Analysis of the Decision-Making Process and Critical Thinking Skills

This report examines the decision-making process, using a case study involving Alex and a workplace issue. It outlines the five key steps: problem identification, generating and evaluating alternatives, selecting a preferred course of action, implementation, and evaluation of results. The report also includes a decision-making matrix to assess different solutions based on criteria. Furthermore, it discusses the implications of using critical thinking skills in the decision-making process, highlighting how Alex used this skill to address the problem and promote open-mindedness and multiple perspectives within the team. The analysis emphasizes the importance of involving stakeholders, developing sound alternatives, and understanding the impact of decisions, including considerations of risk, uncertainty, and ethical issues, providing insights into effective leadership and problem-solving.

Introduction
The ethical issues and problems requires an efficient decision making process where the key
factors can be seen from the various perspectives, as Alex has been trying to move towards
making a decision. This particular decision making is spiral in nature and every single step can
be revisited again and again and can consequently being molded by changing facts, expectations
of the customers and the people moving in and out of the process. The paper will discuss about
the step in decision making process and will help in identifying the problem, generating
alternative solutions and selecting the best one which will be implemented and evaluated
(Werhane, 2013).
Describe five steps in the decision making process
Step 1- Identify and define the problem
This the first and the most critical stage of the decision making process for clarifying the
accomplishments of the decision. In this case, Alex identified that that no robbery was seen to
that place but the desktops and computers were lifted to the engineering teams of Dave. This
made Alex instruct his financial staff that the computer must be lifted from the engineer’s desk
for finding out the problem (Schermerhorn, 2010).
Step 2 -Generate and evaluate alternative courses of action
In this step Alex had to define the problem and to assemble all the facts for solving it. It was
identified by Alex that the key stakeholders to the problem were Dave and his engineering
department and he considered all the possible courses of actions. The course of action was
generated as well as evaluated by Alex in bringing about the issue and realized that more
machines were required by the engineering team for delivering the product to their customer in

the stipulated time leading to the movement of computers from their financial department to
engineering desk.
Step 3- Decide on a preferred course of action
A preferred course of action was selected by Alex and he had an informal meeting with Dave
and his department for getting the opinions from the staff so as to ease the solution. After getting
the idea of all the possible action alternatives from the department of Dave, he made assumption
of the rational choice. Therefore the manager faces an issues and even knows the possible action
alternative along with its consequences (Lamb et.al, 2012).
Step 4- Implement the decision
On making a decision, actions must be taken and that it what Alex did. Alex developed an action
for decision implementation and realized that the issues between young and old members is
solved. He experienced a new respect for each other which was not present prior. The young
ones were driven to present innovative ideas and managers were determined and creative
towards implementing the decision. The accomplishment of first three steps helped in successful
implementation of the decision.
Step 5- Evaluate the results
Alex had already evaluated the result and discovered that Dave did not have enough staff and
two computers in each department would suffice (Lamb et.al, 2012).

Decision making matrix
Criterion A Criterion B Overall benefit
Solution 1:
Hiring new
technicians
High cost Regular updating of
Hardware and software
NO
Solution 2:
Participation
of all the
teams
Better communication New ideas YES
Consequences, bias; stakeholders, risk, uncertainty and linked decisions
Bias: risk that acted on the decision alternatives along with minimizing risk during the decision
process.
Uncertainty: the act of information and process was influenced by uncertainty for reducing the
uncertainty in decision maker. The decision maker and the outcome of the decision are
influenced by the uncertainty.
Risk and uncertainty increase the complexity of the decision making and its implementation and
when inappropriate decisions are taken, the utility is impacted. Every decision making process
must engage the key stakeholders along with development of the sound alternatives, taking
necessary steps for understating the implementation of the solution.
Discuss the implications of Alex using critical thinking skills in the decision making process
and how critical thinking can help Alex make future decisions.

Critical thinking can be considered as basic skills for problem solving along with the adaptive
decision making. It helps in evaluating the capacity for challenging the perspective of one and
other. Alex has also utilized this for solving the issue in the entire Tyson's Corner division as a
mode of achieving the challenges. He did this by asking questions that were not a part of
criticism and were highly exploratory. Alex used his thinking capability for promoting the
attitudes and mindsets which were open towards other possibilities and even adopted to multiple
perspective for coming out with best solution. Critical thinking is one of the core skills in
decision making and therefore will help Alex to develop this own ways in thinking, planning,
applying and evaluation of the knowledge.

References
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Miller, R. L. R., & Stafford, A. D. (2010). Economic education for consumers. Australia:
Thomson/South Western College Publishing.
Schermerhorn, J. R. (2010). Management. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley.
Werhane, P. H. (2013). Obstacles to ethical decision-making: Mental models, Milgram and the
problem of obedience.