Decision Support and Expert Systems|Assignment #1
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Decision Support and Expert Systems|Assignment #1 |
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Introduction
The following are responses to the questions for assignment #1:
Review Question 6: Why is management often equated with decision-making?
Management is described as “a process by which organizational goals are achieved using resources” such as people (labor), capital, and equipment (technology); these resources must be allocated to achieve organizational goals. The degree to which management is successful is dependent on how effective the manager is performing the functions of planning, organizing, directing, and controlling (Turban, Aronson, and Liang, 2005, p. 7). Because these functions revolve around decision making, it is reasonable to equate management with decision-making as managers are continuously making decisions that will help the organization achieve its goals. This view is further supported in a survey of 6500 managers from over 100 companies including many large blue-chip corporations, wherein managers overwhelmingly felt that “the ability to make clear-cut decisions when needed” is a characteristic of good management (as cited in Turban, et al., 2005, p. 7)
Review Question 7: Discuss the major trends that affect managerial decision-making.
The major trends that affect managerial decision-making involve: (1) the changing environment in which organizations operate—technological advances and improved communication systems such as the Web/Internet and search engines have necessitated change because they result in more alternatives to choose from, and as always each alternative must be analyzed. (2) The large size of organizations, their complexity, and the growth in competition affect the costs of making errors. (3) Continuous changes are occurring in the business environment; this has resulted in more uncertainty about the future in several impacting elements such as international markets, political stability, consumerism, and government intervention. Finally, decisions
Decision Support and Expert Systems|Assignment #1 |
||
Introduction
The following are responses to the questions for assignment #1:
Review Question 6: Why is management often equated with decision-making?
Management is described as “a process by which organizational goals are achieved using resources” such as people (labor), capital, and equipment (technology); these resources must be allocated to achieve organizational goals. The degree to which management is successful is dependent on how effective the manager is performing the functions of planning, organizing, directing, and controlling (Turban, Aronson, and Liang, 2005, p. 7). Because these functions revolve around decision making, it is reasonable to equate management with decision-making as managers are continuously making decisions that will help the organization achieve its goals. This view is further supported in a survey of 6500 managers from over 100 companies including many large blue-chip corporations, wherein managers overwhelmingly felt that “the ability to make clear-cut decisions when needed” is a characteristic of good management (as cited in Turban, et al., 2005, p. 7)
Review Question 7: Discuss the major trends that affect managerial decision-making.
The major trends that affect managerial decision-making involve: (1) the changing environment in which organizations operate—technological advances and improved communication systems such as the Web/Internet and search engines have necessitated change because they result in more alternatives to choose from, and as always each alternative must be analyzed. (2) The large size of organizations, their complexity, and the growth in competition affect the costs of making errors. (3) Continuous changes are occurring in the business environment; this has resulted in more uncertainty about the future in several impacting elements such as international markets, political stability, consumerism, and government intervention. Finally, decisions
References: Turban, E., Aronson, J. E., & Liang, T. P. (2005). Decision Support Systems and Intelligent Systems (7th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, USA.