UNIVERSITY OF LIVINGSTONIA

KANING’INA CAMPUS
FACULTY OF JOURNALISM AND DEVELOPMENT COMMNUNICATION
DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS AND COMMUNICATION STUDIES

REG NUMBERS : JDC/03/08/22 - JDC/02/05/22 - JDC/02/08/22 – JDC/01/01/22 –

JDC/01/17/21 – JDC 01/16/21 – JDC/01/13/21 – JDC/01/05/22 – JDC/03/09/22 - JDC/03/07/22

LECTURER : REV NKHONJERA.

COURE TITLE : CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP.

COURSE CODE : CHL 2401

.
TASK : DISCUSING THE IDEA THAT DECISION MAKING IS A PROCESS.

DUE DATE : 4 APRIL 2023.

 DISCUSSING THE IDEA THAT DECISION MAKING IS A PROCESS.

Decision-making is a dynamic and interactive process incorporating a sequence of events

from the time when decision makers recognize the need to solve a problem until the time
when they authorize a course of action to solve it. The idea that decision making is a process suggests
that making a decision involves a series of steps that individuals go through in order to arrive at a choice.
(Albanna, 2015) Argues that decision-making process typically involves several stages, including
Identifying the problem or decision that needs to be made, Gathering information and analyzing the
options available among others to be discussed. Using a step-by-step decision making process can help
you make more deliberate, thoughtful decisions by organizing relevant information and defining
alternatives. This approach increases the chances that you will choose the most satisfying alternative
possible. The process of decision is presented below as this essay seeks to explain these stages in decision
making which lead to making tangible conclusion.

The first stage in decision making is to identify the decision. One realizes the need to make a decision.
One tries to clearly define the nature of a decision to make in that particular moment and this first step is
most relevant in decision making process. During this stage, one is required to identify the problem
which needs to be solved. For instance: a manager at a particular company might employ the use of a
problem tree which comprises of cause-problem-effect kind of a layout. According to (Christensen-
Szalanski, 2012) it is important to identify a problem as when you understand it is easy to identify
potential solutions. A clearly defined problem is the gate to decision making as this helps you analyze the
cause, those involved and why, and where it is occurring. For instance if you are a manager at a sales
company which has not made sales in the past 6 months you have to understand why this is so. This
means you identify the problem causing the dwindling in business. Then find out what has caused this
problem and what effects it has brought to the company hence the need to make a decision and make a
change in sales.

The second step in decision making is gathering relevant information. A decision maker collects pertinent
information before a decision is made. It is important to know what information is required, the best
sources of information and how to get it. According to (Mnzberg, 1985) this step involves both internal
and external work. Some information is internal, this means one seeks it through self-assessment. While
the other information is external which directs someone to go online or read books written by other
people to look for required information that is essential in making a particular decision. For instance; a
manager in the sales company can assign someone to conduct research on what has led to low sales at a
particular company.
This researcher will strive to hear the views of the people on a market and observe the performance of
similar products on the market. Information collected provides inputs for generating solutions.
Information can be quantitative or qualitative. It should be reliable, adequate and timely so that right
action can be taken at the right time.

Third step is identifying alternatives. Alternatives means developing two or more ways of solving the
problem. Managers develop as many solutions as possible to choose the best creative and most applicable
alternative to solve the problem. (Festinger, 2018) This simply implies that the moment someone collects
relevant information for the problem, they probably identify several possible paths of action or
alternatives. A decision maker also uses imagination and additional information to construct new
alternatives. In this step it is vital to list all possible and desirable alternatives to solving a problem. In
this context, a manager might think of recruiting more salesman to increase sales at this company or
reduce the price of commodities. Such alternatives are needed in order to pass a judgment.

Fourth step is weighing the evidence. One draws their information and emotions to imagine what it
would be like if they carried out each of the alternatives to the end. They evaluate whether the need
identified in step 1 would be met or resolved through the use of each alternative. As they go through this
difficult internal process, they will begin to favor certain alternatives especially those seem to have a
higher potential for reaching their goals. They finally place the alternatives into priority order, based
upon their own value system. The alternatives generated needs to be looked at with caution since both of
these alternatives are viable and might lead to good results but there is still need to weigh them and see
the more efficient and effective alternative.

The next important step after weighing the evidence is to choose among the alternatives. What alternative
is best, one can also choose a combination of alternatives. The choice in step 5 may very likely be the
same or similar to the alternative one placed at the top of their list at the end of step 4. All the alternatives
are weighed against each other with respect to their strengths and weakness. They are useful if they help
to achieve the objective. This manager is tempted to choose from the alternatives he developed, its either
he employs more salesmen or reduce the price of commodities at the market in order to increase sales.
Alternatives are evaluated in terms of acceptable criteria to analyze their impact on the problem.

The sixth step is to take action. After evaluating the alternatives against accepted criteria, managers
screen the non-feasible alternatives and select the most appropriate alternative to achieve the desired
objective. (Albanna, 2015) Says this is where a decision maker is tempted to take action in trying to solve
a solution. They are now ready to take some positive action by beginning to implement the alternative
he chose in step 5. A decision is made at this stage, if the choice was to increase salesmen then the
marketing team is tasked to release a job vacancy for sales agents for that particular company. These
agents are directed to many locations to sale as more commodities as possible. If the alternative was to
increase advertisement frequencies, the marketing team has to endeavor in keeping the media abreast in
order to promote a particular commodity. Once media jingles have been created it means an action have
been taken by the manager in attempt to solve the problem at hand.

Furthermore it is important to review the decision and its consequences. During this stage, one considers
the results of their decision and evaluate whether or not it has resolved the need he identified in step 1. If
the decision has not met the identified need, one may want to repeat certain steps of the process to make a
new decision. If the desired result have not been met, a manager decides to improvise and employ a
different alternative in order to realize change. For example; he or she might want to gather more detailed
or somewhat different information or explore additional alternatives generated in the first place. If the
results are desirable then the alternative becomes a company’s priority move to making buyout sales
hence realizing profits and sustain a company’s goals and objectives.

The last step in decision making process is to monitor the implementation. (Festinger, 2018) Commends
that the implementation process should be monitored to know its acceptability amongst organizational
members. It might happen that some members of the organization or an entity are not in support with the
decision made by the manager, this might affect the progress in a negative manner. This therefore, calls
for regular monitoring of the alternative, this can be achieve through progress reports from employees,
this will help a manager to see whether the objective for which it was selected is achieved or not,
managers should make corrections wherever necessary in the implementation process. It may even
require restart of the entire decision-making process. If yes, such alternatives form future decision
making.

In a nutshell, the importance of decisions varies depending on the level. Decisions may be major or
minor, strategic or operational, long term or short term. Long term, major and strategic decisions are
taken at a top-level and relatively short-term, minor and operational are taken at lower levels. Decision-
making precedes every managerial function as it is not an easy process to make a decision. Most of the
decisions are based on manager’s knowledge, value judgment, creativity and innovative abilities in
attempt to match environment opportunities with organization’s strengths. It is based on forecast and
assumptions about environmental factors hence the need for him to be conversant with the decision
making process in order to succeed in making a decision in a particular entity. It is from perspective that
this essay strived to prove that decision making is a process as it calls for employment of several stages in
order to reach the desired goal.
 REFERENCES

Albanna. (2015). Strategic decision making perspective. Newyork.

Christensen-Szalanski. (2012). organization behavior and individual decision making process. Academic
research gate.

Festinger. (2018). a theory of cognitive dissonance in decision making. Newyork city .

Graybiel. (2008). Habits, rituals and evaluative brains. Annu, Neurosci.

James. (1997). A prommer to decision making process. Newyork.

Mnzberg. (1985). Manager's autonomy, strategic control, organization and strategic planning
effectiveness in decision making. Washington DC.