Monday, March 29, 2010

Chapter 12: The Rational Model

When managers make decisions it is essential that they consider all possible solutions before making a final decision. The rational model presented by Kreitner and Kinicki “proposes that managers use a rational, four-step sequence when making decisions” (337). This will allow them to make better decisions and narrow down their options in an effective manner. In addition, they will be capable of making firm decisions which will benefit their companies and it will help them succeed. The four steps which Kreitner and Kinicki speak about in the book are identyfying the problem, generating alternative solutions, selecting a solution, and implementing and evaluating the solution. These steps are useful when making decisions which will affect a group or decisions that will only affect an individual.

In an article, which was researched by a student at the University of Granada in Spain, she speaks about her approach in conductiong her research,which consisted of the Rational Model. Not only is the rational model useful for everyday decisions, but it is also useful when conducting important research. It is a basic outline when conducting any type of research. She explains how the, “The rational approach of attention purports to describe the ways in which the Human Visual System (HVS), which is what her study is about, actually does behave in making choices among possible locations of interest for allocating attention” (609). She also explains that “We are interested in the aspects of rationality that seem to be present in the decision making of the HVS” (613). She uses all four steps in the rational model in order to prove her problem and find an answer to her study. She also shows how important decision making is, which can be influenced by our areas of interest. This approach also applies to businesses and managers when they are faced with difficult decision making, especially when their decisions strongly affect other individual.

Source: GarcĂ­a, J.A., et al. "Information visibility using transmission methods." Pattern Recognition Letters 31.7 (2010): 609-618. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 29 Mar. 2010.

2 comments:

  1. The importance of making good decisions in the workplace is enormous. As a manager, it is one's responsibility to employ various methods to come up with solutions to problems. Stakeholders must be determined, and the amount of time required for a decision must be taken into account. If it takes too much, a group decision making process would be a bad idea; If there is enough time, a group would be beneficial because it provides employees with the feeling of consensus and fair treatment.

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  2. The rational model is a good model for decision making, however, it seems to be only limited to one person's input. Having more ideas and input can allows more varied alternatives to be considered so that the best decision can be made. It also takes into account the opinions of others in which the decision will affect. By doing so, everyone that will be affected can have a say on matters important to them.

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