Showing papers on "R-CAST published in 1989"

A Synthesis of Ethical Decision Models for Marketing

Abstract: The contributions of current models of ethical decision making are described and evaluated on a comparative basis. From the synthesis of these frameworks an integrated model is derived. The integrated model combines both cognitive-affect and social-learning theory to produce a more complete perspective of the ethical decision process. This perspective acknowledges that ethical decision making is affected by both external (environment, peers, situation) as well as internal (moral value structure) constructs.

Evaluating group decision support system effectiveness: A performance study of decision conferencing

Abstract: Effectiveness of decision making with decision conferences was explored by examining groups using the Decision Techtronics Group. Quantitative data were gathered through a self-administered survey of participants in 14 conferences. Perceived conference effectiveness was assessed with respect to a global outcome measure and 8 scales measuring the decision process effectiveness, based on the Competing Values Approach to organizational analysis. Differences in perceived conference success were related to (1) the proportion of participants who believed the conference resulted in a decision, and (2) the level of benefits derived from: full support of the structure or preference technology; the opportunity for full, extended discussion; development of an action plan; and expected resolution of the problem by the conference end.

Strategies of Decision Making

Abstract: : This article posits that military decision makers have come to rely too much an analytical decision making processes, contributing to a reduction in the effectiveness of training and decision support systems. The author examines the strengths and weaknesses of competing decision making processes, and offers a 'recognitional model' for use in most combat or field situations. His recommendations have impact on training and decision aid development. (CP)

Evolutionary Systems Design: Policy Making Under Complexity and Group Decision Support Systems

Abstract: (1989). Evolutionary Systems Design: Policy Making Under Complexity and Group Decision Support Systems. Journal of the Operational Research Society: Vol. 40, No. 11, pp. 1053-1054.

Social Decision Methodology for Technological Projects

Abstract: and overview: Social decision making on technological projects.- Social choice theory and practice.- Promoting personal decisions supporting the achievement of risky public goods.- Cognitive dimensions of conflicts over new technology.- Approaches towards conflict resolution in decision processes.- Requisite decision modelling for technological projects.- Value oriented social decision analysis: a communication tool for public decision making on technological projects.- Contributing to social decision methodology: citizen reports on technological projects.- Computer assisted group decision making.- Technological risk, policy theories and public perception in connection with the siting of hazardous facilities.- Planning and procedural aspects of the windfarm project of the Dutch Electricty Generating Board.- Current radioactive waste management policy in the Netherlands.- Nuclear waste: public perception and siting policy.- Designing technological hazard information programs: towards a model of risk-adaptive decision making.- Decision making in technological emergencies.- Social decision making on technological projects: review of key issues and a recommended procedure.- Author index.- Appendix: Authors' Addresses.

Making Tough Decisions: Tactics for Improving Managerial Decision Making

Abstract: The article reviews the book “Tough Decisions: Tactics for Improving Managerial Decision Making,” by Paul C. Nutt.

Comprehensiveness and restrictiveness in group decision heuristics: effects of computer support on consensus decision making

Abstract: The application of heuristic devices has been proposed as one approach to improving consensus decision making. The heuristics are intended to provide problem structuring and, more broadly, to improve the process of interpersonal collaboration in work settings. This study drew from research on group decision making (e.g., Shaw 1971; Poole 1983), problem structuring (e.g., Abualsamh, Carlin and McDaniel in press; Cats-Baril and Huber 1987), computer-mediated communication (e.g., Kiesler, Siegel and McGuire 1987), and technology adoption (e.g., Poole and DeSanctis 1989) to compare alternative approaches to delivery of decision heuristics for a task requiring resolution of competing values and preferences. Based on the arguments of adaptive structuration theory and social judgment theory, we hypothesized that the addition of a general heuristic to a specific, computer-based heuristic would improve group consensus; that is, the greater the comprehensiveness of the heuristic, the greater the gain in consensus. We further anticipated that combining general and specific heuristics in an integrated, interactive form would bring additional gains in group consensus. Greater restrictiveness in how the groups could execute the heuristic devices was also expected to improve group consensus, especially in cases where the specific heuristic was not coupled with the general heuristic. The results supported some of these predictions. By comparing heuristics in terms of their comprehensiveness and restrictiveness, we developed some understanding of how decision heuristics might be implemented within a computer-supported meeting environment.

An interactive decision support system (IDSS) for multicriteria decision aid

Abstract: In the last 15 years, an increasing number of methods have been developed in multiobjective programming and multicriteria analyses. The interactive decision support system is meant to provide assistance in selecting the most appropriate methods, given any particular decision problem. In the first part of the paper, the main features of the methods and problems are listed, so as to allow comparisons and to develop rules for a selection procedure. In the second part, these rules are applied to a set of popular methods, ending up with an interactive decision tree.

Stakeholder identification and assumption surfacing in small groups: an experimental study

Abstract: The authors investigated the impact of a GDSS (group decision support systems) based on the stakeholder identification and assumption surfacing model for strategic planning impact analysis. A controlled laboratory experiment was used to compare the results of four-person groups which had GDSS support, comparable manual support, and no support. Measures were taken on decision outcomes (quality, time and satisfaction with the outcomes) and decision process variables (quantity of unique alternatives, distribution of individual participation, and satisfaction with the process). Observational data was recorded through the use of videotape of the sessions. Results of the experiment are presented. >

SCDAS — Decision support system for group decision making: Decision theoretic framework

Abstract: This paper presents the methodological framework for the Group Decision Support System named SCDAS. The system supports a group of decision makers working together on selecting the best alternative from a given, finite set of alternatives. The framework utilizes aspiration-led and quasisatisficing paradigms for eliciting user's preference, and the achievement function for ranking alternatives. Possible implementation of the system within the framework of a computerized teleconferencing system is discussed. Also, previous experience in applying the SCDAS system is presented.

Principles in judgment/decision making research pertinent to legal proceedings

Abstract: Principles in the judgment/decision making literature relevant to the legal community are reviewed. These principles are divided into four areas: the decision process itself, communicating a judgment to others, evaluating a decision, and possible ways of “debiasing.” Several influences on the decision process are enumerated, among them being insufficient consideration of base rates, selective memory for relevant material, the framing of the decision in either the domain of losses or the domain of gains, and consideration of the “cues to causation.” Particular attention is paid to suboptimal consideration of covariation information. In communicating the decision to others the two most prominent findings are overconfidence in expressing one's decision and the inability to describe accurately the bases of one's decision. Evaluating a decision is plagued by two biases. The first is the hindsight bias. After an event has occurred we tend to exaggerate how easily we could have predicted the event beforehand. The second is the outcome bias. We tend to base our evaluation of the decision upon the evaluation of the outcome. Among the debiasing techniques mentioned are the admonition to “consider the opposite” of the preferred option, the reduction of reliance on memory, and the use of decision aids.

Child Study Team Decision Making in Special Education: Improving the Process

Abstract: Child study teams (CSTs) are involved in making decisions about many aspects of the delivery of special services to handicapped students. However, a number of factors inhibit the decision-making process within CSTs. These factors have their origins in the implementation of the team process at the local education agency (LEA) level, the preparation of CST members to participate in team decision making, and in the difficulties encountered in communicating discipline-specific information. To overcome the factors inhibiting effective team decision making, a rationale is established for the development of pandisciplinary tools to assist in interpersonal communication, group decision making, and assessment. Specific examples of such tools are presented, and their relationships to current practices are discussed.

Using students as subjects in experiments on decision support systems

Abstract: An examination is made of the decision-making of managers and undergraduate business students for the production scheduling problem, using decision support systems (DSS). The experiment described found significant differences between undergraduate students and managers in costs, the effectiveness of their decision heuristics, and in level of erratic decision-making. These differences occurred in both the learning phase and the stable decision-making phase. It appears that in DSS research using tasks such as production scheduling, undergraduate students with little business experience differ from managers. >

Clinical Decision Making in Physical Therapy: A Practitioner's Perspective

Abstract: The purposes of this presentation are to describe and categorize the diverse clinical decisions currently made by physical therapists and to discuss the factors influencing those decisions. My views on the subject of clinical decision making are deeply rooted in the soils and toils of clinical practice and are not influenced by the mathematical and statistical models of decision making (eg, medical decision analysis). I have spent almost every day of my 38 years of professional life involved in direct care of patients. This experience has allowed me to participate in and be a witness to the expanding role of the physical therapist in clinical decision making. The expansion of practice into more independent modes presents numerous challenges. A substantial challenge, for example, will be to successfully educate current and future generations of practitioners in the methods and intricacies of clinical decision making.…

Decision Representation Language (DRL) and Its Support Environment

Abstract: In this report, I describe a language, called Decision Representation Language (DRL), for representing the qualitative aspects of decision making processes such as the alternatives being evaluated, goals to satisfy, and the arguments evaluating the alternatives. Once a decision process is represented in this language, the system can provide a set of services that support people making the decision. These services, together with the interface such as the object editor and the different presentation formats, form the support environment for using the language. I describe the services that have been so far identified to be useful - the managements of dependency, plausibility, viewpoints, and precedents. I also discuss how this work on DRL is related to other studies on decision making.

The Impact of Decision Support Systems on the Effectiveness of Small Group Decisions - An Exploratory Study

Abstract: This paper presents the results of an empirical investigation of the impact of Decision Support Systems on small group decision effectiveness. The study is conducted in the context of the Business Management Laboratory. Wolfe’s Business Management Laboratory Decision Support System (BMLDSS) was utilized to aid decision making by all treatment groups. Results indicate use of the BMLDSS did not lead to significantly superior performance as measured by financial performance variables. Further, no significant increase in satisfaction with or confidence in the decision making process could be attributed to the use of the BMLDSS.

Experience with and future challenges in GDSS (group decision support systems): Preface

Abstract: The issue provides a state-of-the-art description of GDSS research. The papers represent recent advances in systems architecture, laboratory experiments and field studies in GDSS. Insights that have emerged over the past 10 years are described along with the grand challenges motivating the research. The fundamental principles and self-evident truths (the ones we can't prove but we observe to be true) that govern group support systems are discussed. The papers as a group explore the lessons learned and the insights gained from building GDSS systems, experimenting with them and observing their use. Research concerning GDSS is entering its second decade. In its broadest context, group decision support has been around for a long time. We are merely attempting to improve that process. Specially designed meeting rooms for decision making have a history as old as mankind. The Greeks and Romans had special purpose facilities for planning and decision making. Decisions are produced in special meeting rooms in the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States and in other social institutions. Winston Churchill had a special decision room in London to chart progress and to plan strategy during World War II. Even though the concept of decision support is well known, I find that I must constantly remind people that GDSS are support systems, not decision making systems. Decision support by computers is very difficult and, despite their problems and hmitations, human beings still far outperform computers in accomplishing many unstructured tasks. However, GDSS are being used to support activities such as collaborative writing and drawing, communication, deliberation, negotiation, evaluating alternatives, planning, consensus building and even decision making. The GDSS approach provides a new way for people to work together and to communicate. The coming generations of GDSS will offer functionality whose impact can only be imagined. I tend to think of GDSS in terms of the expanded functionality we will define in terms of Electronic Meeting Support. Webster 's defines a meeting as, " an act or process of coming together." The definition does not imply that only one type of task is performed in a meeting (e.g. decision-making), nor does it imply that the people participating in the meeting must come together in a central location at a specific time. It says only that they come together. Since the definition of a meeting is so broad, it makes sense to use a term that matches the definition to designate the information technology systems that support meetings. The term we propose is electronic meeting systems (EMS). Electronic Meeting System 1 is: An information technology (IT)-based environment that supports group meetings, which may be distributed geographically and temporally. The IT environment includes, but is not limited to, distributed facilities, computer hardware and software, audio and video technology, procedures, methodologies, facilitation, and applicable group data. Group tasks include, but are not limited to, communication, planning, idea generation, problem solving,

Group decision support with MOLP applications

Abstract: Describes a group decision support system (GDSS) for a situation in which there are two groups of participants: a professional staff and the decision-makers (DMs). Through the participants' reciprocation and complementation, a three-step decision process utilizing a general multiple-objective linear programming (MOLP) model is designed. The three-steps are the generation of alternatives, the group-decision operation, and the evaluation of the final results. The GDSS is evaluated with respect to four criteria: complete information, full participation, equity principle, and economic decision time. On the basis of these criteria, the system has shown its potential to improve the quality of decision-making and to shorten the time required for the process. >

The role of patient history in a decision support system

Abstract: The management of the temporal information contained in patient histories is investigated. The problems connected with the use of patient histories in both information systems and decision support systems are taken into account. An adequate formalization based on time intervals is suggested in order to capture both precise and imprecise information. An example of the use of patient history in the context of the management of cardiac arrhythmias is described. The information system under development is based on the ORACLE relational database management system, while the decision support system uses the knowledge engineering tool ART-Inference (Automated Reasoning Tool). >

Group decision support system: development and application

Abstract: A computerized group decision support system has been developed to collect and reduce data representing group members' individual evaluations of options available for action. The system uses barcode voting sheets or individual keypads for data input, and it outputs its results to a standard spreadsheet program, for creation of histograms, or to a word processing program, for real-time report writing. Extensive use of the system has shown that it saves time and money, and that the quality of decisions reached by the group is much improved. The system also fosters total participation and, ultimately, 'buy-in' to the programs which result from the decision-making process. >

Cognitive factors influencing decision making in a highly reliable organization

Abstract: The functioning of highly reliable organizations depends on an understand ing of the decision making process, particularly in terms of the cognitive biases and shortcuts that affect decision makers. Although decision makers' choices are usually satisfactory in highly reliable organizations, flawed decision making in such organizations can lead to catastrophe. We illustrate some cognitive biases and their potential for creating error by references to decision situations in one highly reliable organization, an aircraft carrier. We then show how the Navy often avoids errors successfully, and suggest improvements at the inter face of the organization and the decision maker.

Decision analysis: a framework for critical care decision assistance.

Abstract: Over the next five years, computer-based systems will replace the paper chart in many critical care units [1]. Powerful, easy-to-use bedside workstations will acquire, store, and display a comprehensive set of patient data, including the patient’s history and physical exam, physiological variables, laboratory results, and radiographic images. Using such a system, the clinician will have vastly better access to facts about his or her patients than he now has, using the existing manual charting methods. However, having ready access to facts leaves the clinician with the difficult task of choosing what to do. It is natural to expect that the computer should provide assistance here, as well. Reed Gardner [2], President of Computers in Critical Care and Pulmonary Medicine has said: “The ultimate goal of a medical computer system is, after all, to assist physicians in making medical decisions.”

Methodology and Software for Interactive Decision Support

Abstract: These Proceedings report the scientific results of an International Workshop on "Methodology and Software for Interactive Decision Support" organized jointly by the System and Decision Sciences Program of IIASA and The National Committee for Applied Systems Analysis and Management in Bulgaria. Several other Bulgarian institutions sponsored the workshop -- The Committee for Science to the Council of Ministers, The State Committee for Research and Technology and The Bulgarian Industrial Association. The workshop was held in Albena, on the Black Sea Coast. In the first section, "Theory and Algorithms for Multiple Criteria Optimization," new theoretical developments in multiple criteria optimization are presented. In the second section, "Theory, Methodology and Software for Decision Support Systems," the principles of building decision support systems are presented as well as software tools constituting the building components of such systems. Moreover, several papers are devoted to the general methodology of building such systems or present experimental design of systems supporting certain class of decision problems. The third section addresses issues of "Applications of Decision Support Systems and Computer Implementations of Decision Support Systems." Another part of this section has a special character. Beside theoretical and methodological papers, several practical implementations of software for decision support have been presented during the workshop. These software packages varied from very experimental and illustrative implementations of some theoretical concept to well developed and documented systems being currently commercially distributed and used for solving practical problems.

Value Oriented Social Decision Analysis: A Communication Tool for Public Decision Making on Technological Projects

Abstract: Many public policy problems at all levels — national, regional, state, and local — involve issues that can not easily be reduced to simple either-or propositions. That is, the problem involves diverse constituencies and interest groups who can not be grouped into two sides so that trade-offs can be made and a resolution reached through the typical political process (in the United States). For example, at the local level such an issue would involve extending the runways of the local airport, building a shopping center in a suburban area, or combining the fire and police departments into one organization. In such situations, the usual political alignments do not apply, as Republican and Democratic council-persons will align themselves on both sides of the issue because typical party loyalties among the citizens do not yield predictable stands on the issue.