Management - Decision Making Process

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INTRODUCTION TO THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS Decision-making is a process of selection from a set of alternative courses of action, which is thought to fulfill the objectives of the decision problem more satisfactorily than others. It is a course of action, which is consciously chosen for achieving a desired result. A decision is a process that takes place prior to the actual performance of a course of action that has been chosen. In terms of managerial decision-making, it is an act of choice, wherein a manager selects a particular course of action from the available alternatives in a given situation. Managerial decision making process involves establishing of goals, defining tasks, searching for alternatives and developing plans in order to find the best answer fo the decision problem. The essential elements in a decision making process include the following: 1)The decision maker, 2)The decision problem, 3)The environment in which the decision is to be made, 4)The objectives of the decision maker, 5)The alternative courses of action, 6)The outcomes expected from various alternatives, and 7)The final choice of the alternative. Characteristics of decision-making: a) It is a process of choosing a course of action from among the alternative courses of action. b) It is a human process involving to a great extent the application of intellectual abilities. c) It is the end process preceded by deliberation and reasoning. d) It is always related to the environment. A manager may take one decision in a particular set of circumstances and another in a different set of circumstances. e) It involves a time dimension and a time lag. f) It always has a purpose. Keeping this in view, there may just be a decision not to decide. g) It involves all actions like defining the problem and probing and analyzing the various alternatives, which take

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