Chapter 6—Effective Decision Making: Your Competitive Advantage
1. No decision is a decision.
2. Voting is a good way to reach consensus.
3. Creativity is the ability to come up with new and unique solutions to problems.
4. Whether a problem is occurring now, expected in the future, or foreseen for the future, it may be so
serious that action must be taken immediately to prevent its developing.
5. The computer makes the correct decision 100% of the time.
6. Since opinions are not necessarily true they are unimportant.
7. An eyewitness account is a primary source.
8. Straw person is the deceptive argument type that persuades through inflammatory and exaggerated
language instead of reason.
9. Creative people are willing to risk failure.
10. Being overcritical is important to creativity because it keeps you from making mistakes.
11. Overanalyzing a problem can lead to inaction.
12. A problem is a puzzle looking for an answer.
13. In organizations, creativity without innovation is useless.
14. Cultural biases can block creativity.
15. Illumination is a step in critical thinking.
16. Innovation is not as important now as it was in the past.
17. Effective decision makers can think critically.
18. The idea that everybody does this or believes this is a deceptive argument called scare tactics.
19. A critical thinker evaluates the source of information before deciding how heavily to rely on it to make
a decision.
20. Context is a thing that is known to be true, to exist, or to have occurred.
21. The 80-20 Rule suggests that 80 percent of our problems account for 20 percent of our losses or gains.
22. Follow-up is an important step in the problem-solving process.
23. Brainstorming is a methodology for predicting the future.
24. You are born with creativity, it cannot be nurtured or developed.
25. Group decision making works best when time is short.
26. An effective way to stimulate creativity is to
a.
Coerce people
b.
Share credit
c.
Pay people more money
27. Thought processes that block creativity include
a.
Information overload and failure to use all of our senses
b.
Inability to isolate the real source of a problem
c.
Neither answer is correct.
28. Examples of problem-solving techniques for helping us make decisions are
a.
Power and authority
b.
Perception and communication
c.
ABC analyses and Six Thinking Hats
29. Groups should be involved in decision making when
a.
Time is short
b.
Creativity is needed
c.
Two group members dominate the discussion
30. Common DSS models include
a.
Document driven
b.
Communications driven
c.
Both answers are correct
31. Groupthink is where
a.
The group makes a well thought out decision.
b.
Brainstorming occurs
c.
Group members go along simply because a majority likes the decision
32. The interrelated situation in which an event occurs is called
a.
Context
b.
Opinion
c.
Fact
33. The deceptive argument that involves threats that something terrible will happen if you don’t do this or
believe this is
a.
Personal attack
b.
Testimonial
c.
Scare tactics
34. Ethnocentrism is the belief that
a.
Our own nationality is superior to others
b.
Our own cultural traditions are superior to others
c.
Both answers are correct
35. During the incubation stage of creativity you must
a.
Focus only on the problem
b.
Use the steps outlined in problem solving
c.
Neither answer is correct.
36. Seeing the big picture is important to
a.
Creativity
b.
Using a DSS
c.
Six Sigma
37. New ideas need
a.
A straw person
b.
To be analyzed through the 80-20 rule
c.
A champion
38. Cultural blocks to creativity include
a.
Voodoo dolls
b.
Inability to tolerate ambiguity
c.
Taboos against daydreaming, intuition, and humor
39. Secondary sources are
a.
Histories
b.
Critical Analyses
c.
Both answers are correct
40. Opinions should be
a.
Dismissed out of hand
b.
Taken seriously
c.
Ignored
41. To develop a solution with which all group members can agree is to reach ____________________.
42. An individual who gathers all available information and takes into consideration what others have
stated or discovered as well as their own observation, experience, reasoning, and reflection is called
a(n) ____________________.
43. When making complex decisions you should take into account your ____________________.
44. A committee which meets regularly to examine and suggest solutions to common problems of quality
is called a(n) ____________________.
45. Using an authority or celebrity to help support your viewpoint is called a(n) ____________________.
46. Someone who is using the deceptive argument of ____________________ persuades using
inflammatory and exaggerated language instead of reason.
47. ____________________ are attitudes which assume all members of a group share the same set of
characteristics.
48. The “aha!” stage of creativity is called ____________________.
49. A problem-solving technique that involves spontaneous contribution of ideas from all members of the
group is called ____________________.
50. Turning creative solutions into products and services is called ____________________.