Module 1 discussion
What Is Your Decision-Making Style?
Do a search on Google or Bing on “decision-making quiz” or
“decision-making questionnaire” and find quiz that you find interesting that
evaluates your own decision-making style. Don’t fill out the first quiz that
you find, instead look around at a few quizzes first and find one that you
think seems to fit most with the material covered in the module and seems to be
useful. Then fill out this quiz that you find the most useful.
Share the link and the results of the quiz with your
classmates. Were the results surprising to you? Explain whether or not you
found the quiz useful and also what concepts from the background materials
applied to the results of the quiz (cite the specific background reading that
was relevant).
Also, take at least one other quiz posted by one of your
classmates and share your results and thoughts on the quiz.
Module 2 discussion
Decision-Making Bias Videos
Most of the sources in the background materials are library
textbook chapters or journal articles. In general, these sources are considered
much more credible than various random webpages that you will find online. When
finding an online source, you need to carefully consider the credibility of the
source. Factors to consider include the credentials of the person who wrote the
materials, whether this person is trying to sell you something, and of course
you also need to use your own intuition as to whether or not a source seems
credible.
Your task for this discussion is to go to YouTube or
videos.google.com and find a video that explains cognitive/heuristic biases
covered in the background materials such as confirmation bias, overconfidence
bias, etc. Use word searches such as “decision-making biases,” “heuristic
biases,” “overconfidence, anchoring, framing, confirmation bias,” and similar
searches. You should find many videos, but the difficult part will be to try to
find a video that is A) relevant to the topics covered in the module, B) from a
credible source, and C) easy to understand and follow.
To find a video from a very credible source, look at a video
from Nobel Prize winner and heuristic bias expert Daniel Kahneman. Credible
yes, but I can’t guarantee you will stay awake during the video. So see if you
can also find a video from a source that appears credible but and has
information consistent with the background material readings but also keeps you
awake and helps you understand the different types of decision-making biases.
Share the link with your classmates and explain why you
think the video is both useful and credible, and which biases from the
background materials the video helps explain.
Also, watch at least one other video posted by your
classmates and share your thoughts on this video.
Module 3 discussion
Group Decision-Making Videos
There are numerous videos on group decision making available
online. Some of them are very professional; others seem somewhat amateurish or
are designed for or by high school students.
Do a search on YouTube for videos on group decision making
or on specific group decision-making techniques discussed in the background
materials. Choose a video you found to be very useful at explaining the
techniques in the background materials, and another video that you found to be
amateurish or not very useful.
Post the links and share with your classmates. Also, share
with your classmates what you found useful and not useful about each video, and
whether or not you recommend your classmates view the video to prepare for
their written assignments.
Module 4 discussion
Vroom-Yetton Decision-Making Model Sources
The Vroom-Yetton decision-making style model is one of the
toughest topics that we’ve covered in the class. In essence it is fairly simple—as
a leader, the style you choose for making a decision depends on the situation.
What makes it more difficult though is that the diagram and other features can
be intimidating.
For this discussion, first review the background readings on
this model. Then find some sources online regarding this model—they can be
either webpages or a videos. Make sure the information presented in this source
matches what you’ve read in the background materials, but also find one that
you think helps simplify or explain this model in a clear manner.
Share the link to this source with your classmates and
address the following issues:
Is the source credible?
Does the information in the source regarding the
Vroom-Yetton model match what you’ve read in the background materials?
Why do you find this source easier to follow? How did it
help you understand this model?
Module 4 reflective
discussion
Integration
Given the readings and assignments in the course, explain
how taking this course has given you new insights into your own profession and
career. Describe two concepts from this course that you think are most
applicable to your career.
