Deck 2: Decision Making, Systems, Modeling, and Support

Question 1

Most Web-based DSS are focused on improving decision efficiency.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

"Humans are economic beings whose objective is to maximize the attainment of goals" is one of the assumptions of rational decision makers.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

When trying to solve a problem,developers at the manufacturer HP consider the three phases in developing a
model.Their first phase is problem analytics.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

According to Simon,managerial decision making is synonymous with managers using decision support systems.

Question 5

In general,people have a tendency to measure uncertainty and risk badly; for example,people tend to be overconfident and have an illusion of control in decision making.

Question 6

One approach to solving a complex problem is to divide it into simpler subproblems and then solve those subproblems.

Question 7

When developers design and develop tools,the first guideline is to develop a prototype to test the designs and get early feedback from the end users to see what works for them and what needs to be changed.

Question 8

It is important to remove unneeded complexity from a model before handoff because as a tool becomes more complex it requires more automation.

Question 9

Problem identification is the conceptualization of a problem in an attempt to place it in a definable category,possibly leading to a standard solution approach.

Question 10

Experimentation with a real system is possible only for one set of conditions at a time and can be disastrous.

Question 11

Rationality is bounded only by limitations on human processing capacities but not by individual differences.

Question 12

The process of modeling involves determining the (usually mathematical,sometimes symbolic)relationships among the variables.

Question 13

Web-based systems have clearly influenced how decision making is supported.

Question 14

Fast decision-making requirements tend to reduce decision quality.

Question 15

Personality temperament tests are often used to determine decision styles.

Question 16

A problem exists in an organization only if someone or some group takes on the responsibility of attacking it and if the organization has the ability to solve it.

Question 17

The idea of "thinking with your gut" is a heuristic approach to decision making.

Question 18

Groupthink among decision makers can help lead to the best decisions.

Question 19

If a problem arises due to misalignment of incentives or unclear lines of authority or plans,then no model can help solve that root problem.

Question 20

Collecting information and analyzing a problem are the fastest and least expensive parts of decision-making.

Question 21

Which of the following model behaves like the real system but does not look like it?

A) Composite model
B) Analog model
C) Dense model
D) Iconic model

Question 22

With ________,the performance of the system is checked for a given set of alternatives,rather than for all alternatives.Therefore,there is no guarantee that an alternative selected is optimal.

A) analytical analysis
B) descriptive analysis
C) optimization analysis
D) quantitative analysis

Question 23

Which of the following involves finding or developing and analyzing possible courses of action in a decision making phase?

A) Consultation phase
B) Communication phase
C) Intelligence phase
D) Design phase

Question 24

A ________ can help a decision maker sketch out the important qualitative factors and their causal relationships in a messy decision-making situation.

A) mathematical map
B) cognitive map
C) qualitative map
D) narrative map

Question 25

Groupthink tends to ________ the quality of decisions.

A) be detrimental to
B) improve
C) prolong
D) complicate

Question 26

The usual reasons for ________ are time pressures and recognition that the marginal benefit of a better solution is not worth the marginal cost to obtain it

A) satisficing
B) settling
C) compromising
D) rationalizing

Question 27

Decision making that involves too much information may lead to a condition known as _______.

A) groupthink
B) information overload
C) experimentation
D) over assumption

Question 28

Different decision styles require different types of support.A major factor that determines the type of required support is whether the decision maker is ________.

A) autocratic
B) consultative
C) an individual or a group
D) democratic

Question 29

Which of the following,by definition,requires a decision maker to consider the impact of each alternative course of action on the entire organization because a decision made in one area may have significant effects in other areas?

A) Satisfaction
B) Worst-case
C) Feasibility
D) Optimization

Question 30

Decisions are often made by ________,especially at lower managerial levels and in small organizations.

A) groups
B) management teams
C) individuals
D) computerized systems

Question 31

There is a continuous flow of activity from one phase to the next phase in a decision making process,but at any phase there may be a return to a previous phase.________ is an essential part of this process.

A) Testing
B) Trial-and-error
C) Experimenting
D) Modeling

Question 32

A ________ describes the decision and uncontrollable variables and parameters for a specific modeling situation.

A) statement
B) model
C) program
D) scenario

Question 33

The identification of organizational goals and objectives related to an issue of concern and determination of whether they are being met is the beginning of the ________ of decision making.

A) initial phase
B) intelligence phase
C) brainstorming phase
D) generation phase

Question 34

The ________ of a proposed solution to a problem is the initiation of a new order of things or the introduction of change.

A) method
B) implementation
C) approach
D) style

Question 35

The Museum of Natural History in Aarhus,Denmark uses ________ to collect detailed information about visitors' use of the exhibits to help determine visitors' behavior to identify high-demand exhibits.

A) group decision systems
B) algorithms
C) RFID
D) expert systems

Question 36

A(n)________ is a criterion that describes the acceptability of a solution approach.In a model,it is a result variable.

A) principle of choice
B) optimization variable
C) trade-off
D) worst-case criterion

Question 37

Which of the following is a study of the effect of a change in one or more input variables on a proposed solution?

A) Sensitivity analysis
B) Boundary analysis
C) Fish bone analysis
D) Input-output analysis

Question 38

Which of the following is a physical replica of a system,usually on a different scale from the original?

A) Complex model
B) Iconic model
C) Duplicated model
D) Composite model

Question 39

Which of the following describes normative models?

A) These models are based on anomalies in rational decision making.
B) They are models in which the chosen alternative is demonstrably the best of all possible alternatives.
C) They are models based on the phenomenon of preference reversal.
D) They lead to an approach known as suboptimization.

Question 40

"Thinking with your gut" is a heuristic approach to decision making that would work best for ________.

A) amateur chefs
B) payroll processors and accountants
C) experienced firefighters and military personnel on the battlefield
D) structured decision situations

Question 41

A ________ is a model that prescribes how a system should operate.

Question 42

________ is the critical act of decision making when the actual decision and commitment to follow a certain course of action are made.

Question 43

Much of the information used in seeking new opportunities is ________,or soft.

Question 44

A ________ describes the alternatives a manager must choose among,e.g.,like how many cars to deliver to a specific rental agency or how to advertise at specific times.

Question 45

The model is the critical component in the decision-making process,but one may make a number of errors in its development and use.________ the model before it is used is critical.

Question 46

Problem ________ is the conceptualization of a problem in an attempt to place it in a definable category,possibly leading to a standard solution approach.

Question 47

A data warehouse can support the intelligence phase by continuously monitoring both internal and
external information,looking for early signs of problems and opportunities through a Web-based enterprise information portal called a(n)________.

Question 48

A ________ is extremely useful in DSS for investigating the consequences of various alternative courses of action under different configurations of inputs and processes.

Question 49

The process of modeling is a combination of art and science.As an art,a level of creativity and finesse is required when determining what simplifying ________ are appropriate and helpful.

Question 50

A(n)________ is a step-by-step search in which improvement is made at every step until the best solution is found.

Question 51

________ is the imitation of reality and has been applied to many areas of decision making.

Question 52

A ________ is a simplified representation or abstraction of reality.

Question 53

________ are the descriptive representations of decision-making situations that we form in our heads and think about.

Question 54

A ________ asks a computer what the effect of changing some of the input data or parameters would be.

Question 55

________ is a willingness to settle for a satisfactory solution that is,in effect,suboptimizing.

Question 56

Aside from estimating the potential utility or value of a particular decision's outcome,the best decision makers are capable of accurately estimating the ________ associated with the resultant outcomes resulting from making each decision.

Question 57

Another descriptive decision-making model is the use of ________ to describe a decision-making situation.It is extremely effective when a group is making a decision and can lead to a more common frame.

Question 58

The ________ phase in decision making involves scanning the environment and collecting information.

Question 59

________ is synonymous with the whole process of management.

Question 60

________ may also involve simply bounding the search for an optimum by considering fewer criteria or alternatives or by eliminating large portions of the problem from evaluation.

Question 61

Briefly describe the four steps in the intelligence phase of decision making.

Question 62

Describe the three classifications of models.

Question 63

Discuss the importance of decision style.

Question 64

Describe the three assumptions of rational decision makers used in Normative decision theory.

Question 65

Briefly describe Simon's four phases of decision making.

Question 66

Describe 3 findings about decision making in the Digital Age.

Question 67

Discuss why scenarios play an important role in management support systems.

Question 68

List five benefits of using models.

Question 69

Briefly describe problem decomposition and its benefits.

Question 70

Compare the normative and descriptive approaches to decision making.