Comparing Intuitive and Rational Decision-Making Processes

This essay delves into the core differences between intuitive and rational decision-making processes, examining their respective strengths and weaknesses. It defines decision-making as a cognitive process involving identifying problems, gathering information, and evaluating alternatives. The essay highlights the importance of decision-making in various industries, particularly hospitality, and differentiates between intuitive and rational approaches. Intuitive decision-making, based on implicit knowledge and affect, is contrasted with the rational process, which relies on logical analysis and structured steps. The essay explores the strengths and weaknesses of each approach, providing valuable insights for managers and leaders aiming to enhance their decision-making skills. The role of intuition, especially in emergency situations and complex environments, is also discussed. The essay concludes by emphasizing the importance of understanding the conditions that facilitate effective intuition in decision-making.

Running head: DECISION MAKING
DECISION MAKING
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Introduction
In this essay, the aim of the discussion will be to research the differences between the
two decision making processes, namely intuitive decision making and rationale decision
making. The strengths as well as the weaknesses of the two decision making processes will
also be discussed in this essay.
Decision Making
The tem decision making can be termed as the process of making the choices by
identifying or recognizing a decision, collecting the information as well as assessing the
alternative resolutions. A step-by-step decision-making process will help to take the
intentional and thoughtful decisions by arranging relevant information as well as defining the
opportunities. This approach helps to increase the chances to choose the most satisfying
alternative which will be possible to achieve. It is also termed as the cognitive process which
results in the selection of a belief or a series of action among many alternative possibilities.
Each and every decision making process results in a final choice, which may or not be called
as a prompt action. Decision making is the way of identifying as well as choosing alternatives
based on the preferences, values and beliefs of the decision-maker. It is one of the most
challenging as well as challenging issues which are faced by the managers in all the sectors or
industries in the world, especially in the hospitality industry, where prompt actions or
decisions are need to be taken more than any other industries, which requires swift decisions
as well as quick actions. There are mainly two types of decision making process. They are –
Intuitive Decision making process and Rationale Decision making process. The managers
approach the issues or the problems by taking help of either of the decision making process or
both of them. Decisions help to run the business operations smoothly, which helps to
maintain and sustain the brand image of the organization as well revenue generation of the

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company is also not hampered. Sometimes, in case of emergency situations, improper
decision making may affect the whole business operations of a particular organization.
Decision making is an important function of a manger, whether they are in hospitality or any
other kind of industry (Ruff et al 2013).
Intuitive Decision Making Process
It can be termed as the non-sequential information processing mode. It is the process
or way to acquire the information by the help of associated learning and captured in long-
term memory which is assessed unintentionally to form the base where the decision or
judgement will be taken. This information can be conveyed through affect persuaded by
exposure to the available opportunities or options, or through automatic cognition. Intuition is
based on the implicit or absolute knowledge available to the decision-maker (Kaufmann,
Meschnig and Reimann 2014).
Strengths
This decision making process takes the help of the scientific approach which requires
a huge collections of data as well as regular assembling of information in order to control as
well as review the decisions taken by the managers. It also follows the scientific approaches
to decision making which is a time consuming process. The scientific decisions are based on
the past information, which helps to take decisions more effectively and efficiently.
Weaknesses
The information gathered can be flawed, which will lead the decision making process
lengthy or time consuming as well as may lead to take wrong decisions as well. Short term
emotional bias can also hamper the decision making process. Inappropriate application as
well as insufficient application of alternatives to decision making process is also another

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major weakness of this approach. Lack of openness is also a common factor in this decision
making process.
Rationale Decision Making Process
This decision making process is based on logical connections and pure analyses,
which includes different strict information processing steps, and the decisions taken based on
these are made based on conscious discussion. It is a multi-step process which helps to
make choices between the alternatives or opportunities available. The process of rational
decision making includes logic, objectivity, and analysis over subjectivity and insight. This
decision is based on the facts, reasons and reasonable data that has been collected or gathered
(Li, Y., Ashkanasy and Ahlstrom 2014).
Strengths
This process is depended on the scientifically obtained information, so it can be said
that this decision making process will reduce or minimize uncertainties, chance of errors,
subjectivity, assumptions and distortions. This decision making also reduce the risk of
failures, as the selection as well as the evaluation process are based on knowledge and logic
information collected. This will also help the managers to deal with the difficult issues in a
complex environment of hospitality. As this decision making process possess break down of
the steps, this will help to take in to account the possible solutions and then coming to a final
decision (Clarke and Cornish 2013).
Weaknesses
The business environment is very complex and often confuses to take the decisions.
Sometimes, the information collected or gathered is insufficient. This may create problems in
evaluation of the issues. In this case, the decision maker does not have any information
through which the managers can take the decisions in their respective organizations. They

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need to use their experiences in those cases to handle the situations. Time limitation is also
another major weakness of rationale decision making process. Data collection needs lot of
time, which may delay to take the correct decisions and this can hamper the business, mainly
in case of emergency situations. Time is crucial in this competitive world, and any case of
delay to take decisions will make way for the competitors to conquer the marketplace (Clarke
and Cornish 2013).
Intuitive and Role in Decision Making Process
The accuracy of the decision taken is inversely dependent on the speed of the decision
taken. The managers have to face the pressures to make the decisions making process faster.
The intuition has been proposed in order to help or guide a vast range of critical decisions
within an organization. It has been found in the researches that the intuition may be necessary
which will help to complete the tasks successfully which will include high complication as
well as short time horizon, like stock analysis, corporate planning and performance appraisal.
The ways or the processes taken by the managers to use intuitions for taking strategic
decisions have been found from the researches. Whether to invest the capital in a project or
whether to market the controversial prescription drugs are those kind of strategic decisions
which need to be taken by the managers by using the intuitions. It has also been found that
the requirements of these intuitions may be acute in companies fixed in unsettled
environments within the business operations. The effective as well as efficient use of intuition
has been seen as crucial in differentiating the successful top executives and the board
members from the lower-level managers and the flawed boards. There are two major barriers
on the topic of intuition within the management. The first one is the confusion about what
intuition is. Some terms intuition as the mystical lane to knowledge. The second barrier is to
distinguish the uses of the intuitions as normally and as effectively (Baumann et al 2014).

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Intuition plays a significant role in the decision making process in case of emergency
situations faced by the people, like the fire-fighters, emergency room surgeons, military
commanders and corporate executives operating under massive rime pressure (Shepherd and
Rudd 2014). It is important to use the conditions that will help to use the intuitions effectively
and efficiently. It has been found from the advancement of the decision sciences and
psychology that under certain situations, intuition may help in effective as well as rapid
decision making in the companies. The factors need to be identified to determine the use of
intuitions in decision making in the most effective way. Intuition includes gut feelings,
mystical insights and hunches. Intuition can be termed as a process or a way of observing or
sorting data. It is a unique process and outcome, which helps the managers to take proper
decisions within their organizations. Intuition has been considered as involving a way of
information processing that differs from analytical or rational processes. It can be termed as
the non-sequential information processing mode. It is the process or way to acquire the
information by the help of associated learning and captured in long-term memory which is
assessed unintentionally to form the base where the decision or judgement will be taken. This
information can be conveyed through affect persuaded by exposure to the available
opportunities or options, or through automatic cognition. Intuition is based on the implicit or
absolute knowledge available to the decision-maker (Conway and Gawronski 2013).

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