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Rational Decision Making

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Rational Decision Making Model

Definition:
A rational decision making model provides a structured and sequenced approach to decision making. Using such an approach can help to ensure discipline and consistency is built into your decision making process.
As the word rational suggests, this approach brings logic and order to decision making. Our rational decision making model consists of a series of steps, beginning with problem/opportunity identification, and ending with actions to be taken on decisions made.
According to Ohio State University management professor, Paul C. Nutt, we only get about 50% of our decisions in the workplace right! Half the time they are wrong, so there is clearly plenty of scope to improve on our decision making processes

Characteristics of rational decision making:
Choosing rationally is often characterized by the following: * Decision making will follow a process or orderly path from problem to solution. * There is a single best or optimal outcome. Rational decisions seek to optimize or maximize utility. * The chosen solution will be in agreement with the preferences and beliefs of the decision maker. * The rational choice will satisfy conditions of logical consistency and deductive completeness. * Decision making will be objective, unbiased and based on facts. * Information is gathered for analysis during the decision making process. * Future consequences are considered for each decision alternative. * Structured questions are used to promote a broad and deep analysis of the situation or problem requiring a solution. * Risk and uncertainty are addressed with mathematically sound approaches.
In the ideal case, all rational decision makers would come to the same conclusion when presented with the same set of sufficient information for the decision being made. This would suggest that collaborative decision

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