem.
– Implementing the selected alternative.
– Evaluating the decision’s effectiveness.
The Decision-Making Process
Step 1: Identifying the Problem
• Problem
– A discrepancy between an existing and desired state
of affairs.

• Characteristics of Problems
– A problem becomes a problem when a manager
becomes aware of it.
– There is pressure to solve the problem.
– The manager must have the authority, information, or
resources needed to solve the problem.
Step 2: Identifying Decision Criteria
• Decision criteria are factors that are important
(relevant) to resolving the problem.
– Costs that will be incurred (investments required)
– Risks likely to be encountered (chance of failure)
– Outcomes that are desired (growth of the firm)

Step 3: Allocating Weights to the Criteria
• Decision criteria are not of equal importance:
 Assigning a weight to each item places the items in
the correct priority order of their importance in the
decision making process.
Criteria and Weights for Computer Replacement Decision

Criterion

Weight

Memory and Storage

10

Battery life

8

Carrying Weight

6

Warranty

4

Display Quality

3
Step 4: Developing Alternatives

• Identifying viable alternatives

– Alternatives are listed (without evaluation) that
can resolve the problem.

Step 5: Analyzing Alternatives
• Appraising each alternative’s strengths and
weaknesses
 An alternative’s appraisal is based on its ability to
resolve the issues identified in steps 2 and 3.
Assessed Values of Laptop Computers Using
Decision Criteria
Step 6: Selecting an Alternative

• Choosing the best alternative

– The alternative with the highest total weight is
chosen.

Step 7: Implementing the Alternative
• Putting the chosen alternative into action.
 Conveying the decision to and gaining commitment
from those who will carry out the decision.
Evaluation of Laptop Alternatives Against
Weighted Criteria
Step 8: Evaluating the Decision’s
Effectiveness
• The soundness of the decision is judged by its
outcomes.
– How effectively was the problem resolved by
outcomes resulting from the chosen alternatives?
– If the problem was not resolved, what went
wrong?
Decisions in the Management Functions
Making Decisions
• Rationality
– Managers make consistent, value-maximizing choices
with specified constraints.
– Assumptions are that decision makers:
• Are perfectly rational, fully objective, and logical.
• Have carefully defined the problem and identified all viable
alternatives.
• Have a clear and specific goal
• Will select the alternative that maximizes outcomes in the
organization’s interests rather than in their personal
interests.
Assumptions of Rationality
The Role of Intuition

• Intuitive decision making
– Making decisions on the basis of experience,
feelings, and accumulated judgment.
What is Intuition?

Source: Based on L. A. Burke and M. K. Miller, “Taking the Mystery Out of Intuitive
Decision Making,” Academy of Management Executive, October 1999, pp. 91–99.
GROUP DECISION MAKING
ADVANTAGES
ADVANTAGES

DISADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES

More information available
More information available

Time-consuming
Time-consuming

More
More
alternative solutions
alternative solutions

Delays & ill feeling possible
Delays & ill feeling possible

Increases solution
Increases solution
understanding & acceptance
understanding & acceptance

Domination by individuals
Domination by individuals

Builds member
Builds member
knowledge & skill base
knowledge & skill base

Risk of groupthink
Risk of groupthink
Types of Problems and Decisions
• Structured Problems
– Involve goals that clear.
– Are familiar (have occurred before).
– Are easily and completely defined—information
about the problem is available and complete.

• Programmed Decision
– A repetitive decision that can be handled by a
routine approach.
Types of Programmed Decisions
• Policy
– A general guideline for making a decision about a
structured problem.

• Procedure
– A series of interrelated steps that a manager can use
to respond (applying a policy) to a structured
problem.

• Rule
– An explicit statement that limits what a manager or
employee can or cannot do.
Policy, Procedure, and Rule Examples
• Policy
– Accept all customer-returned merchandise.

• Procedure
– Follow all steps for completing merchandise return
documentation.

• Rules
– Managers must approve all refunds over $50.00.
– No credit purchases are refunded for cash.
Problems and Decisions (cont’d)
• Unstructured Problems
– Problems that are new or unusual and for which
information is ambiguous or incomplete.
– Problems that will require custom-made solutions.

• Non programmed Decisions
– Decisions that are unique and nonrecurring.
– Decisions that generate unique responses.
Decision-Making Conditions
• Certainty
– A situation in which a manager can make an
accurate decision because the outcome of every
alternative choice is known.

• Risk
– A situation in which the manager is able to
estimate the likelihood (probability) of outcomes
that result from the choice of particular
alternatives.
Expected Value for Revenues from the
Addition of One Ski Lift

Expected
Probability = Value of Each
Alternative

Event

Expected ×
Revenues

Heavy snowfall

$850,000

0.3

=

$255,000

Normal snowfall

725,000

0.5

=

362,500

Light snowfall

350,000

0.2

=

70,000
$687,500
Decision-Making Conditions
• Uncertainty
– Limited information prevents estimation of outcome
probabilities for alternatives associated with the
problem and may force managers to rely on intuition,
hunches, and “gut feelings”.
• Maximax: the optimistic manager’s choice to maximize the
maximum payoff
• Maximin: the pessimistic manager’s choice to maximize the
minimum payoff
• Minimax: the manager’s choice to minimize maximum
regret.
Decision-Making Styles (cont’d)
• Types of Decision Makers
– Directive
• Use minimal information and consider few alternatives.

– Analytic
• Make careful decisions in unique situations.

– Conceptual
• Maintain a broad outlook and consider many alternatives in
making decisions.

– Behavioral
• Avoid conflict by working well with others and being
receptive to suggestions.
Decision-Making Matrix
Common Decision-Making Errors and Biases
Decision-Making Biases and Errors
• Heuristics
– Using “rules of thumb” to simplify decision making.

• Overconfidence Bias
– Holding unrealistically positive views of one’s self and
one’s performance.

• Immediate Gratification Bias
– Choosing alternatives that offer immediate rewards
and that to avoid immediate costs.
Decision-Making Biases and Errors
(cont’d)
• Anchoring Effect
– Fixating on initial information and ignoring
subsequent information.

• Selective Perception Bias
– Selecting organizing and interpreting events based
on the decision maker’s biased perceptions.

• Confirmation Bias
– Seeking out information that reaffirms past choices
and discounting contradictory information.
Decision-Making Biases and Errors
(cont’d)
• Framing Bias

– Selecting and highlighting certain aspects of a
situation while ignoring other aspects.

• Availability Bias

– Losing decision-making objectivity by focusing on the
most recent events.

• Representation Bias

– Drawing analogies and seeing identical situations
when none exist.

• Randomness Bias

– Creating unfounded meaning out of random events.
Decision-Making Biases and Errors
(cont’d)
• Sunk Costs Errors
– Forgetting that current actions cannot influence past
events and relate only to future consequences.

• Self-Serving Bias
– Taking quick credit for successes and blaming outside
factors for failures.

• Hindsight Bias
– Mistakenly believing that an event could have been
predicted once the actual outcome is known (afterthe-fact).
Decision Making for Today’s World
• Guidelines for making effective decisions:
– Understand cultural differences.
– Know when it’s time to call it quits.
– Use an effective decision-making process.

• Habits of highly reliable organizations (HROs)
–
–
–
–
–

Are not tricked by their success.
Defer to the experts on the front line.
Let unexpected circumstances provide the solution.
Embrace complexity.
Anticipate, but also anticipate their limits.
The End !!

More Related Content

PPTX
Decision Making Process
PDF
Decision making
PPTX
Decision making
PPTX
DECISION MAKING – DEFINITION, CHARACTERISTICS, ELEMENTS, PROCESS, TYPES AND P...
PPT
Decision Making
PPT
DECISION MAKING POWERPOINT
PPT
Decision making ppt
PPTX
Decision making
Decision Making Process
Decision making
Decision making
DECISION MAKING – DEFINITION, CHARACTERISTICS, ELEMENTS, PROCESS, TYPES AND P...
Decision Making
DECISION MAKING POWERPOINT
Decision making ppt
Decision making

What's hot (20)

PPTX
Decision making
PPTX
Decision making process
PPTX
Decision Making 2
PPT
Decision Making: Decision Making Process, Stages in Decision Making, Individu...
PPTX
Decision making ppt
PPT
Decision making
PPTX
Decision Making
PPTX
Decision Making Process
PPTX
Decision making
PPTX
Decision making process
PPTX
Fundamentals of Decision Making
PDF
Managerial Decision Making by Dr. B. J. Mohite
PPT
Decision Making PowerPoint PPT Content Modern Sample
PPT
DECISION MAKING
PPTX
Decision making
PDF
Decision Making in an Organization
PPT
Decision Making
PPT
Presentation on Decision Making
PPTX
Decision making
PPTX
Types and Styles of Decision making.
Decision making
Decision making process
Decision Making 2
Decision Making: Decision Making Process, Stages in Decision Making, Individu...
Decision making ppt
Decision making
Decision Making
Decision Making Process
Decision making
Decision making process
Fundamentals of Decision Making
Managerial Decision Making by Dr. B. J. Mohite
Decision Making PowerPoint PPT Content Modern Sample
DECISION MAKING
Decision making
Decision Making in an Organization
Decision Making
Presentation on Decision Making
Decision making
Types and Styles of Decision making.
Ad

Viewers also liked (13)

PPT
Chapter 6: Managers as Decision Makers
PPTX
Errors in decision making
PPT
Decision Making
PDF
Human Behavior Organization Chapter 8
PPT
HBO Handout Chapter 1 (Introduction to Organizational Behavior)
PPTX
Human Behavior
PPT
Human behavior in Organization
PPTX
Strategy Formulation & Implementation
PPT
Human behaviour ppt
PPTX
Strategy formulation
PPTX
Plannning and Types of planning
PPT
PROBLEM SOLVING POWERPOINT
PPT
Strategic management ppt
Chapter 6: Managers as Decision Makers
Errors in decision making
Decision Making
Human Behavior Organization Chapter 8
HBO Handout Chapter 1 (Introduction to Organizational Behavior)
Human Behavior
Human behavior in Organization
Strategy Formulation & Implementation
Human behaviour ppt
Strategy formulation
Plannning and Types of planning
PROBLEM SOLVING POWERPOINT
Strategic management ppt
Ad

Similar to Decision Making (20)

PPT
Decision making class
PPT
Decision making
PPT
1607065595-decision-making-process.ppt
PPT
Decision Making process.ppt
PPTX
Decision making process
PPTX
chapter 3 PL..pptx
PPTX
Session 4 of management decision making..pptx
PPT
Chapter 06
PPT
Chap 3 MGT162
PPTX
Decision making , rr mob.2011(3)
PPTX
Decision Making In Business
PPTX
Principle of management decision makings
PPTX
Decision Making
PPTX
Hs300 m4 3 decision making
PPT
Decision making
PPTX
Organizational Decision Making
PPTX
MPOB unit2.pptx
PPTX
Decision making (ppt)
PPT
Decision making
PPTX
Decision making
 
Decision making class
Decision making
1607065595-decision-making-process.ppt
Decision Making process.ppt
Decision making process
chapter 3 PL..pptx
Session 4 of management decision making..pptx
Chapter 06
Chap 3 MGT162
Decision making , rr mob.2011(3)
Decision Making In Business
Principle of management decision makings
Decision Making
Hs300 m4 3 decision making
Decision making
Organizational Decision Making
MPOB unit2.pptx
Decision making (ppt)
Decision making
Decision making
 

More from Rizwan Qamar (20)

PPS
What will become of them?
PPS
Secrets of Nation's Success
PPS
Nice Words
PPS
Amazing prediction know yourself
PPT
Change Management
PPT
Cultural Globalization
PPT
Customer Relationship Management
PPT
Cultural Diversity
PPT
Change Leadership
PPT
Auction overview
PPT
PPT
Stretagies that fit Emerging Markets
PPT
Understanding Responcible Leadership
PPTX
Allied Bank Limited
PPT
Avon Products Inc
PPTX
Micro Energy Solutions
PPT
Evolution of Entrepreneurship in Pakistan
PPT
Global Warming
PPT
Impact of WTO on Economy
PPT
UDHR Article 16
What will become of them?
Secrets of Nation's Success
Nice Words
Amazing prediction know yourself
Change Management
Cultural Globalization
Customer Relationship Management
Cultural Diversity
Change Leadership
Auction overview
Stretagies that fit Emerging Markets
Understanding Responcible Leadership
Allied Bank Limited
Avon Products Inc
Micro Energy Solutions
Evolution of Entrepreneurship in Pakistan
Global Warming
Impact of WTO on Economy
UDHR Article 16

Recently uploaded (20)

PDF
ANALYZING THE OPPORTUNITIES OF DIGITAL MARKETING IN BANGLADESH TO PROVIDE AN ...
PPTX
2025 Product Deck V1.0.pptxCATALOGTCLCIA
PDF
Technical Architecture - Chainsys dataZap
PPTX
Board-Reporting-Package-by-Umbrex-5-23-23.pptx
PDF
Cours de Système d'information about ERP.pdf
PDF
NEW - FEES STRUCTURES (01-july-2024).pdf
PPT
Lecture 3344;;,,(,(((((((((((((((((((((((
PDF
Booking.com The Global AI Sentiment Report 2025
PPTX
operations management : demand supply ch
PDF
Tortilla Mexican Grill 发射点犯得上发射点发生发射点犯得上发生
PDF
How to Get Business Funding for Small Business Fast
PDF
Solara Labs: Empowering Health through Innovative Nutraceutical Solutions
PDF
Introduction to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
PDF
Robin Fischer: A Visionary Leader Making a Difference in Healthcare, One Day ...
PDF
Module 2 - Modern Supervison Challenges - Student Resource.pdf
PDF
Solaris Resources Presentation - Corporate August 2025.pdf
PDF
Tata consultancy services case study shri Sharda college, basrur
PPTX
basic introduction to research chapter 1.pptx
PPTX
Astra-Investor- business Presentation (1).pptx
PPTX
Slide gioi thieu VietinBank Quy 2 - 2025
ANALYZING THE OPPORTUNITIES OF DIGITAL MARKETING IN BANGLADESH TO PROVIDE AN ...
2025 Product Deck V1.0.pptxCATALOGTCLCIA
Technical Architecture - Chainsys dataZap
Board-Reporting-Package-by-Umbrex-5-23-23.pptx
Cours de Système d'information about ERP.pdf
NEW - FEES STRUCTURES (01-july-2024).pdf
Lecture 3344;;,,(,(((((((((((((((((((((((
Booking.com The Global AI Sentiment Report 2025
operations management : demand supply ch
Tortilla Mexican Grill 发射点犯得上发射点发生发射点犯得上发生
How to Get Business Funding for Small Business Fast
Solara Labs: Empowering Health through Innovative Nutraceutical Solutions
Introduction to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
Robin Fischer: A Visionary Leader Making a Difference in Healthcare, One Day ...
Module 2 - Modern Supervison Challenges - Student Resource.pdf
Solaris Resources Presentation - Corporate August 2025.pdf
Tata consultancy services case study shri Sharda college, basrur
basic introduction to research chapter 1.pptx
Astra-Investor- business Presentation (1).pptx
Slide gioi thieu VietinBank Quy 2 - 2025

Decision Making

  • 1. by: Muhammad Rizwan Qamar DECISION MAKING
  • 2. Decision Making The process by which managers identify problems and try to resolve them
  • 3. NATURE OF MANAGERIAL DECISION MAKING Types of problems faced: • Crisis problems Serious: require immediate action • Non-crisis problems Require resolution but not both immediate and important • Opportunity problems Opportunity for organisational gain IF appropriate action taken
  • 4. Decision Making • Decision – Making a choice from two or more alternatives. • The Decision-Making Process – Identifying a problem and decision criteria and allocating weights to the criteria. – Developing, analyzing, and selecting an alternative that can resolve the problem. – Implementing the selected alternative. – Evaluating the decision’s effectiveness.
  • 6. Step 1: Identifying the Problem • Problem – A discrepancy between an existing and desired state of affairs. • Characteristics of Problems – A problem becomes a problem when a manager becomes aware of it. – There is pressure to solve the problem. – The manager must have the authority, information, or resources needed to solve the problem.
  • 7. Step 2: Identifying Decision Criteria • Decision criteria are factors that are important (relevant) to resolving the problem. – Costs that will be incurred (investments required) – Risks likely to be encountered (chance of failure) – Outcomes that are desired (growth of the firm) Step 3: Allocating Weights to the Criteria • Decision criteria are not of equal importance:  Assigning a weight to each item places the items in the correct priority order of their importance in the decision making process.
  • 8. Criteria and Weights for Computer Replacement Decision Criterion Weight Memory and Storage 10 Battery life 8 Carrying Weight 6 Warranty 4 Display Quality 3
  • 9. Step 4: Developing Alternatives • Identifying viable alternatives – Alternatives are listed (without evaluation) that can resolve the problem. Step 5: Analyzing Alternatives • Appraising each alternative’s strengths and weaknesses  An alternative’s appraisal is based on its ability to resolve the issues identified in steps 2 and 3.
  • 10. Assessed Values of Laptop Computers Using Decision Criteria
  • 11. Step 6: Selecting an Alternative • Choosing the best alternative – The alternative with the highest total weight is chosen. Step 7: Implementing the Alternative • Putting the chosen alternative into action.  Conveying the decision to and gaining commitment from those who will carry out the decision.
  • 12. Evaluation of Laptop Alternatives Against Weighted Criteria
  • 13. Step 8: Evaluating the Decision’s Effectiveness • The soundness of the decision is judged by its outcomes. – How effectively was the problem resolved by outcomes resulting from the chosen alternatives? – If the problem was not resolved, what went wrong?
  • 14. Decisions in the Management Functions
  • 15. Making Decisions • Rationality – Managers make consistent, value-maximizing choices with specified constraints. – Assumptions are that decision makers: • Are perfectly rational, fully objective, and logical. • Have carefully defined the problem and identified all viable alternatives. • Have a clear and specific goal • Will select the alternative that maximizes outcomes in the organization’s interests rather than in their personal interests.
  • 17. The Role of Intuition • Intuitive decision making – Making decisions on the basis of experience, feelings, and accumulated judgment.
  • 18. What is Intuition? Source: Based on L. A. Burke and M. K. Miller, “Taking the Mystery Out of Intuitive Decision Making,” Academy of Management Executive, October 1999, pp. 91–99.
  • 19. GROUP DECISION MAKING ADVANTAGES ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES More information available More information available Time-consuming Time-consuming More More alternative solutions alternative solutions Delays & ill feeling possible Delays & ill feeling possible Increases solution Increases solution understanding & acceptance understanding & acceptance Domination by individuals Domination by individuals Builds member Builds member knowledge & skill base knowledge & skill base Risk of groupthink Risk of groupthink
  • 20. Types of Problems and Decisions • Structured Problems – Involve goals that clear. – Are familiar (have occurred before). – Are easily and completely defined—information about the problem is available and complete. • Programmed Decision – A repetitive decision that can be handled by a routine approach.
  • 21. Types of Programmed Decisions • Policy – A general guideline for making a decision about a structured problem. • Procedure – A series of interrelated steps that a manager can use to respond (applying a policy) to a structured problem. • Rule – An explicit statement that limits what a manager or employee can or cannot do.
  • 22. Policy, Procedure, and Rule Examples • Policy – Accept all customer-returned merchandise. • Procedure – Follow all steps for completing merchandise return documentation. • Rules – Managers must approve all refunds over $50.00. – No credit purchases are refunded for cash.
  • 23. Problems and Decisions (cont’d) • Unstructured Problems – Problems that are new or unusual and for which information is ambiguous or incomplete. – Problems that will require custom-made solutions. • Non programmed Decisions – Decisions that are unique and nonrecurring. – Decisions that generate unique responses.
  • 24. Decision-Making Conditions • Certainty – A situation in which a manager can make an accurate decision because the outcome of every alternative choice is known. • Risk – A situation in which the manager is able to estimate the likelihood (probability) of outcomes that result from the choice of particular alternatives.
  • 25. Expected Value for Revenues from the Addition of One Ski Lift Expected Probability = Value of Each Alternative Event Expected × Revenues Heavy snowfall $850,000 0.3 = $255,000 Normal snowfall 725,000 0.5 = 362,500 Light snowfall 350,000 0.2 = 70,000 $687,500
  • 26. Decision-Making Conditions • Uncertainty – Limited information prevents estimation of outcome probabilities for alternatives associated with the problem and may force managers to rely on intuition, hunches, and “gut feelings”. • Maximax: the optimistic manager’s choice to maximize the maximum payoff • Maximin: the pessimistic manager’s choice to maximize the minimum payoff • Minimax: the manager’s choice to minimize maximum regret.
  • 27. Decision-Making Styles (cont’d) • Types of Decision Makers – Directive • Use minimal information and consider few alternatives. – Analytic • Make careful decisions in unique situations. – Conceptual • Maintain a broad outlook and consider many alternatives in making decisions. – Behavioral • Avoid conflict by working well with others and being receptive to suggestions.
  • 30. Decision-Making Biases and Errors • Heuristics – Using “rules of thumb” to simplify decision making. • Overconfidence Bias – Holding unrealistically positive views of one’s self and one’s performance. • Immediate Gratification Bias – Choosing alternatives that offer immediate rewards and that to avoid immediate costs.
  • 31. Decision-Making Biases and Errors (cont’d) • Anchoring Effect – Fixating on initial information and ignoring subsequent information. • Selective Perception Bias – Selecting organizing and interpreting events based on the decision maker’s biased perceptions. • Confirmation Bias – Seeking out information that reaffirms past choices and discounting contradictory information.
  • 32. Decision-Making Biases and Errors (cont’d) • Framing Bias – Selecting and highlighting certain aspects of a situation while ignoring other aspects. • Availability Bias – Losing decision-making objectivity by focusing on the most recent events. • Representation Bias – Drawing analogies and seeing identical situations when none exist. • Randomness Bias – Creating unfounded meaning out of random events.
  • 33. Decision-Making Biases and Errors (cont’d) • Sunk Costs Errors – Forgetting that current actions cannot influence past events and relate only to future consequences. • Self-Serving Bias – Taking quick credit for successes and blaming outside factors for failures. • Hindsight Bias – Mistakenly believing that an event could have been predicted once the actual outcome is known (afterthe-fact).
  • 34. Decision Making for Today’s World • Guidelines for making effective decisions: – Understand cultural differences. – Know when it’s time to call it quits. – Use an effective decision-making process. • Habits of highly reliable organizations (HROs) – – – – – Are not tricked by their success. Defer to the experts on the front line. Let unexpected circumstances provide the solution. Embrace complexity. Anticipate, but also anticipate their limits.

Editor's Notes

  • #3: This lecture explores the nature of managerial decision making, including types of problems and decision-making situations managers can face. Managers as decision makers are evaluated and the steps in an effective decision-making process are considered. Further discussion can be found on page 132.
  • #4: Page 133
  • #20: Page 147