MGMT20135 Assessment 2: Critical Thinking and Decision-Making

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Central Queensland University, Australia
Term –
MGMT20135 Assessment 2
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Reflection body................................................................................................................................4
Theories from week’s learning activities.........................................................................................4
Essentials of above- presented theories...........................................................................................7
Impact of the theories on decision making......................................................................................8
Self- knowledge, and self- development.........................................................................................8
Use of learning in future career and life..........................................................................................9
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................9
References......................................................................................................................................10
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Introduction
It is the duty of every manager in the organisation to take effective decision in the context of the
organisation which can only by a critical thinking analysis. Here the report helps in exploring
critical theories which help in understating their concepts in taking effective decisions. The
reports determine how these theories are playing an effective role in critical thinking and how
other decision-making skills helps in developing the productivity and profitability of the
organisation in an effective manner. Along with this, some other elements are present in this
report which helps in deriving about personal development and skills in the context of the
manager. The reports provide a reflection on the key concepts with the help of some essential
theories in the context of decision making for students.
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Reflection body
To enhance the decision-making skills and to enhance critical thinking, it is one of the essential
course for students to develop and learn their own knowledge regarding the managerial decision
in the organisation. In this assessment I have adopted several concepts and theories which helps
me in my learning and development of my skills, there are various theories which I have learned
from during my course but out of all these theories I have selected some essential theories which
reflect on critical thinking and on effective decision thinking which helps in enhancing the
performance and efficiency of operational activities in the organisation. There are some theories
from several weeks that enhances my learning power in the context of decision making and
critical thinking.
Theories from week’s learning activities
First week
In the first week, the lecturer taught us about the critical thinking concepts and its definition
helps me in understanding its significant role in the organisation. We analysed that concepts of
critical thinking helped in developing effective decisions which help in enhancing the
profitability and productivity of the organisation. Critical thinking not only plays an essential
role in the organisation but also helps in the daily routine of a person. The weekly theory
considered to be automatic versus critical thinking, both these theories are quite different from
each other (Cottrell, 2017).
The critical thinking theory helps in providing the proper and effective solution behind particular
problems and helps in analysing the strategies and techniques which helps in building effective
decision-making system. But on the other side the automatic thinking provides matters and
solution which can help in decision-making power but not strong or effective as compare to
critical thinking system. The automatic theory is playing a vital role in a daily routine where
critical thinking plays an essential role in the building effective decisions making systems in the
context of the organisation. All these essential concepts and aspects in the context of critical
thinking are taught to us in week 1.
Second week
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In the next week, the tutor taught us how to develop and enhance decision-making skills and how
such skills help in the context of the manager to accomplish the organisational targets in an
effective manner. There are several tools which are based on clarity are learned by us in this
course. The first and foremost tool is an empty bucket, which refers to the open-minded person
and all the concepts and effective decisions can be effectively taken by an open mind or a fresh
mind. Work pressure and various conflicts among employees and management leads to a
negative impact on an employee due to which they are unable and fails to develop effective
decision skills. The second and thirst step are to identify the right path and selection of the better
process to develop effective decisions by eliminating the wastes and time-consuming process
(Cottrell, 2017). The next step is to identify the need and why to achieve and accomplish the
needs in a timely manner. Furthermore, the next step is to think beyond expectations and analyse
the remaining aspects which help in developing effective decisions. All these steps help in taking
up to the last step which develops the transparency and helps in analyse how critical thinking and
effective decisions making tools helps in enhancing the performance by developing thinking
approaches.
Third week
Then coming to the third week, we have analysed about the concepts of persuading and
influencing, which help in enhancing the decision making power and helps in changing the
perception of the person at the time of analysing or understanding any problems. These concepts
help in developing the understanding power which empowers to critical thinking and reduces the
chances of failures. The main motive of understanding the concepts of persuading that it helps
the person to enhance the critical thinking from different prospectus which develops initial
thinking process and develop engagement of more decision making powers and develop personal
skills of the person in the context of decision system making (Hamzah, et.al., 2016). This helps
in selecting suitable options that help in making effective decisions by adopting a critical
thinking approach.
Fourth week
Coming to the fourth week, I have analysed and learned several concepts which are based on
Johari Window. Such concepts help in developing a better understanding and help in developing
effective strategies and techniques. This technique helps in developing a better understanding
between employer and employees in an effective manner. There are four essential factors in the
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Johari window as open, blind, unknown and hidden. All these factors are playing a different role
in critical thinking and decision making power. The blind window focuses on the aspects which
are known by others but are not known by me. On the other hand, the open window focuses on
thee aspects which are known to me along with others are also specified by such aspects. Hidden
window refers to such aspects which are known to me but others are not specified by such
aspects and the last one is an unknown window is refers to factors which are not known by me or
verified by others also. All these essential factors are learned by me in the fourth week about
Johari window which focuses on better understanding and techniques.
Fifth week
The fifth week focuses on crucial aspects of the decision-making system. Effective decisions
making always leads to enhance the profitability and productivity of the organisation and also
develops the efficiency and development of skills of a person. This week helps in analysing that
concepts through which manager can take effective decision by analysing every aspect in an
effective manner. Better decision-making skills help in setting up the strategies by understanding
the aspects in an effective manner. There are different categories as simple, complicated,
complex and unclear (Holmes, et.al., 2015). These aspects help in developing the skills among
individuals by focusing on taking effective decision-making system in the organisation.
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Essentials of above- presented theories
The concepts and essential aspects which we have learned from the weeks and the essential
concepts which are taught by our lecturer helps in developing the learning aspects of critical
thinking and decision-making system. I have learned how the automatic thinking concept is
different from critical thinking and how such thinking processes help in developing effective
decision making in the organisation. I have analysed that decision should be made by analysing
all the concepts and summarise the whole situation to enhance flexibility and realistic decision in
the organisation. These weekly theories are very important for me to understand all these
concepts such as persuading, the initialising, concept of Johari Window and different aspects of
decision-making systems (Cottrell, 2017). The main motive of every organisation is to develop
and implement critical thinking approach which empowers the critical thinking approach. These
theories also help in influencing the person to analyse the factors related to the subject matter and
to think on the subject to make appropriate decisions. Such aspect also forces someone to
understand the facts in an effective manner and to analyse different factors related to individual
thinking. A better understanding of these concepts can help in the future and helps in developing
personal learning and development skills within the organisation. By taking these weekly
lecturers I have developed my own learning skills in regards to taking effective decision-making
system.
Besides this, the concept of Johari window played a significant role in understanding its different
aspect and all factors of the Johari window has played a different role in the context of thinking
analyses in a critical manner.
At the time of making effective decisions, there are various challenges which are faced by the
managers such as lack of information, lack of management reduces the chances of making
effective decisions. I have learned that effective decisions can only be made when there is proper
management and has a better flow in transferring the information. Lack of information fails in
understanding the concepts in an effective manner and leads to poor decisions making.
All these factors along with tools of clarity helped in developing my understanding in the context
of critical thinking and decision making.
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Thus these theories are very useful, after acknowledging all the theories of weeks, I have decided
to express those theories which help me in my self-learning and development skills related to
critical thinking and decision making.
Impact of the theories on decision making
All these theories and concepts which I have learned in the weekly lectures helps in defining the
importance of critical thinking and decision making. These aspects enhanced my learning skills
and help me in making understand the concept that every decision should be made analysing the
situation in an effective manner. The weekly knowledge helps me developing that how effective
decision can be made (Kaplan, 2017).
There are other various techniques in which effective decisions can be made, but there are
chances of failures of such techniques because such techniques has not reliable concepts and
theories but on the other hand if we reflect on the Johari window, its different factors helped me
in analyse that there are various things which are known or verified to me or they are verified to
others and there are several unknown factors which are not known to me or not to others also.
These factors are playing an engaging role in the life of an individual. For example: if a person
has to take any decision related to any subject matter, then he has to analyse all the essential
concepts and has to gain every knowledge related to the subject matter. Such activities also
develop learning skills as person experience lot of things from any situation and by
acknowledging all the factors in a crucial manner he can able to take effective decisions and can
overcome the challenges which are faced by him. Such factors also develop an effective human
relationship and enhance the personal experience of individuals.
Self- knowledge, and self- development
These theories help me enhancing my experience and also develop my learning power by
eliminating those factors which are not in need at the time of making the decision making.
Through these theories, I have learned some concepts which should be applied at the time of
making decisions and critical thinking such as persuading, influencing and essentials aspects of
decision making. Further, I have analysed that managerial skills, communication, better
coordination, and critical thinking approaches are also playing an effective role in the context of
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making an effective decision as to understand the aspects. These essentials are the main aspects
of preventing challenging factors and enhance performance in an efficient manner.
Use of learning in future career and life
All these concepts and theories which are learned by me in the weekly class will also help in the
future. These theories help in developing the critical thinking aspects and will also help me in
future problems because these are the realistic approaches or aspects that help in overcoming the
challenges in an effective manner and also helps in accomplishing the targets in relation to any
subject matter by developing and implementing critical thinking and effective decision making.
All these concepts have help in learning my knowledge and develop my skills in regards to
decision making.
Conclusion
It is concluded from the above theories and concepts that a critical thinking approach is playing
an effective role for the individual and help in making effective and reliable decisions as per the
subject matter. All these theories have developed my knowledge and these should be used in
future also.
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References
Anatolievich Bachkirov, A. (2015). Managerial decision making under specific
emotions. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 30(7), 861-874.
Cottrell, S. (2017). Critical thinking skills: Effective analysis, argument, and reflection.
Macmillan International Higher Education.
Hamzah, Othman, Hassan, Razak, & Yunus. (2016). Conceptualizing a Schematic Grid View of
Customer Knowledge from the Johari Window's Perspective. Procedia Economics and
Finance, 37, 471-479.
Holmes, N., Wieman, C., & Bonn, D. (2015). Teaching critical thinking. Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 112(36), 11199-11204.
Kaplan, A. (2017). Evaluation of studies on the critical thinking approach through content
analysis. International Journal of New Trends in Arts, Sports & Science Education
(IJTASE), 6(1).
Throndahl, K. L., Velmurugan, G., & Stentoft, D. (2018). The Significance of Problem Analysis
for Critical Thinking in Problem-Based Project Work. In 7 the International Research
Symposium on PBL (p. 430).
West, D., Christodoulides, G., & Bonhomme, J. (2018). How Do Heuristics Influence Creative
Decisions at Advertising Agencies?: Factors that Affect Managerial Decision Making
When Choosing Ideas to Show the Client. Journal of Advertising Research, 58(2), 189-
201.
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