Learning Activity – Theme: Continue Learning the Decision Making Process

Continue applying the decision process to the fact pattern set out in week three by applying the two remaining steps

 

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  • Frame the decision statement;
  • Determine the objectives;
  • Create alternatives and evaluate consequences, assess for risk, bias, uncertainty and linked decisions
  • Weight objectives and alternatives selecting the best alternative;
  • Implement and continuously reevaluate

Students will weigh the objectives and alternatives using a decision matrix.   An example of a weighted decision matrix can be found in week 4 readings.  Student may find creating an unweighted and a weight matrix will help in understanding how a matrix is created.  By applying the weights, students are ranking (prioritizing) alternatives.  Discuss the results and consider whether the best choice is the highest ranked alternative?  If not, why is this so?

 

You are the vice-president of a growing candy company located in an area of town which is home to many Hindu and Muslim people. There are a growing number of local women being employed on the manufacturing floor of the business. Recently health and safety concerns have been raised by the company health and safety committee. They are asking the women wearing bangle bracelets, Sari’s, long veils or long covering clothes remove them and change into “safety attire” when entering the floor. The Hindu women do not want to remove their bangles as they are a mark of their marriage and the esteem to which their husbands hold them.  The more bangles a women has, the greater the esteem!

 

The bangles however, can easily get caught in mixing machines causing injury to the wearer as evidenced by a recent accident. Veils and long clothing have similar problems with getting caught in the machines, as well as carrying dirt and food particles around the floor. In the case of clothing however, there are religious reasons for their being worn. You are concerned that any decision that you make will affect the morale of the employees and may even cause some to quit. In addition it may create problems with the community as well. Regardless health and safety concerns are critical to the business and the prospect of being shut down for health and safety reasons is out of the question. It is your decision to make.

 

 

 

 

Answer to Learning Activity from Previous week:

Every valuable decision starts with a good process. The reading for this week highlights some of the major ideas needed for a good process. Here are the 5 major elements of a good process:

  • Frame the decision statement;
  • Determine the objectives;
  • Create alternatives and evaluate consequences, assess for risk, bias, uncertainty and linked decisions
  • Weight objectives and alternatives selecting the best alternative;
  • Implement and continuously reevaluate

Using the fact pattern below and the decision-making processes identified above, students will begin to learn and practice the decision-making process.  Create the decision statement, determine the objectives, create alternatives and evaluate the associated consequences, and assess for risk, bias, uncertainty and identify any linked decision.  Post your ideas and be sure to explain the steps in the process. Use the course readings to support the reasoning and be sure to cite the source documents in the explanations of the various steps.

You are the vice-president of a growing candy company located in an area of town which is home to many Hindu and Muslim people. There are a growing number of local women being employed on the manufacturing floor of the business. Recently health and safety concerns have been raised by the company health and safety committee. They are asking the women wearing bangle bracelets, Sari’s, long veils or long covering clothes remove them and change into “safety attire” when entering the floor. The Hindu women do not want to remove their bangles as it is a mark of their marriage and the esteem to which their husbands hold the greater the value and quantity of the bangle the greater the esteem. The bangles, however, can easily get caught in mixing machines causing injury to the wearer as evidenced by a recent accident. Veils and long clothing have similar problems with getting caught in the machines, as well as carrying dirt and food particles around the floor. In the case of clothing, however, there are religious reasons for their being worn. You are concerned that any decision that you make will affect the morale of the employees and may even cause some to quit. In addition, it may create problems with the community as well. Regardless health and safety concerns are critical to the business and the prospect of being shut down for health and safety reasons is out of the question. It is your decision to make.

 

The candy company requires Muslim and Hindu women working in their company to remove bangles, bracelets, Sari’s, long veils and long covering clothes and wear safety attire. This concerns the health and safety of the company, although the workers have religious reasons for such clothing. As the vice president of the company, a good decision, rather a smart-bigger picture decision for the greater good must be made.

The big question in this company is the health and safety of the employees and the company’s product at large. This is being compromised by the Hindu and Muslim workers who wear inappropriate attire for their jobs. As the vice-president of the candy company, it is a requirement that all workers be appropriately dressed for work regardless of their religious beliefs and customs.     What matters most in this situation is the safety of the employees and the health of the products of the company. Although beliefs and customs are important, especially for the community, it is in the best interest of everyone, including the community that the company thrives well. (“Generate Alternatives”, 2017)

On the other hand, awareness can be created to make the community understand why the employees have to dress safely. If they understood, then the problem would become much easier to solve. The company can also add in their job advertisements the kind of dressing required so that people can be aware before they seek for a job in that company. The above decisions could result in a couple of consequences. Some employees might quit their jobs. On the other hand, if the company’s health is compromised in any way, the company could be at the risk of being locked down. Enlightening the people on the importance of safety attires for this would be the best decision. This way the company will improve its relationship with the employees and the community. Hence the matter would be easily solved. (“Step 1: Decision Context”, 2017)

The five steps of decision making have made it possible to solve the problem.

 

References

Generate Alternatives. (2017). Boundless. Retrieved from https://www.boundless.com/management/textbooks/boundless-management-textbook/decision-making-10/decision-making-process-78/generate-alternatives-376-8380/

Step 1: Decision Context. (2017). Structured Decision Making. Retrieved from http://www.structureddecisionmaking.org/steps/decisioncontext

 

 

 

REFERENCES

http://www.decision-making-solutions.com/decision-alternatives.html

http://www.studygs.net/problem/problemsolvingv2.htm

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https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20130902040030-1893586-what-the-syria-situation-can-teach-us-about-decision-making

https://www.mindtools.com/dectree.html

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https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/09/what-the-marshmallow-test-really-teaches-about-self-control/380673/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WN6fYtkSF10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEgBgJtWuZg

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-01-29/why-it-s-so-hard-for-mcdonald-s-to-change

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http://www.aquilent.com/how-do-your-stakeholders-affect-your-decision-making/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/251817124_THE_ROLE_AND_INFLUENCE_OF_STAKEHOLDERS_IN_ORGANISATIONAL_DECISION_MAKING_A_CASE_STUDY_OF_THE_%27OFFSHORING%27_OF_AUSTRALIAN_JOBS