Decision-Making Making a decision is not what it is always cracked up to be. Decision-making can be very difficult if the process is not well thought out so that the course of action to take is clear and concise to the receivers. The action to which a person chooses a course of action for dealing with a problem or opportunity,” as written by Schermerhorn, Hunt, & Osborne (2004), defines decision-making. Many areas included in the decision-making process such as recognizing and defining a problem or opportunity, identifying and analyzing the course of action, estimating the effects, choosing a preferred course of action, and finally, evaluating the results, and following up. These basic steps are used in systematic decision-making. Using good judgment, ethics and understanding the culture and environment is what formulates the best decision possible is key to decision-making. According to Harris (2009), “decision-making is the study of identifying and choosing alternatives based on the values and preferences of the decision maker.” Harris also makes a good point,
Making a decision implies that there are alternative choices to be considered, and in such a case we want not only to identify as many of these alternatives as possible but to choose the one that (1) has the highest probability of success or effectiveness and (2) best fits with our goals, desires, lifestyle, values, and so on. (¶2)
Decision Environments The decision environment is typically how decisions are made within an organization. According to Schermerhorn, et al, (2004), “certainty, risk, and uncertainty” are the three environments that need further exploration. Certainty exists when there is sufficient information to predict the outcome prior to implementation. The ideal solution creates no second guessing. Risk plays an important role in the decision-making process within the organization. Most organizations weigh the risks to select the correct course of action that they will take because there is a lack of certainty. The uncertain environment exists when there is very little information to go on that to take the risk would be probably end up in an unfavorable outcome. Schermerhorn, et al, (2004), explains it well, “uncertainty forces decision makers to rely heavily on individual and group creativity to succeed in problem solving. It requires unique, novel, and often totally innovative alternatives to existing patterns of behavior.” The decision environment is used during the prescreening process of possible candidates for employment that require a clearance. Conducting prescreens helps an organization mediate the risks of each candidate. Asking specific and pointed questions regarding the background of the candidate is a necessity in the determination of processing. The prescreen questionnaire asks questions of the candidate such as, “Have you ever held a government clearance,” or “Are immediate family members U.S. citizens?” “Were drugs taken within the last seven years?” Depending on how the candidate answers determines how the security professional will make the best determination of how the candidate is processed for a clearance. These decisions are critical as it costs the organization and the government money to submit folks for clearances and then to turn around and have the candidates denied is a reflection of the security department or organization. The security department has a responsibility to conduct the most thorough investigation possible when prescreening candidates.
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions The generation of questions, issues, problems, or choices is what makes produces a decision. As routine problems arise, programmed decisions are made. The programmed decision is a tested and approved solution whereas the nonprogrammed decision is created when there is no routine solution. A nonprogrammed solution is designed to create and solve the issue at hand, an associative choice or decision can be made.