Ch 10 Org Theory & Human Behavior

Front 1

Programmed decision

Back 1

a simple, routine matter for which a manager has an established decision rule.

Front 2

Nonprogrammed decision

Back 2

a new, complex decision that requires a creative solution

Front 3

Effective decision

Back 3

a timely decision that meets a desired objective and is acceptable to those individuals affected by it

Front 4

rationality

Back 4

a logical, step-by-step approach to decision making with a thorough analysis of alternatives and their consequences

Front 5

bounded rationality

Back 5

a theory that suggests there are limits to how rational a decision maker can actually be

Front 6

satisfice

Back 6

to select the first alternative that is “good enough” because the cost in time and effort are too great to optimize

Front 7

heuristics

Back 7

shortcuts in decision making that save mental activity

Front 8

garbage can model

Back 8

a theory that contends that decisions in organizations are random and unsystematic

Front 9

risk aversion

Back 9

the tendency to choose options that entail fewer risk and less uncertainty

Front 10

escalation of commitment

Back 10

the tendency to continue to support a failing course of action

Front 11

cognitive style

Back 11

an individuals preference for gathering information and evaluating alternatives

Front 12

intuition

Back 12

a fast, positive force in decision making that is utilized at a level below consciousness and involves learned patterns of information

Front 13

creativity

Back 13

a process influenced by individual and organizational factors that results in the production of novel and useful ideas, products, or both

Front 14

participative decision making

Back 14

decision making in which individuals who are affected by decisions influence the making of those decisions

Front 15

synergy

Back 15

a positive force that occurs in groups when group members stimulate new solutions to problems through the process of mutual influence and encouragement within the group

Front 16

groupthink

Back 16

a deterioration of mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgment resulting from pressures within the group

Front 17

group polarization

Back 17

the tendency for group discussion to produce shifts toward more extreme attitudes among members

Front 18

brainstorming

Back 18

a technique for generating as many ideas as possible on a given subject, while suspending evaluation until all the ideas have been suggested

Front 19

nominal group technique (NGT)

Back 19

a structured approach to group decision making that focuses on generating alternatives and choosing one

Front 20

delphi technique

Back 20

gathering the judgments of experts for use in decision making

Front 21

devil’s advocacy

Back 21

a technique for preventing groupthink in which a group or individual is given the role of critic during decision making

Front 22

dialectical inquiry

Back 22

a debate between two opposing sets of recommendations