Term Paper on Learning and Decision Making Distortions
Learning and Decision-making are the two very
important and most commonly using practices in any organization; both of
these have direct influence over the organization development. They can tell
us about the organization behavior and the efficiency of learning and
development through past experiences. Decision-making is also required the
past experiences, although some time decisions cannot depend over past
experience but still it has great influence. Learning and Decision-making
both faces distortions and obstructions from the internal environment of the
organization, our focus is mainly over them.
The Learning
Learning involves changes in behavior resulting from observation and
experience. It excludes behavior that is attributable to instinct such as
breathing or temporary states such as hunger or fatigue. Interpreting and
predicting enhances our understanding of behavior, learning plays a vital
role at every stage of the decision process.
Stimulus-Response Theory
This theory says that, learning occurs as a person
• Responds to some stimulus by behaving in a particular way
• Is rewarded for correct response or penalized for an incorrect one. When
the same correct response is repeated in reaction to the same stimulus, as a
behavior pattern, or learning is established.
Although all of the facts, sill learning is not a perfect predictor of
behavior because a variety of other factor also influences organization.
Some of the essential ingredients/factors influences learning are following:
Personality
Personality is defined broadly as individual’s pattern of traits that
influence behavior responses. For example, we speak of people as being self
confident, domineering, introverted, flexible, and/or friendly, and as being
influenced (but not controlled) by these personality traits in their
responses to situations. The Psychoanalytic Theory of personality, by
Sigmund Freud at the turn of the century and later modified by his followers
and critics, has had a tremendous impact on the study of human behavior.
Freud contended that people have subconscious drives that cannot satisfy in
socially acceptable ways. As we learn that we cannot gratify these needs in
a direct manner, we develop other, more subtle means of seeking
satisfaction. This results in very complex reasons for some behavior.
The Self-Concept
Your self-concept, or self-image, is the way you say your-self. At the same
time it is the picture you think others have of you. Psychologist
distinguish between the self-actual the way you see yourself and the ideal
self-concept the way you want to be seen or would like to see yourself.
Usually people think that what ever they are doing and not learned with the
past experiences this behavior might lead to the failure.
Attitudes
An attitude is a learned predisposition to respond to an object or class of
objects in a consistency favorable or unfavorable way. Attitudes are
learned, have an object and have direct and intensity.
Decision and Decision Making
A decision is the choice made from among available alternatives that is
expected to result in a favorable resolution to a problem.
Managerial decision-making does not begin or end with the decision, because
there must be a problem posed before a decision can be made, and after that
the decision must be implemented.
The Decision Making Process
The broader term decision-making defines the process of identifying
problems, considering and evaluating the alternatives, arriving at a
decision, taking action, and assessing the outcome/results.
Types of Decisions
Day in and day out, managers make decisions about a wide variety of
problems. However, not all decisions are alike. Some decisions crop up
repeatedly and son can be made without much forethought. Others come up less
frequently and are far from routine; such decisions might occur only once in
manager’s entire career. In general, decisions can be classified as either
programmed or nonprogrammed which are given below:
Programmed Decisions
A manager makes a programmed decision when a situation occurs so often or is
so well structured that it can be handled through the use of preset decision
rules. In well-structured situations, managers need to consider relatively
few factors, or they confront relatively clear-cut circumstances surrounding
the decision. After repeatedly solving the same kind of problem or meeting
the same kind of well-structured situation, managers can develop guidelines
for solving that problem in the future.
Nonprogrammed Decisions
In contrast to a programmed decision, a nonprogrammed decision is made in a
situation that cannot be handled with a preset decision rules because the
situation occurs infrequently, is unique, or is somewhat unstructured.
Because these decisions are less clear-cut that programmed decisions and are
not made regularly, managers cannot develop guidelines for handling similar
decisions in the future.
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