Faculty of Business Studies

Tutor Marked Assignment

B300 A: Business Behavior in a
Changing World I
Second Semester 2010 – 2011
This tutor-marked assignment consists of one question related to
the issues discussed in the first 12 Chapters of the Decision Making
textbook. This assignment accounts for 20% of the total grade
assigned to the course, and it will be graded out of 100 marks. Of
these marks, 84% will be assigned to your answer of the question,
and the remaining 16% will be distributed equally among the
following criteria: presentation of ideas and organization of the
answer, adherence to specified word count, proper referencing and
use of the E-library.
In this TMA, you are expected to demonstrate your knowledge and
understanding of decision making as a function of management and
to be familiar with the models and processes of this function. You
are expected to demonstrate your critical and analytical skills of the
concepts and approaches you discuss in your answer. Your answer
should be within the specified range of words, and you must follow
the Harvard Style of Referencing. You are expected to present a well
structured and organized piece of work that is of your own.
Plagiarism will not be tolerated, and plagiarized work will be
assigned 0 marks.

QUESTION

Descriptive models of decision-making investigate how individuals

actually make decisions. Each decision made by an individual or
group is affected by a number of factors, including individual
personality and values, group relationships, organizational power
relationships and political behaviour.

Using an essay format, critically discuss this statement to show how

each of these factors influences the organizational decision making
process. (1500 – 2000 words)

Your essay is expected to have an introduction, a body and a

conclusion. In your introduction you are expected to present a
definition of decision making and to succulently present the rational
model of decision making. Keep in mind that models are only a
means that we use in order to understand reality. The body of your
essay should focus on explaining how each of the mentioned factors
influence the decision making process, that is, how it causes a
deviation from the rational model. In your discussion, you need to
substantiate your arguments with relevant examples. Though it is
important to present examples, you need not to be elaborate in
your presentation of the examples. Make your examples brief and
direct the point. Your essay should include a conclusion in which
you present a summary of the ideas you discussed in the body of
your essay.