Assessment of decision-making techniques applied in Lebanese business. (c1995)

Abstract

Decision making is an emerging area of study of considerable importance to practicing managers, as well as to teachers and students of management. Regrettably, the subject of decision making is usually seen as merely one of several activities that differentiate managers from other employees in an organization. However, this is not really the case, for every individual, belonging to the organization, participates in the process of decision making by one way or another. The multiple dimensions of arriving at a choice contribute significantly to the complexity of the decision-making process. Much additional research is necessary before decision making can be reveled in all its diversity. In the meantime, managers, teachers and students should try to adopt a broader perspective toward decision making. This perspective should place decision making at the center of the manager's functions. It should focus squarely on the many variables and antecedent conditions leading up to the moment of choice. It should acknowledge the many related considerations that must be taken into account when the choice is put in effect. Also, this perspective should reflect the need to control events in a mauner consistent with the original objective of the decision. Throughout this study, the researcher aimed at clarifying the guidelines needed to create the above mentioned perspective, keeping in mind the contrast between the American decision-making approaches versus those one followed by the Lebanese managers.