Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Decision-Making

My 1st discussion topic for my 1st subject of my MBA program was : " Assuming you are the CEO faced with a prospect to lay off 600 workers, which decision-making model will you use and why." *Yucks!*

I don't believe anyone would like to make a decision like that and I definitely hope that I will not have to make such a decision in real life, especially not when I am the CEO! Anyway, after reading 2 related chapters of the textbook, I realised that there are many models of decision-making and approaches which I actually have been applying at work all the time but had no idea that they have names. For example there is a model called The Garbage Can Model of Decision-Making whereby I must have been using all the time in this company. I have to make decisions under highly ambiguous conditions whereby the goals are not clear, the participants change fast and I also do not have a set of rules to guide me along! So I am actually a Garbage Can decision-maker all along! And the Japanese bosses in my company will always use the Political Model of Decision-Making whereby they use their powers (titles) to affect the decisions...

Most of friends who have done the MBA are telling me that I will have a freshing and enjoyable time doing my MBA. I was at doubts about myself going back to studies after so many years but I am beginning to believe them now. I feel that my time is spent more fulfilling now that I have things to read about and the theories I learnt are actually applicable to my work! It is really a revitalising experience. I am looking forward to starting my next subject next month and then the next

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Haha.. I thought that your time is now meaningfully spent reading blogs...

Anyway, it's not really unheard of about CEO having to lay off large number of employees. After all, it's either that or the whole company goes under.

But then again, if you have the tenacity to reach the top, I don't think you'll have any problem laying off people. :0

waitingkitty said...

If I am the CEO, I wouldn't want to lay off workers because that would mean that the company I am managing is not doing so well...I want to be hiring and expanding!