Decision making influences every facet of an organization, short-term as well as long-term. How decisions are made reflect the character and attitudes of the employees, customers, and society as a whole. The act of decision making involves first determining what is causing the problem or what can be changed. The second is to identify viable alternative solutions, then to find the best solution for the situation, people involved, and the surrounding environment. Lastly would be to implement the chosen course of action, and then evaluate the results of that action (Schermerhorn et al., 2011).
In The Case of the Wedding Ring case study, a decision must be made by an individual. She alone must determine what choice will help her in a job interview. She has determined that wearing her ring may diminish her chances of getting a job, because of the possible implications of a lacking commitment to her work. The perceived problem is the potential opinion of the interviewer concerning marital status. The alternatives are that the woman could wear the ring or take it off. If she does not wear the ring the interviewer cannot assume the marital status of the woman; wearing the ring reveals the woman’s marital standing.
Considerations that must be made regarding the wedding ring are of honesty and judgment. If the woman does not wear the ring for the interview, yet wears it to work when hired, she sets the precedent of being dishonest. It would likely be worse to be seen as a liar rather than married. Honesty is the best policy; after all, refusing a job because of stereotypes and assumptions is illegal. The woman has every right to be married and have a job (Commission, 2009).
In the case of Wellness or Invasive Coercion, the rising cost of health care is the concern of the company. The company forces risk assessments and non-smoking campaigns. If the new health guidelines are not met the employees will be charged higher premiums. Additionally, known smokers will not be hired as new employees. The question is if human resources are making the right decisions regarding the healthcare policy at work. Legally, the health of an employee cannot be discriminated against.
There are extreme examples to back each view of forced health standards and job evaluations. In one instance of the case study, lives are saved; in another, a job is lost. It is claimed by human resources that they are thinking both about the cost of healthcare and the health of the employees. It can be argued that firing an employee for their health issues does not look out for the employee at all. It is legal to implement wellness programs, as long as certain requirements are met by the employer. When setting standards for healthcare coverage an alternative standard must be set. For example, an employee that is not able to quit smoking cannot be punished if they are attending smoking cessation meetings. If people try to comply with the standards and fail, they should not be punished. Encouragement is a better motivator than threats (Chagala & Friedman, 2006).
In the case study of Super Sales Woman Won’t Ask for Raise, a woman does not feel she requires a raise but is being pressured by her sister to fight for the same pay as the men she works with. The woman is torn because of the view others have of her for not asserting herself. The woman is competent yet satisfied with her work. Her sister believes that she owes it to other working women to fight for equal pay. The woman must consider her stand as well as the stand of other women; she must determine if she sets a precedent. This woman is satisfied but must consider that she is legally justified to receive equal pay for equal work (USA.Gov, n.d.).
The woman needs to assert herself and be paid what she is deserved. She must be reminded of her legal rights. The woman could ask for wages that match or request bonuses for work that she does above and beyond that of others. The reason for the lesser pay may strictly be due to the woman’s satisfaction. She should bring up the pay differences before demanding anything; she had likely been overlooked because of her complacency in pay. It does not harm for her to voice the concern, because she is backed by the Equal Pay Act (USA.Gov, n.d.).
Decision making is a part of everyday life, and it may not always be an easy task to complete. An example of the reality of poor decision making can be seen concerning the economic crisis of 2008. Management choices and economic decision making failed, costing trillions of dollars in damage nationwide. Decisions were based upon greed, poor ethics, dishonesty and lack of attention. In this instance, ethical standards and consideration of future problems should have been considered. Greater accountability and proper management can be a very useful tools for success (Edmund, n.d).
One of the most important decision-making factors is the ethical consequences. Decisions are based upon certain, uncertainty, and risk. Finding the best solution is the ideal form of decision making, but sometimes there is the need to find the least damaging decision. Not all problems have clear cut solutions. The decision-making model can assist in making those difficult decisions that can have a huge impact relating to the result of the choices. There may be risk and uncertainty, but the best policy is to choose what is seen as the best choice for all involved (Schermerhorn et al., 2011).
References
- Chagala, S.J. & Friedman, L.C. (2006). Penalizing Applicants and Employees For Smoking: A Potential Smoking Gun?
- Commission, U. E. (2009). Federal Laws Prohibiting Job Discrimination Questions And Answers. Web.
- Edmund, N. W. (n.d.). Bad Decision Making Was Responsible for the Economic Crisis of 2008.
- Schermerhorn, J. R. Jr., Hunt, J. & Osborn, R. (2011). Organizational Behavior. Wiley.
- USA.Gov. (n.d.). Equal Pay/Compensation Discrimination. Web.