HBO SESSION 15

Mount Everest-1996

Q1. Sequence of activities in the case

Q2. Errors and biases in the decision-making processes as mentioned in the

case

1. It is clear that factors in decision-making, such as overconfidence, availability

heuristic, and escalation of commitment, as well as organisational culture,
such as hierarchy and a lack of team bonding, played a significant role in this
disaster from the perspective of management and organisations.
2. Hall and Fischer became overconfident as a result of their past success on
Everest, clouding their judgement and leading them to feel that their
knowledge and experience rendered them unstoppable.
3. Escalation of commitment, defined as "the tendency to continue commitment
to a failing course of expectation," was one of the most important factors that
contributed to Hall and Fischer's poor decision making and eventual downfall.
4. Both leaders stressed the significance of returning if their team did not reach
the peak by 1:00 or 2:00 p.m., regardless of how close they were. Despite
their constant emphasis on this point, no members made it to the top before
1:00 p.m., and only six by 2:00 p.m. Everyone continued climbing instead of
turning back as planned, and the final member to reach the summit came
after 4:00 p.m.
5. The final blunders that led to the disaster were errors in corporate culture. Hall
and Fischer unintentionally built a hierarchy inside their organisations by
assigning varying pay grades to their guides.
 6. The expedition's leaders failed to develop a strong organisational culture in
which participants could rely on one another by focusing too much on logistic.

Q3. Identification of the root-cause of faulty decision-making

The lack of communication caused the tragedy which lead to death of some people.
This can be observed when Hall did not start descending till 6 P.M. and did not
adhere to his word of start descend from whichever point they are after 2 P.M. Lack
of communication which made Fischer unable to play his role of sweep during the
summit day and Hall overconfidence of his prior experience despite of poor weather
condition a day before the summit they decide to climb. Both of them ignore the
warning of ferocious weather condition.

Q4. Learnings for management professionals

Managers must identify the company's goals, aims and objectives, vision, and
mission, then prescribe and clearly explain them to their employees, who are the
company's most valuable assets. Employee commitment and engagement are
strongly dependent on clear communication of the firm's mission, which employees
can only support if it is stated correctly. When making decisions, it's also important to
get employee input, and the best leaders not only communicate but also encourage
feedback to assist them make better decisions. Teamwork is critical to the success
of any organisation, and organisations who invest time and money into developing a
team-centric approach and enhancing communication not only with employees but
also between employees will see favourable results.