Decision-making

The problems confronting a manager are likely to be.........................and varied and it is not suggested they can always be.........................by reference to a rigid formula, but an analytical and.........................approach is certainly to be commended. Whether the decision.........................to personnel, finance or marketing, the.........................of the process are the same.

First, the.........................must be defined. Where it is.........................it may be necessary to break it down into parts. All the relevant facts should be.........................and the various aspects of the situation brought together. Then the full.........................of alternatives (or options) should be considered. A choice will have to be made between the alternatives and this weighing up the pros and cons of each of the alternatives, before deciding on what.........................to be the best solution in the given circumstances. What is best in the.........................may not be so appropriate in the long-term – and vice versa.

In a business.........................the decisions will be made in terms of a.........................evaluation. The best alternative will either be the option which gives the greatest profitability, or the one which allows a given goal to be achieved with the.........................expenditure.

At this ......................... the decision is still in the mind and it now requires implementation. Subordinates need to be told what is.........................of them and their.........................need to be monitored to make sure they are.........................with the instructions.

Subordinates are often given the.........................to participate in the.........................phases of the routine. They can .........................information and usefully discuss a situation with their manager. However, the.........................between the alternatives is the manager's prerogative, since he.........................responsible for the outcome.

Complete the diagram below by placing the appropriate words in the five different boxes.

Determine the problem Obtain feedback Implement the decision

Modify if necessary Decide what to do

Section C. Case study

Juniper Ltd

Juniper is a medium-sized company based in Norwich producing a variety of natural health foods in three separate factories around the town. The Personnel Director, Ben Walton, has recently seen some statistics on the subject of lateness and absenteeism among his workforce and they have displeased him. A summary of the figures for the last two years is shown here.

Juniper Ltd – Absenteeism and Lateness Last Year (Previous year’s figures in brackets)
Site	Workforce	Days lost through Absenteeism Lateness
Belton High Fenn Greensward	600 (600) 600 (500) 300 (600)	13,000 (10,000) 12,000 (11,000) 3,000 (11,000)	18,000 (15,000) 18,000 (11,000) 3,000 (13,000)

He has asked you as his newly appointed Personal Assistant to write him a brief but formal report (maximum 200 words) setting out your interpretation of these figures. He is considering the possibility of introducing flexible working hours at Juniper and would like to know what you see as the merits and demerits of this proposal. He would also like to know whether you have any other ideas on how the problems of absenteeism and lateness might be tackled.

You may include diagrams in your report if you wish.

Section D. Verbs and adjectives

Add an appropriate verb or adjective from the list below to each of the following sentences where indicated.

a) If subordinates are ................................. in the decision-making process they will show ………………… interest in their work.

b) The.................................work can all too easily become a battle to ................................. with piles of paperwork before the time runs out.

c) Like a good car driver the.................................manager looks as far ahead as he can so as to spot hazards and then.................................them.

d) The whole business organisation, from the board of directors down to the................................. pool, is a network of teams each trying to................................. its own goals.

e) Each team in the business will ................................. its target more easily and effectively if everyone is pulling in the.................................direction.

f) Before you decide on a course of action it is wise to ................................. the ................................. consequences.

g) Most firms are aware of the need to.................................good public relations.

h) When a.................................plan is being.................................it is necessary to bring into account its effect on the environment.

Verbs: achieve, consider, maintain, avoid, deal, reach, evaluated, involved.

Adjectives: same, day's, astute, typing, greater, likely, development.