Research Report #10
Decision Making Styles
Before beginning a discussion of decision making types and decision making styles, I present below various types and styles abstracted from "decision making styles" on the internet. This will help you see the big picture of decision making styles. Types of decision making are the same or very similar to styles.
From faculty.dccc.edu retrieved July 2, 2008:
1. Agony |
3. Escape |
5. Play it safe |
For more information about the following types of decision making, see the website.
From top-web-entrepreneurs-plan-it.com retrieved July 2, 2008:
Intuitive style |
Individualistic style |
Limited procrastination style |
By consensus style |
Systematic style |
For more information about the following types of decision making, see the website.
From decision-making-confidence.com retrieved July 3, 2008:
Collective participation style |
Democratic decision making style |
The pros |
Consensus decision making style |
The cons |
Other styles |
Autocratic decision style |
For more information about the following types of decision making, see the website.
From freelanceswitch.com retrieved July 2, 2008:
Decision making styles of executives per Miller Heiman:
Charismatic |
Followers |
Thinkers |
Controllers |
Skeptics |
|
For more information about the following types of decision making, see the website.
From decision-making-confidence.com retrieved July 3, 2008:
Analytical |
Followers |
Conceptual |
Controllers |
Impulsive |
Fatalistic |
Procrastinating |
Dependent |
Flexible |
Normative |
Proactive |
Behavioral |
For more information about the following types of decision making, see the website.
Need to Classify and Standardize Descriptions of Styles
With so many terms being used, we need to do this for learning and for teaching decision making styles to students, groups, teams, and others in the workplace.
The main decision making style whose use needs to be standardized on is the scientific method style of decision making.
Justification for the Scientific Method Decision Making Style
As I have mentioned previously, all methods of obtaining reliable knowledge have been explored and after centuries of effort, the scientific method has been found to be the most reliable of all. The scientific method is basically a problem solving method and system, and decisions are basically problems. So your method style should be the scientific method and one using the SM-14 model formula, as it is the best one presented so far.
Suggested Classifications for Decision Making Styles
1. Style of method used
The following are based on the supporting ingredients of SM-14:
2. Style of applying techniques or the creative, non-logical, logical, and technical methods
3. Style of applying procedural principles and theories
4. Style of attributes and thinking skills used. Behavioral traits fall under this classification.
Styles of Method Used
1. Chance or haphazard style
2. Intuition or use of knowledge base
3. Scientific method style
4. Other method styles
If you review Research Report #4, Models, Systems, Guides for Decision Making in the Literature, you will find many methods being used. Some are good; many are too short. Usually they are simply variations of the scientific method regardless of what they may be called.