Decision making involves selecting a course of action from available alternatives. It is a key part of management and permeates planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. There are different types of decisions and decision making styles. The decision making process generally involves identifying a problem or opportunity, developing alternatives, analyzing alternatives, and selecting and implementing a course of action. Group decision making uses techniques like brainstorming, storyboarding, and Delphi to gather input from multiple individuals.

1. Decision Making Decision making is the selection of a course of action from among alternatives.

2. Decision Making Process A set of steps that include identifying a problem, selecting an alternative and evaluating the decisions effectiveness.

3. Pervasiveness of Decision Making Decision making is the corner stone of entire managing ambit. Planning: What one the organizations long-tern objectives. What strategies will best these objectives. Organizing: How many people are required to do a particular job. How should jobs be designed. Leading : How do I handle employees who appear to be low in motions. How will a specific change affect worker productivity. Controlling: What activities in an organization need to be controlled. How these activities be controlled.

4. Problem A problem is a discrepancy between an existing and a desired state of affairs.

5. Types of Problems Well – structured Straight forward problems, easy to define and to make decisions. Ill –structured New or unusual problems, information incomplete or ambiguous, not easy to define and make decisions. Crisis A crisis problem is a serious difficulty requiring immediate action. Non-crisis It is a problem that requires resolution but does not have the importance and urgency of a crisis. Opportunity An opportunity is a situation that offers strong potential for significant organizational gain if appropriate actions are taken in time.

6. Decision criteria Criteria that define what is relevant in a decision.

7. Implementation Conveying a decision to those affected and getting their commitment to it.

8. Scope of Decision It is the part of organization that a decision will affect. (The broader the scope of a decision the higher is the level of manager responsible for making that decision.)

9. Types of decisions Programmed Decision Program decisions are decisions that are routine and repetitive and that typically require specific handling methods. Habits SOPs, Rules of thumb Clerical routine work

10. Non- Programmed Decisions These are typically one-shot decisions that are usually less structured Judgment Intuition Creativity

11. Decision making environment Certainty Risk Uncertainty Ambiguity

12. Certainty All the information the decision maker needs is fully available

13. Risk A decision has clear out objectives, and good information is available, but future outcomes associated with each alternative are subject to chance

14. Uncertainty Managers know what objective they wish to achieve, but information about alternatives and future events is incomplete.

15. Ambiguity The objective to be achieved or the problem to be solved are unclear, alternatives are difficult to define, and information about outcomes is unavailable.

17. Classical Model This model is made on the assumption that managers should make logical decisions that will be in organization`s best economic interests.

18. Normative Model This model defines how a decision –maker should make decisions and provides guidelines for reaching an ideal outcome for the organization.

19. The Decision Making Process Step 1. Identifying a Problem Step 2. Identifying decision criteria Step 3. Developing alternatives Step 4. Analyzing alternatives Step 5. Selecting an alternative Step 6. Evaluating decision effectiveness

20. Decision making Types Of Managers Problem Avoider Ignores information that points to a problem. Inactive Does not want to confront problem Problem Solver Tries to solve the problems when they come up. Reactive to problems after they occur. Firefighters. Problem Seekers Actively seek out problems to solve. Pursue new opportunities, pro-active. Anticipate problems before they occur.

21. Decision Making Styles Directive style Low tolerance for ambiguity and a rational way of thinking. Efficient logical. Making fast decisions. Analytic style High tolerance for ambiguity and a rational way of thinking, careful in decision making, slow, able to adapt or cope changing situations. Conceptual Very broad out look, develop many alternatives, focus on long run, good at finding creative solutions. Behavioral style Work well with others, receptive to suggestions from subordinates, hold meetings, take decision on consensus.

22. Nature of decision 1. Safe : Minimizing possible loss 2. Satisficing : Good enough 3. Dented : Temporary. Maybe revised 4. Conditional : Subject to more inputs 5. Paragon : Ideal

25. Techniques for GDM 1.Brainstorming An idea generating process that encourages alternatives while critism 2. Story-boarding Initially discussing major issues. Brainstorming each issue. Lastly completing ‘story’ of total problem 3.Lotus blossom Japanese technique in which a (Core) thought is used as the basis for expanding ideas into ever widening ideas, continued till participants can no longer generate ideas. 4. Delphi Possible solution sought through carefully designed questionnaires. Possible solutions compiled and recirculated, members asked again for their question solutions. Repeated several times. 5. Nominal Group Individual members think independently and present ideas which are discussed. Decision is highest aggregate ranking solution.