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BUSINESS DECISIONS

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001

An Overview to Business Decisions.....

Essential Courses of Business Decisions Making for Upper Management Executives

Please note that these selection of chapters are selected from books already on the site but under the specific subjects ( Strategy, Management, Information Technology.....)

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[A]    Strategic Management

[1] Strategic Management, 3/e,

Gregory G. Dess, University of Texas at Dallas, G. T. Lumpkin, University of Illinois—Chicago,  Alan B. Eisner, Pace University ISBN: 0073124575
Copyright year: 2007  Sample Chapter 2 (852.0K)    Analyzing the External Environment of the Firm  Our Server     Student PowerPoint   Our Server  Chapter 1 Strategic Management: Creating Competitive Advantages  Student PowerPoint   Our Server   Chapter 3 Assessing the Internal Environment of the Firm  Student PowerPoint    Our Server  Chapter 4
Recognizing a Firm’s Intellectual Assets: Moving beyond a Firm’s Tangible Resources 
Student PowerPoint    Our Server   Chapter 5
Business-Level Strategy: Creating and Sustaining Competitive Advantages 
Student PowerPoint      Our Server  Chapter 6
Corporate-Level Strategy: Creating Value through Diversification 
Student PowerPoint    Our Server

[2] Crafting and Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage: Concepts and Cases, 15/e  

Arthur A Thompson Jr., University of Alabama, A. J. Strickland III, University of Alabama, John Gamble, University of Southern Alabama Mobile
ISBN: 0072969431 Copyright year: 2007  Sample Chapter (291.0K)     What Is Strategy and Why Is It Important?      Our Server    PowerPoint Presentation   Our Server  Chapters 2 The Managerial Process of Crafting and Executing Strategy   PowerPoint Presentation  Our Server  Chapters 3
Evaluating a Company’s External Environment 
PowerPoint Presentations
Our Server   Chapters 4 Evaluating a Company’s Resources and Competitive Position PowerPoint Presentation   Our Server  Chapters 5  Five Generic Competitive Strategies--Which One to Employ?  PowerPoint Presentation    Our Server  Chapters 6 Supplementing the Chosen Strategy: Other Important Strategy Choices  PowerPoint Presentation
Our Server  Chapters 11  Building an Organization Capable of Good Strategy Execution  PowerPoint Presentation  Our Server   Chapters 12   Managing Internal Operations: Actions That Promote Better Strategy Execution  PowerPoint Presentation  Our Server   Chapters 13  Corporate Culture and Leadership: Keys to Good Strategy Execution   PowerPoint Presentation  Our Server

[3] Modern Competitive Strategy, 2/e 

Gordon Walker, Southern Methodist University, ISBN: 0073102849
Copyright year: 2007  Chapter 02 (221.0K)    Competitive Advantage    Our Server

[4] On Competition


[5] Strategy: Winning in the Marketplace: Core Concepts, Analytical Tools, Cases, 2/e

Arthur A. Thompson Jr., University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa,  John E. Gamble, University of South Alabama,  A. J. Strickland III, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, ISBN: 0072989904
Copyright year: 2006  here (2976.0K)    Our Server    Analyzing a Company's External Environment  Financial Ratios.pdf (157.0K)         Our Server


[6] BSC

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[B]   Database & I. Technology

 

[1] Database Design, Application, Development & Administration, 3/e

Michael V. Mannino, University of Colorado - Denver ISBN: 0072942207
Copyright year: 2007  Sample Chapter 1 (713.0K)       Introduction to Database Management     Our Server    Glossary   Our Server   PowerPoint Presentations   Our Server 


Chapter 2 Introduction to Database Development
  
PowerPoint Presentations   Our Server   Chapter 16  Data Warehouse Technology and Management   PowerPoint Presentations   Our Server 


[2] Decision Support Systems & Intelligent Systems, Efraim Turban, University of Hawaii, Jay E. Aronson, University of Georgia
Ting-Peng Liang, Chinese University of Hong Kong
© 2005 / 0-13-046106-7 / Prentice Hall Chapter 1: Management Support Systems: An Overview   PowerPoint Presentation   Our Server     Chapter 2: Decision Making, Systems, Modeling, and Support   PowerPoint Presentation    Our Server   Chapter 3: Decision Support Systems: An Overview    PowerPoint Presentation    Our Server   Chapter 5: Business Intelligence: Data Warehousing, Data Acquisition, Data Mining, Business Analytics, and Visualization   PowerPoint Presentation    Our Server   Chapter 6: Decision Support System Development   PowerPoint Presentation     Our Server    Chapter 8: Enterprise Information Systems  PowerPoint Presentation      Our Server


[3] Essentials of Management Information Systems (activebook) (Laudon, Laudon).Chapter 6: Managing Hardware and Software Assets

Computer hardware,  provides the underlying physical foundation for the firm's IT infrastructure. Other infrastructure components—software, data, and networks—require computer hardware for their storage or operation.

Although Rogers Communications provides leading-edge technology services, its own internal operations and business processes were hampered by outdated technology. The company found it could improve the performance of its human resources function by using the right hardware and software. In order to select the technology it needed, Rogers had to understand the capabilities of computer hardware and software technology, how to select hardware and software to meet its specific business requirements, and the financial and business rationale for its hardware and software investments. The workforce management software Rogers selected transformed a jumble of tangled paperwork into manageable information and became an important technology asset. Computer hardware and software technology can improve organizational performance, but they raise the management challenges.  Glossary - glossary.html   PowerPoint Slides: All Chapters - Laudon5PPTs.zip        Our Server


[4] CRM


[5] I. Technology

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[C]      Corporate Finance

[1] Corporate Finance, 8/e,  and Other books of same authors

Stephen A. Ross, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Randolph W. Westerfield, University of Southern California, Jeffrey Jaffe, University of Pennsylvania, ISBN: 0073105902 Copyright year: 2008  Sample_Chapter_01 (285.0K)   Introduction to Corporate Finance   Our Server Sample_Chapter_02 (392.0K)     Financial Statements and Cash Flow           Our Server   Sample_Chapter_03 (279.0K)   Financial Statements Analysis, Planning, and Growth    Our Server   Sample Chapter 3 (309.0K)     Accounting and Finance   Our Server

Fundamentals Corporate Finance 3,e Whole Book on our Server   Our Server


[2] ABM & ABC

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[D]      Management

 

[1] Core Concepts of Management
John R. Schermerhorn, Jr., Ohio Univ. ISBN: 0-471-23055-3 ©2004   Download all files in ZIP Format. (3.15MB)     Our Server  Chapter 5: Planning -- To Set Direction
Chapter 6: Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship
Chapter 7: Controlling -- To Ensure Results
Chapter 8: Organizing -- To Create Structures 


[2] Exploring Management
John R. Schermerhorn, Jr., Ohio University  ISBN: 0-471-73460-8 ©2007    Module 9: Managers as Decision Makers: Decide, then act     Our Server
Module 10: Plans and Planning Techniques: Goals and objectives get you there faster     Our Server
Module 11: Controls and Control Systems: What gets measured happens  Our Server
Module 12: Strategic Management: Insights and hard work deliver results  Our Server
Module 13: Organizational Structures: Its all about working together  Our Server


[3] Management 8th Edition Update: Personal Management Edition packaged with Workbook John R. Schermerhorn, Jr., Ohio University  ISBN: 0-471-76850-2©2006   Chapter 7: Information and Decision Making      Our Server
Chapter 8: Planning and Controlling                      Our Server
Chapter 9: Strategic Management                         Our Server
Chapter 10: Organizing                                  Our Server 
Chapter 11: Organizational Design and Processes     Our Server
Chapter 12: Human Resource Management           Our Server


[4] Contemporary Management, 4/e

Gareth R. Jones, Texas A & M University -- College Station Jennifer M. George, Rice University, ISBN: 0072860820 Copyright year: 2006  Chapter 7
The Manager as a Decision Maker 
Chapter Objectives, Chapter Outline, PowerPoint Presentations   Our Server

[5] Management: The New Competitive Landscape, 6/e 

Thomas S. Bateman, University of Virginia,Scott A. Snell, Cornell University
ISBN: 0072538651, Copyright year: 2004 Chapter 3 Managerial Decision Making  Chapter 3 Study Map (10160.0K)   Our Server  Chapter 4 Planning and Strategic Management Chapter 4 Study Map (12921.0K)   Our Server

[6] Management: A Practical Introduction, 2/e  

Angelo Kinicki, Arizona State University---Tempe Brian K. Williams
ISBN: 0072920378 Copyright year: 2006    Chapter 6 Strategic Management: How Star Managers Realize a Grand Design Chapter Summary      Student PowerPoint Presentation     OurServer      Chapter 7 Sample Chapter (505.0K)   Individual & Group Decision Making: How Managers Make Things Happen     Our Server    Student PowerPoint Presentation       Our Server 

In this chapter the authors describe decision making and types of decisions, and describe the range of decision-making conditions. Next they distinguish between rational and nonrational decision making, and describe five nonrational models. Then, they consider four steps in practical decision making. And follow with a discussion of group decision making, including participative management and group problem-solving techniques.
They conclude by considering how individuals respond to decision situations and four common decision-making biases. 

7.1 The Nature of Decision Making

■ A decision is a choice made from among available alternatives. Decision making is the process of identifying and choosing alternative courses of action.
■ Decisions are of two types: programmed and nonprogrammed.
Programmed decisions are repetitive and routine. They tend to follow established rules and so are virtually automatic. Nonprogrammed decisions are those that occur under nonroutine, unfamiliar circumstances. Because they occur in response to
unusual, unpredictable opportunities and threats, nonprogrammed decisions are relatively unstructured.
■ A decision-making style reflects the combination of how an individual perceives and responds to information. Decision-making styles may tend to have a value
orientation, which reflects the extent to which a person focuses on either task or technical concerns versus people and social concerns when making decisions.
Decision-making styles may also reflect a person’s tolerance for ambiguity, the extent to which a person has a high or low need for structure or control in his or her life. When the dimensions of value orientation and tolerance for ambiguity are combined, they form four styles of decision making: directive, analytical,
conceptual, and behavioral.

7.2 Two Kinds of Decision Making: Rational & Nonrational

■ Two models managers follow in making decisions are rational and nonrational.
■ In the rational model, there are four steps in making a decision: Stage 1 is identifying the problem or opportunity. A problem is a difficulty that inhibits the
achievement of goals. An opportunity is a situation that presents possibilities for exceeding existing goals. This is a matter of diagnosis—analyzing the underlying causes. Stage 2 is thinking up alternative solutions. For programmed decisions, alternatives will be easy and obvious. For nonprogrammed decisions, the more creative and innovative the alternatives, the better. Stage 3 is evaluating the alternatives and selecting a solution. Alternatives should be evaluated according to cost, quality, ethics, feasibility, and effectiveness. Stage 4 is implementing and evaluating the solution chosen.
■ The rational model of decision making assumes managers will make logical decisions that will be the optimum in furthering the organization’s best interests.
The rational model is prescriptive, describing how managers ought to make decisions. It assumes that managers have complete information and there is no
uncertainty, that they can do unemotional analysis, and that they are coolly capable of making the best decision for the organization. Nonrational models of decision making assume that decision making is nearly always uncertain and risky, making it difficult for managers to make optimum decisions. Two nonrational models are satisficing and incremental. (1) Satisficing falls under the concept of bounded rationality—that is, that the ability of decision makers to be rational is limited by enormous constraints, such as time and money. These constraints force managers to make decisions according to the satisficing model—that is, managers seek alternatives until they find one that is satisfactory, not optimal. (2) In the incremental model, managers take small, short-term steps to alleviate a problem rather
than steps that will accomplish a long-term solution.
 

7.3 Making Ethical Decisions

■ Corporate corruption has made ethics in decision making once again important.
Many companies have an ethics officer to resolve ethical dilemmas, and more companies are creating values statements to guide employees as to desirable business behavior.
■ To help make ethical decisions, a decision tree—a graph of decisions and their possible consequences— may be helpful. Managers should ask whether a proposed action is legal and, if it is intended to maximize shareholder value, whether it is ethical—and whether it would be ethical not to take the proposed action.
■ A goal for managers should be to rely on moral principles so that their decisions are principled, appropriate, and defensible, in accordance with “the magnificent
seven” general moral principles for managers.

7.4 Group Decision Making: How to Work with Others

■ Groups make better decisions than most individuals acting alone, though not as good as the best individual acting alone.
■ Using a group to make a decision offers five possible advantages: (1) a greater pool of knowledge; (2) different perspectives; (3) intellectual stimulation; (4) better understanding of the reasoning behind the decision; and (5) deeper commitment to the decision. It also has four disadvantages: (1) a few people may dominate or intimidate; (2) it will produce groupthink, when group members strive for agreement
among themselves for the sake of unanimity and so avoid accurately assessing the decision situation; (3) satisficing; and (4) goal displacement, when the primary goal is subsumed to a secondary goal.
■ Some characteristics of groups to be aware of are (1) groups are less efficient, (2) their size affects decision quality, (3) they may be too confident, and (4) knowledge counts—decision-making accuracy is higher when group members know a lot about the issues.

■ Participative management (PM) is the process of involving employees in setting goals, making decisions, solving problems, and making changes in the organization. PM can increase employee job involvement, organizational commitment, and creativity and can lower role conflict and ambiguity.
■ Using groups to make decisions generally requires that they reach a consensus, which occurs when members are able to express their opinions and reach
agreement to support the final decision.
■ Three group problem-solving techniques aid in problem solving. (1) In interacting groups, members interact and deliberate with one another to reach a consensus.
(2) In nominal groups, members generate ideas and evaluate solutions by writing down as many ideas as possible; the ideas are then listed on a blackboard, then discussed, then voted on. (3) In Delphi groups, physically dispersed experts fill out questionnaires to anonymously generate ideas; the judgments are combined
and in effect averaged to achieve consensus of expert opinion. These three groups may be assisted by computer-aided decision making, using either chauffeur-
driven systems, which ask participants to answer predetermined questions on electronic keypads or dials, or group-driven systems, in which participants in
a room express their ideas anonymously on a computer network.

7.5 How to Overcome Barriers to Decision Making

■ When confronted with a challenge in the form of a problem or an opportunity, individuals may respond in perhaps four ineffective ways and three effective ones.
■ The ineffective reactions are as follows: (1) In relaxed avoidance, a manager decides to take no action in the belief that there will be no great negative consequences. (2) In relaxed change, a manager realizes that complete inaction will have negative consequences but opts for the first available alternative that involves low risk. (3) In defensive avoidance, a manager can’t find a good solution and follows by procrastinating, passing the buck, or denying the risk of any negative consequences. (4) In panic, a manager is so frantic to get rid of the problem that he or she can’t deal with the situation realistically.
■ The effective reactions consist of deciding to decide—that is, a manager agrees that he or she must decide what to do about a problem or opportunity and take effective decision-making steps. Three ways to help a manager decide whether to decide are to evaluate (1) importance—how high priority the situation is; (2) credibility—how believable the information about the situation is; and (3) urgency—how quickly the manager must act on the information about the situation.

Learning Portfolio

■ Heuristics are rules of thumb or strategies that simplify the process of making decisions. Some heuristics or barriers that tend to bias how decision makers
process information are availability, representativeness, anchoring and adjustment, and escalation of commitment. (1) The availability bias means that managers use information readily available from memory to make judgments. (2) The representativeness bias is the tendency to generalize from a small sample or a single event. (3) The anchoring and adjustment bias is the tendency to make decisions based on an initial figure or number. (4) The escalation of commitment bias describes when decision makers increase their commitment to a project despite negative information about it. An example is the prospect theory, which suggests that decision makers find the notion of an actual loss more painful than giving up the possibility of a gain.

 

 

 

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002

Your Reading Corner......

From Harvard Business School

Working Knowledge

Leadership & Management

There are 128 articles in this topic.

All Leadership & Management Articles (128)
Character & Values (19) Negotiations (24)
Communication (25) Power & Influence (21)
Decision Making & Problem Solving (32) General Leadership (15)
Motivation (28)

 


What You Don't Know About Making Decisions

Research & Ideas - October 15, 2001

Unfortunately, superior decision making is distressingly difficult to assess in real time. Successful outcomes—decisions of high quality, made in a timely manner and implemented effectively—can be evaluated only after the fact. But by the time the results are in, it's normally too late to take corrective action. Is there any way to find out earlier whether you're on the right track?

There is indeed. The trick, we believe, is to periodically assess the decision-making process, even as it is under way. Scholars now have considerable evidence showing that a small set of process traits is closely linked with superior outcomes. While they are no guarantee of success, their combined presence sharply improves the odds that you'll make a good decision. More Working Knowledge from David Garvin More Working Knowledge from Michael Roberto
HBS Faculty Member David Garvin

David Garvin is the C. Roland Christensen Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School.

HBS Faculty Member Michael Roberto

 

Michael A. Roberto


Four Questions for David Garvin and Michael Roberto
Q&A with David Garvin
Research & Ideas - October 15, 2001 More Working Knowledge from David Garvin More Working Knowledge from Michael Roberto

Disruption: The Art of Framing
Research & Ideas - June 10, 2002
 

Editor's Note: When we perceive a competitor's groundbreaking innovation as a threat, we may act defensively and hastily. But if we see that same event as an opportunity, our response might be more deliberate and unhurried. As a leader, how you frame that challenge inside your organization controls how resources are allocated to respond. The dilemma: Create a response that is neither overreaction (threat) nor insufficient (opportunity).

In this excerpt from their Harvard Business Review article, Harvard Business School professors Clark Gilbert and Joseph L. Bower say that the leader must frame the competitor's action as both a threat and an opportunity. Here are organizational and process changes that can help meet the challenge. More Working Knowledge from Joseph Bower. More Working Knowledge from Clark Gilbert

HBS Faculty Member Joseph Bower

Joseph Bower is the Donald K. David Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School.

HBS Faculty Member Clark Gilbert

Clark Gilbert


Reinventing the Industrial Giant
Research & Ideas - June 10, 2002
 

It's not easy to transform a trusty but ailing old stalwart. In an excerpt from their book, Changing Fortunes: Remaking the Industrial Corporation, HBS professor Nitin Nohria and co-authors Davis Dyer and Frederick Dalzell discuss how General Motors and Kodak are attempting precisely that. More Working Knowledge from Nitin Nohria

HBS Faculty Member Nitin Nohria  Nitin Nohria is the Richard P. Chapman Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School.


 

On May 10, 1996, five mountaineers from two teams perished while climbing Mount Everest. Is there anything business leaders can learn from the tragedy? HBS professor Michael A. Roberto used the tools of management to find out. Plus: Q&A with Michael Roberto. More Working Knowledge from Michael Roberto

HBS Faculty Member James Heskett  James Heskett is a Baker Foundation Professor at Harvard Business School.


Your Crisis Response Plan: The Ten Effective Elements
Research & Ideas - September 30, 2002
Shooter on site. Epidemic. Major power outage. Is your organization prepared to deal with crisis? HBS professor Michael Watkins explains what you need to know, and offers a checklist to evaluate your preparedness. More Working Knowledge from Michael Watkins

HBS Faculty Member Michael Watkins


Sometimes a seemingly harmless corporate decision such as a budget trim can lead to big problems elsewhere. HBS professor W. Earl Sasser tells what happens when budget constraints and customers collide. More Working Knowledge from W. Earl Sasser

HBS Faculty Member W. Earl Sasser  W. Earl Sasser is the UPS Foundation Professor of Service Management at Harvard Business School.


Can Business Schools Teach the Craft of Getting Things Done?
What Do YOU Think? - February 3, 2003
No one doubts business schools are expert at teaching management theory. But what about teaching real-world basics? In short, can students be taught execution? More Working Knowledge from James Heskett
Three Steps for Crisis Prevention
Research & Ideas - April 7, 2003
Can you predict a business disaster? In this Harvard Business Review excerpt, professors Michael D. Watkins and Max H. Bazerman outline the keys for disaster prevention: recognition, prioritization, and mobilization. More Working Knowledge from Michael Watkins. More Working Knowledge from Max Bazerman

HBS Faculty Member Max Bazerman  Max Bazerman is the Jesse Isidor Straus Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School.


Stuck in Gear: Why Managers Don't Act
Research & Ideas - June 2, 2003
Most top executives are smart and far sighted, so why can't they change gears fast enough to meet change? Professor Donald N. Sull provides answers in a new book. More Working Knowledge from Donald Sull

HBS Faculty Member Donald Sull


What Can Aspiring Leaders Be Taught?
What Do YOU Think? - June 2, 2003
Let’s say you are left in charge of an MBA program. How would you and your students sort through the tensions in corporate life vis-à-vis society, employees, and investors? How would you build those learnings into your program and make them stick? More Working Knowledge from James Heskett

The New Global Business Manager
Q&A with Christopher Bartlett
Research & Ideas - December 15, 2003
What are the critical skills global managers need today compared to ten years ago? An interview with Harvard Business School professor Christopher A. Bartlett. More Working Knowledge from Christopher Bartlett

HBS Faculty Member Christopher Bartlett  Christopher Bartlett is the Thomas D. Casserly, Jr. Professor of Business Administration, Emeritus, at Harvard Business School.


People make decisions every day by weighing their own opinions with advice from other sources. But do we know whether people use advice in a way that is helpful to them? In two experiments performed under controlled, laboratory conditions, Gino found that all else being equal, people weigh advice differently according to the amount of money they pay for it. Also, the cost of advice affects the degree to which people use it. Key concepts include:
  • Decision makers may rely on costly advice more heavily than free advice.
  • The cost of advice did not affect the value gained by following the advice.
  • Cost-of-advice research results might interest the consulting and medical professions.
  • We need to better understand decision makers' sensitivity to the cost they pay to gain advice.

HBS Faculty Member Francesca Gino


Planning for Surprises
Q&A with Max Bazerman
Research & Ideas - October 25, 2004
A company doesn't need a crystal ball to see impending disasters. Harvard Business School professor Max H. Bazerman and INSEAD professor Michael D. Watkins explain how to foresee and avoid predictable surprises. More Working Knowledge from Max Bazerman

If You Blink, Will You Miss?
What Do YOU Think? - February 7, 2005
Malcolm Gladwell's popular new book is about the power of snap judgements and the ways in which people develop the ability to make them. Can—and should—people make typical business decisions in the blink of an eye? More Working Knowledge from James Heskett
 

Don't Listen to "Yes"
Q&A with Michael Roberto
Research & Ideas - June 6, 2005
It's essential for leaders to spark conflict in their organizations, as long as it is constructive. A Q&A with Professor Michael Roberto, author of the new book Why Great Leaders Don't Take Yes for an AnswerMore Working Knowledge from Michael Roberto

Business leadership is at the core of Asian economic development, says HBS professor D. Quinn Mills. As he explained recently in Kuala Lumpur, the American and Asian leadership styles, while very different, also share important similarities. More Working Knowledge from D. Quinn Mills

HBS Faculty Member D. Quinn Mills  D. Quinn Mills is the Alfred J. Weatherhead Jr. Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School.


 
Balancing the Future Against Today's Needs
Research & Ideas - August 22, 2005
It's hard to dream five years out when your organization is doing all it can to take care of the here and now. This article from Harvard Management Update offers a new lens for positioning growth efforts within your company while staying focused on your core strengths today. More Working Knowledge from Michael Tushman

  Michael Tushman is the Paul R. Lawrence Class of 1942 Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School.


We make most of our choices by weighing other people's advice counter to our own opinions. People generally underweight advice from others, though the practice is not universal. In two studies, it is determined that people overweight advice on difficult tasks but underweight it on the easy ones. Key concepts include:
  • Understand built-in biases when weighing advice, especially on difficult tasks. Don't automatically give more credence to the opinions of advisers or consultants over your own experience.

More Working Knowledge from Francesca Gino


The Truck Driver Who Reinvented Shipping
Research & Ideas - October 3, 2005
Malcolm P. McLean (1914-2001) hit on an idea to dramatically reduce labor and dock servicing time. An excerpt from In Their Time: The Greatest Business Leaders of the Twentieth Century by Harvard Business School's Anthony J. Mayo and Nitin Nohria. More Working Knowledge from Nitin Nohria

Looking Behind Bad Decisions
Q&A with Max Bazerman
Research & Ideas - January 30, 2006
In a recent HBS Working Paper, HBS professor Max Bazerman and colleagues explore how biases and human psychology impede policy-making efforts that could vastly improve people's lives. More Working Knowledge from Max Bazerman

Why CEOs Are Not Plug-and-Play

Company-specific skills may be valuable in a new job under the right conditions, say Harvard Business School's Boris Groysberg, Andrew N. McLean, and Nitin Nohria. They studied GE; here's an excerpt from Harvard Business Review.


When Not to Trust Your Gut

Most of us trust our intuition more than we should, especially when the pressure is on in negotiations. Professors Max Bazerman and Deepak Malhotra on negotiating more rationally. From Negotiation.  More Working Knowledge from Deepak Malhotra


 


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003

The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

Management Department
Daniel A. Levinthal, Chairperson
2000 Steinberg Hall-Dietrich Hall

Professors
Amit, Raphael (Raffi)
Cappelli, Peter
Gerrity, Thomas P.
Guillén, Mauro
Hamilton, William F.
House, Robert
Kimberly, John R.
Klein, Katherine
Kobrin, Stephen J.
Levinthal, Daniel A.
MacMillan, Ian C.
Meyer, Marshall W.
Pennings, Johannes M.
Singh, Harbir
Singh, Jitendra V.
Useem, Michael
Weigelt, Keith
Winter, Sidney G.
Associate Professors
Barsade, Sigal
Henisz, Witold
Hrebiniak, Lawrence G.
MacDuffie, John Paul
O'Sullivan, Mary A.
Raff, Daniel
Rosenkopf, Lori
Siggelkow, Nicolaj
Thomas, Louis A.
Yakubovich, Valery
Assistant Professors
Benner, Mary J.
Berry, Heather
Campbell, Benjamin
Chaudhuri, Saikat
Conyon, Martin J.
Dushnitsky, Gary
Hsu, David
Kaplan, Sarah
McDermott, Gerald A.
Mueller, Jennifer S.
Rothbard, Nancy P.
Wulf, Julie

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Finance Department
Michael R. Gibbons, Chairperson
2300 Steinberg Hall-Dietrich Hall

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Marketing Department
Robert Meyer, Chairperson
700 Jon M. Huntsman Hall

Professors
Armstrong, J. Scott
Bradlow, Eric T.
Day, George S.
Eliashberg, Jehoshua
Fader, Peter S.
Hoch, Stephen J.
Hutchinson, John Wesley
Iacobucci, Dawn
Kahn, Barbara E.
Lodish, Leonard M.
Meyer, Robert
Raju, Jagmohan S.
Reibstein, David J.
Schmittlein, David C.
Wind, Yoram (Jerry)
Associate Professors
Bell, David R.
Van den Bulte, Christophe
Zhang, Z. John
Williams, Patricia
Zauberman, Gal
Assistant Professors
Bolton, Lisa E.
Drèze, Xavier
Iyengar, Raghuram
Reed II, Americus
Small, Deborah

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Operations and Information Management Department
Karl T. Ulrich, Chairperson
500 Jon M. Huntsman Hall

Professors
Cachon, Gerard P.
Clemons, Eric K.
Cohen, Morris A.
Fisher, Marshall L.
Guignard-Spielberg, Monique
Harker, Patrick T.
Hershey, John C.
Kimbrough, Steven O.
Kunreuther, Howard
Ulrich, Karl T.
Zheng, Yu-Sheng
Associate Professors
Croson, Rachel T.A.
Gans, Noah F.
Hitt, Lorin M.
Schweitzer, Maurice E.
Terwiesch, Christian
Assistant Professors
Anand, Krishnan S.
Hill, Shawndra
Hosanagar, Kartik
Lee, Chris P.
Lee, Thomas Y.
Netessine, Serguei
Padmanabhan, Balaji
Simonsohn, Uri
Tucker, Anita L.
Veeraraghavan, Senthil

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Statistics Department
Abba M. Krieger, Chairperson
400 Jon M. Huntsman Hall

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004

Examples Of Resources For Decision Making

Colin Shearer, senior vice president of market strategy at SPSS, says, "Almost any decision in an organization has to be subject to scrutiny--what's gone down is, companies are making decisions on gut feel or by the seat of their pants." Driven by SARBOX and other legislated imperatives, however, marketers now look to find hard numbers to defend their decisions. BI solutions have stepped in to lend concrete support, and marketers have increasingly made deeper use of their functionality. "The art-plus-science imperative is moving marketers away from art and toward science. Slowly but surely, we're getting there," Ament says.

This science has been injected into marketing strategies in part due to the development of solutions that are easier for the average businessperson to use. Many BI vendors are now working to offer products that integrate the front-end graphical user interface with the back-end engine. Ament cites SPSS, Genalytics, and Business Objects as vendors at the forefront of the ease of use trend. Shearer explains SPSS's product strategy to increase ease of use: "Vendors like us have taken what are very, very complex analytics and have wrapped them up and configured them inside a front end that a marketer can use. The interface is following the marketing work rather than the analytical work."

SPSS Company Logo   watch presentations at this address: http://www.streamcenter.com/spss/

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Prolifiq           

Cognizant - Passion for building stronger businesses

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Baseline Consulting Home       AMR Research

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Accenture

The BCG Readings

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