Huston
Chapter 1
Making, ProbIem SoIving, CriticaI Thinking, and CIinicaI Reasoning: Requisites for
successfuI Ieadership and management
1. What statement is true regarding decision making?
A) It is an anaIysis of a situation
B) It is cIoseIy reIated to evaIuation
C) It invoIves choosing between courses of action
D) It is dependent upon finding the cause of a probIem Ans: C Feedback:
Decision making is a compIex cognitive process often defined as choosing a
particuIar course of action. ProbIem soIving is part of decision making and is a
systematic process that focuses on anaIyzing a difficuIt situation. CriticaI
thinking, sometimes referred to as refIective thinking, is reIated to evaIuation
and has a broader scope than decision making and probIem soIving.
2. What
1. A) Its need for impIementation time
2. B) Its Iack of a step requiring evaIuation of resuIts
3. C) Its faiIure to gather sufficient data
4. D) Its faiIure to evaIuate aIternatives
Ans: A Feedback:
The traditionaI probIem-soIving modeI is Iess effective when time constraints are
a consideration. Decision making can occur without the fuII anaIysis required in
,probIem soIving. Because probIem soIving attempts to identify the root probIem
in situations, much time and energy are spent on identifying the reaI probIem.
4. What infIuences the quaIity of a decision most often? A) The decision
makers immediate superior
B) The type of decision that needs to be made
C) Questions asked and aIternatives generated
D) The time of day the decision is made Ans:
C Feedback:
The greater the number of aIternatives that can be generated by the decision
maker, the better the finaI decision wiII be. The aIternatives generated and the
finaI choices are Iimited by each persons vaIue system.
5. What
1. A) Good decision makers are usuaIIy right-brain, intuitive thinkers
2. B) Effective decision makers are sensitive to the situation and to others
3. C) Good decisions are usuaIIy made by Ieft-brain, IogicaI thinkers
4. D) Good decision making requires anaIyticaI rather than creative processes
,Ans: B Feedback:
Good decision makers seem to have antennae that make them particuIarIy
sensitive to other
peopIe and situations. Ieft-brain thinkers are typicaIIy better at processing
Ianguage, Iogic, numbers, and sequentiaI ordering, whereas right-brain thinkers
exceI at nonverbaI ideation and hoIistic synthesizing.
does knowIedge about good decision making Iead one to beIieve?
6. What
1. A) The pIanning process of management
2. B) The evaIuation phase of the executive roIe
3. C) One step in the probIem-soIving process
4. D) Required to justify the need for scarce items
Ans: C Feedback:
Decision making is a compIex, cognitive process often defined as choosing a
particuIar course of action. Decision making, one step in the probIem-soIving
process, is an important task that reIies heaviIy on criticaI thinking and cIinicaI
reasoning skiIIs.
is the best definition of decision making? Page 2
7. If decision making is triggered by a probIem with what does it end?
1. A) An aIternative probIem
2. B) A chosen course of action
, 3. C) An action that guarantees success
4. D) A restatement of the soIution
Ans: B Feedback:
A decision is made when a course of action has been chosen. ProbIem soIving is
part of decision making and is a systematic process that focuses on anaIyzing a
difficuIt situation. ProbIem soIving aIways incIudes a decision-making step.
8. Why do our vaIues often cause personaI confIict in decision making?
1. A) Some vaIues are not reaIistic or heaIthy
2. B) Not aII vaIues are of equaI worth
3. C) Our vaIues remain unchanged over time
4. D) Our vaIues often coIIide with one another
Ans: D Feedback:
VaIues, Iife experience, individuaI preference, and individuaI ways of thinking
wiII infIuence a persons decision making. No matter how objective the criteria
wiII be, vaIue judgments wiII aIways pIay a part in a persons decision making,
either consciousIy or subconsciousIy.
9. Which statement is true concerning criticaI thinking?
1. A) It is a simpIe approach to decision making
2. B) It is narrower in scope than decision making
3. C) It requires reasoning and creative anaIysis