Making Decisions

Main points that will be discussed:

- Decision-making process- Levels of business decisions- What are the required conditions to make decision?- The rank of making decisions in objective taxonomy- Who is able to make decisions?

Introduction:Decision-making is crucial in many domains and mainly in business. Both The board of directors (strategic decisions) and ordinary employees (operational decisions) can make decisions. This needs careful selection when recruiting and periodical training.

Decision Making Process:

- Defining objectives- Collecting information: to get/have good and reliable information- Analysing all the possibilities: having enough experience to interpret information- Consulting the expertise of professionals- Using various techniques which help to analyse information- Assessing the risks - Implementing and checking the decision process (up-dating)

- Levels of business decisions:-Strategic Decisions-Tactical Decisions-Operational Decisions

Strategic Decisions: Are long term decisions, they may affect directly the existence of the company. Only the board of directors/owners or high authorities for planned economy can make strategic decision. They need the help of specialised strategic studies and planning.

Tactical Decisions: Are medium-term decisions. Only managers and high ranked staff can make tactical decision in order to develop/maintain the actual situation.

Operational Decisions: Are short-term decisions, they could be ordinary administrative decisions or daily decision made by ordinary employees (to conduct their own tasks, satisfy their customers…).

Recruitment and Interviews

Recruitment is finding people for particular jobs (Am Eng : hiring)

Direct recruitment or outside recruitment (recruitment /employment agencies)

Outside specialists called “head-hunters” for very important jobs. They persuade the target persons to leave the organizations they already work for and join the new job.

Applying for a Job:

Applying for a job means completing an application form: a letter + CV (Curriculum Vitae; Am Eng résumé or resume)

Selection Procedures:

Selection Process (the methods that the company uses to recruit people):

- Advertise in national newspaper- The objectives are to look at the backgrounds of applicants, their experience and their

educational qualification.- E-mail Vs handwritten letters of application- Inviting candidates for the interview

Types of interviews:

- Telephone interview- Videoconference interview- Lunch or dinner interview - Direct interview:

-One -on-one interview: the candidate is asked alone by one or more interviewers -Group interview: A group of candidates is assembled to answer the same or different questions. The objective is to test candidates how to answer under pressure.Panel or committee interview: Two or more interviewers frequently presenting different departments of the organization will ask the candidates a series of questions.

- Behavioural interview: The questions are about the previous competencies (What the candidate has done in certain circumstances)

- Situational interview: The questions are about what the candidate would do in certain circumstances.

- Stress interview: The interviewers might be intentionally “sarcastic/ironic or rude, they will say/do the opposite of they really mean in order to test their reaction to stress.

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The types of Interviewers:

- The friendly: cool, smiling and welcoming, starting by very easy questions. He makes you feel relaxed. Very interested by your answers….

- The investigator: His desire is to know all about you, from the beginning of your career until you meet him. He re-asks you again and again if he is not convinced by your answer. He reminds you about forgotten details about your career.

- The disorganised: He reads your CV at the same time you enter his office, he seems lost as he has completely forgotten your meeting. He asks easy and difficult questions. Asking open questions (such as speaking about yourself)

- The impassive: He asks neutral questions, no feed-back, impossible to know if he is convinced or not

- The obsessive: giving importance to details, focussing on the same information, repeating the same questions.