Running head: MOL 626E COURSE ANALYSIS SUMMARY

MOL 626E Course Analysis Summary

Problem Solving & Decision Making
Jo Marie Harter
Medaille College

Authors Note
This paper was prepared on June 13, 2015 for MOL 626E taught by Jerry Kozlowski.

MOL 626E COURSE ANALYSIS SUMMARY

This course, Problem Solving & Decision Making, has provided me with valuable tools
that I intend to utilize in my future personal and professional life. Many of the theories and
concepts provided practical ways to utilize many of the decision making techniques. There have
also been many other beneficial concepts that will be of use to me as a leader.
The PrOACT approach to decision making is a tested approach to making good
decisions. The steps outlined in this approach are easy to apply and help the decision maker look
more in depth at the elements of good decision making. Some of these elements include defining
the right problem, establishing to correct objective, determining alternatives, and understanding
the consequences. It is also important to consider trade-offs, know your own risk tolerance and
understand how linked decisions can impact your decision making process. When completing
the assignments of real world business decisions, understanding these steps made it easier to
identify the strengths and weaknesses of making effective business decisions.
There are several factors that can impede our ability to effectively make decisions.
Personal bias, lack of ethics, and psychological traps are all elements that play a role in our
personal and professional decisions. Our own values and ethics play a part in our decision
making process. It is important for the decision maker to be aware of how ethics and beliefs can
impact the ability to make unbiased decisions. There are many ethical infractions that people can
unknowingly commit, increasing the importance of having a keen self-awareness, especially in
the decision making process.
Psychological traps can cause error in judgment with decision making. Some of these
psychological traps include: the anchoring trap, the status quo trap, the sunk cost trap, the
confirming evidence trap, the framing trap, the recallability trap, and the base rate trap.
(Hammond, Keeney, & Raiffa) Fortunately, there are practical suggestions to help the decision

MOL 626E COURSE ANALYSIS SUMMARY

maker avoid falling prey to some of these traps. These suggestions would include: looking at
decisions from different perspectives, seek information from a variety of people, examine all
alternatives, keep the objective in mind, learn from previous mistakes, be aware of motives,
gather all pertinent facts, and use a systematic approach to decision making. (Hammond, Keeney,
& Raiffa)
We had the opportunity to examine in depth organizational decision making within our
workplaces. This assignment was helpful in understanding decision making from a more broad
perspective as well as the importance of breaking decision making down into smaller steps and
decision making teams. Understanding the systematic approach to decision making helped me to
understand and apply the decision making process that was most likely implemented within my
organization throughout a merger process.
Communication is imperative to the decision making process. Leaders must be willing to
effectively communicate outcomes of decisions as well as their decision making processes. We
examined the various styles of decision making, including decisive, flexible, hierarchic, and
integrative. Most decision makers use different decision making styles in public than they do in
private. There are also identified levels of decision makers depending upon level of management
and experience. We also examined our own decision making style during this course. It is
helpful as a leader to have an awareness to ones decision making style, as this will impact how
and why decisions are made.
When implementing a decision making process, it is important for leaders to understand
the benefits of conflict, openness to others ideas, and closure. Leaders must learn to be
comfortable and encourage constructive conflict, as this can assist in developing out-of-the-box
thinking and create innovative ideas and solutions. Leaders have the ability to foster an

MOL 626E COURSE ANALYSIS SUMMARY

environment where openness to others ideas can help develop team trust and communication.
Leaders must also recognize when it is time to make a decision, recognizing when in the process
it may be too early or too late.
Overall, this course has provided me with valuable tools to assist in my future decision
making and problem solving. It has helped me to gain a better understanding of whom I am as a
decision maker, learning about the various theories and decision making styles. It has taught me
how to use a systematic approach to decision making, helping to eliminate the impact of
emotions on the decision making process. All of this material will be beneficial to me as a leader
and help in making more effective decisions in a personal and professional capacity. Though I
would consider myself somewhat effective in decision making, there is always room for growth
and self-exploration. This course has helped me to examine my own skills and abilities in this
area and it has provided me with practical tools to carry with me throughout my career. Thank
you!

MOL 626E COURSE ANALYSIS SUMMARY

Bibliography
Hammond, J., Keeney, R., & Raiffa, H. Smart Choices: A Practical Guide to Making Better Life
Decisions. New York: Broadway Books.