Critical Thinking: Strategies in Decision Making

Course Description

This course provides students opportunities for analysis, synthesis, prescription, and application of critical thinking and decision making within the organization. Emphasis is placed on preparing managers who can deal clearly, rationally, and creatively with a diverse workforce and dynamic workplace. This course equips students with concrete skills in critical thinking and decision making that will allow them to identify and solve organizational problems, as well as provide strategic direction.

Topics and Objectives

Characteristics of Critical Thinking and Decision Making

• Describe critical thinking and its importance and benefits to decision making processes.
• Analyze different types of thinking.
• Apply critical thinking to decision making.

Problem Identification and Formulation

• Examine the processes and forces involved in problem formulation.
• Apply critical thinking to problem identification and formulation.
• Describe a problem in a manner sensitive to various stakeholder perspectives using formulation tools and techniques.

Decision Making

• Describe tools and/or techniques used in decision making.
• Examine decision-making models and influences.
• Apply a decision-making technique to a situation.

Decision Implementation

• Determine factors affecting decision implementation in an organization.
• Evaluate resources and actions required for decision implementation.
• Evaluate ethical implications from stakeholders' perspectives of a decision.

Evaluation of Decision Outcome and Processes

• Apply appropriate evaluation tools and techniques.
• Evaluate decision-making outcomes and processes.