DECISION MAKING IN EDUCATION (original) (raw)

The first aspect of this chapter focused on the rudimentary concepts of decision and decision making, the relation between the type of problem to be addressed and the type of decision to address it; the association between the level of management to be involved and the type of problem to be solved as well as how decision making is influenced by the nature of the changing environment within which decisions are made; whether under certainty, risk or uncertainty. The second part of the paper dealt with decision-making approaches, styles and models such as rational, bounded rationality, heuristics, general decision-making style (GDMS) as well as decision making models such as GOFER, DECIDE and OCER. The third aspect discussed decision-making errors and biases and how these could be resolved using group decision making with emphasis on the type, techniques, advantages and disadvantages. The last section highlighted styles commonly adopted by decision makers with emphasis on Vroom and Yetton’s model, Tannenbaum and Schmidt’s style, as well as linear and nonlinear thinking. The paper closed with a short discussion on reasons and resolutions of decision failure.