Decision-making

Decision-making

Introduction

Almost every day, individuals, groups and teams are confronted with a myriad of daunting challenges that require them to make critical decisions. Decisions are what shape lives and dictate actions. Nearly every aspect of human lives is dependent on the decisions that they make, regardless of whether they are being made at an individual level, team level, or group level (Guzzo & Salas, 1995). There is always a choice of whether one wants to do something or not. A smart decision is one that helps a wide range of aspects in the life of a person, such as his career, personality, profession, business, or relationships. Decisions are also dependent on a range of other secondary factors such as individual values, personal taste, group ideas, availability of resources, and proper timing. In every single case, the outcome of a decision is dependent on the person who makes the decision.

Discussion

Decision making is a study that aims to determine and choose from a range of alternatives or options while keeping in view the values and preferences of the individual, group or team. One of the most crucial factors in the decision making process is the existence of options, alternatives and choices. Other than the consideration of these options and the need to identify them, a more important action is choosing which alternative is the best in terms of driving the individual, group or team towards the desired goal (Guzzo & Salas, 1995). Ideally, decision makers pick an option or alternative that is most suitable for them with regard to a particular value, preference, goals, or any other factor.

Through decision making, an individual, group or team will aim to significantly reduce the level of uncertainty and hesitation about the range of available alternatives, mainly with the aim of attaining a sensible and practical choice. When it comes to decision making, it is as important to gather information regarding all the available options before choosing one (Mullen, 2002). This helps to ensure that the decision maker (whether it is an individual, group or team) has made the right choice, mainly because all the possible benefits and potential drawbacks have been taken into account before making the final decision.

There are times when decision makers are uncertain about which alternative they should choose. This uncertainty is primarily due to lack of proper and comprehensive research of the alternatives (Mullen, 2002). By acquiring a sufficient amount of knowledge, the imminent risks involved in making the wrong decision are significantly reduced. In addition to this, the level of uncertainty and indecisiveness involved in the decision making process is also lessened to a considerable extent if not completely eliminated (Mullen, 2002). There are three major approaches when it comes to decision making. These are elaborated below:

Individual decision-making

From the point of view of an individual, the decision making process is based on the set of personal preferences and values (Castellan, 1993). This may explain why a person who is good with numbers and calculations would choose to pursue a certification in the ...