Improve Decision Quality Research Articles

Making Excellent R&D Decisions

Doing more with less and getting the right products to market at the right time require exceptional RD for example, deciding whether to invest in a given program area or project, or choosing one technology over another. This part of the process can be broken into four components: * Decision basis--Are the inputs to your R&D decisions of high quality? * Technology strategy--Is R&D strategy in tune with business goals at the highest level? * Portfolio management--Are your R&D portfolio and pipeline well balanced? * Project strategy--Is each individual project being managed to its full potential? The second broad category is organizing for decision quality. The focus here is on what a company can do institutionally to maintain a high level of decision qualify. This, too, is divided into four components: * Organization and process--Does your company have a good brain? Do decision makers select the right tools and think about them well? * R&D culture and values--Does your company have a strong heart? Does it hire the best people, train them well, and empower them to perform to their full potential? * Relationship with internal customer--Does R&D work closely with product marketing and other internal customers? * Relationship with end customer--Can R&D look ahead to anticipate and meet the needs and desires of the ultimate users of its results? The final component of excellent R&D decision-making is improving decision quality. …

The Use of Information in Decision Making: An Experimental Investigation of the Impact of Computer-Based Decision Aids

The traditional assumption in the decision support systems (DSS) literature is that if decision makers are provided with expanded processing capabilities they will use them to analyze problems in more depth and, as a result, make better decisions. Empirical studies investigating the relationship between DSS and decision quality have not borne this out. The explanation for such outcomes could be found in behavioral decision-making theories. The literature on behavioral decision making indicates that the conservation of effort may be more important than increased decision quality in some cases. If ths is so, then the use of a decision aid may result in effort savings but not improved decision performance. The two experiments reported here use verbal protocol analysis to compare the extent of information use by unaided decision makers and users of a decision aid designed to support preferential choice problems. The results of the two studies indicate that subjects with a decision aid did not use more information than those without one. Overall, subjects behaved as if effort minimization was an important consideration. For DSS researchers these studies indicate that to understand the DSS-decision quality relationship, it is necessary to consider the decision maker's tradeoff between improving decision quality and conserving effort. For DSS designers these results imply a need to focus on the moderating role that effort will play in determining DSS effectiveness.

Interface Style and Training Task Difficulty as Determinants of Effective Computer‐Assisted Knowledge Transfer*

ABSTRACTThe transfer of expert knowledge to novices is one means of improving decision quality. Research needs to identify (1) the knowledge to be transferred to novices, and (2) the best method for transferring that knowledge. Studies that compare the judgment behavior of experienced and novice auditors address the first issue. The present study addresses the second issue in the context of using a computer‐assisted training (CAT) program. CAT was selected for study because of evidence that it can both improve the effectiveness and reduce the costs of training. An experiment was conducted in which two factors were manipulated: (1) the design of the human‐computer interface of the CAT program, and (2) the content of training tasks. The judgment of interest involved causal reasoning about the relationships between various internal control procedures and possible errors. The results indicate that alternative styles of interaction with a CAT program differ in terms of learning effectiveness. In addition, there was also evidence that training task content affected learning.

Decision quality and commitment within a probabilistic environment

A controlled laboratory experiment was conducted using the Brunswik lens model as a base for its design. In this study the effects of varying levels of advice and goals on performance and commitment were investigated. Previous works have not integrated the value of information on performance when given in different amounts or in conjunction with goal-setting propositions within the context of complex decisions made under uncertainty. Commitment functions have remained elusive to researchers as well. Performance was marginally superior when moderate amounts of information were given. Advice and commitment were unrelated. Contrary to the majority of past evidence, as goals became easier, performance marginally improved. Moreover, with easier goals, commitments were less delayed and more accepted. Over time there was increased commitment and improved decision quality. Task complexity emerged as an important explanatory moderating factor between advice and goal influences on decision quality as well as commitment.

AN EMPIRICAL ASSESSMENT OF COMPUTER‐ASSISTED DECISION ANALYSIS*

ABSTRACTDecision analysis tools often are used in semistructured and ill‐structured situations. While some researchers have argued that computerized decision analysis programs may improve decision quality in such situations, research support for this assertion is weak.In this laboratory study, business students used a computerized decision‐analysis program with short strategic‐management cases to prepare decision reports. Independent raters' perceptions of aided and unaided decision performance were contrasted, attitudes of students toward the program were assessed, individual differences were correlated with attitudes, and the program's impact on students' perceptions of their decision processes and performance was examined.Student attitudes toward the computerized aid were favorable, and individual differences in reactions generally were as predicted. However, the program did not improve the independent ratings of students' decision reports and recommendations.These findings suggest that computerized decision aids should be adopted cautiously. If such aids result in positive user affect and heightened decision confidence without corresponding improvements in decision quality, they may be dysfunctional. Rigorous research methodologies which incorporate independent evaluations of analyses and decisions are recommended for use in future research on computerized decision‐analysis programs.

Managerial Decision Making:Japan vs. the US

The major reason for the success of Japanese decision making is the understanding, acceptance and support of techniques by managers and employees, the various stages of the decision‐making process being utilised, alongside the unofficial politics, in direction, subtlety and patience which are intrinsic to the consensual decision process. By contrast US managers register scepticism and suspicion towards participative decision processes; when such a process is used it is primarily for the purpose of improving decision quality, as against the Japanese aim to achieve unanimous consent (not approval). The Japanese process allows decision implementation with little conflict; however the prerequisites for this form of participation may be largely unfilled in other cultures' work places.