An integral part the work of the leader is to develop management decisions. Almost any managerial action involves decision making, and most of the manager's time is somehow connected with the preparation, adoption and rationalization of managerial decisions.
The ability and skill to make decisions distinguishes competent managers. This is a very important skill that ensures the effective development of the organization.
What fundamental considerations guides the manager, starting to develop a decision?
The problem must be understood on the basis of reliable information.
Analyze options for solving the problem (and sometimes impossible options).
· Involve the necessary circle of specialists in the preparation of the solution.
Build a model for solving the problem, identify its executors
Take into account the possible consequences of implementation, incomplete implementation and non-implementation of the decision.
Determine the volume, type, methods and timing of the transfer of information about the decision.
Consider ways to control and feedback during the execution of the decision.
Thus, solution- it is always understanding the problems and choosing an alternative, a course of action to solve the problem.
The number of decisions made by managers is huge, and they are associated with the need to influence the object of management in order to transfer it to the desired state.
When exercising management functions, the manager makes decisions about the goals of the activity, the necessary resources, ways to achieve the goals; on the structure of production and management, the creation of new or the abolition of existing units, the organization production process, labor of workers and specialists; on the organization and conduct of control, the activities of executors, the assessment of the financial condition of the enterprise, the assessment of the implementation of the strategic concept of the enterprise and other decisions.
Management decisions are divided according to a number of features. Depending on where the decision is made, it happens:
· top level;
middle level;
· lower level.
The basis of who in the organization makes what decisions becomes a simple ratio: the wider the scope of the decision, the higher the level of management responsible for making it.
Differentiation by subject highlights:
conceptual solutions;
· executive decisions.
Conceptual solutions determine the fundamental aspects of the development of the enterprise. They cover almost all the subject functions of management: the formation of goals, planning, organization and control. Conceptual solutions require particularly thorough justification and most often involve special studies. Executive decisions are of a routine nature and are aimed at ensuring the implementation, first of all, of individual positions of conceptual decisions. If conceptual decisions are related to activities senior management at the enterprise, then executive decisions are prepared and implemented by the numerous apparatus of middle and lower management.
According to the tasks to be solved, they distinguish:
1) informative solutions, which are intended to evaluate the information received;
2) organizational, which are designed to establish the necessary governance structure;
3) operational, these are decisions on actions: “How to act?”.
According to the degree of coverage of the problem, solutions are:
· selective, when any aspect of the problem is considered;
· systematic, when the whole problem is considered.
Depending on whether in what area of the organization the problems are solved, solutions are divided into:
· production(technical and technological);
· marketing and supply(marketing);
· financial;
· planned;
· personnel
According to the forms of decision-making, they are divided into:
· sole proprietors - the decision is made by the head without discussion with other persons;
· collegiate - the problem is discussed by specialists, but the decision is formulated by the manager; he is also responsible for the decision:
· collective - the decision is made by the collective or on the basis of voting, and the responsibility lies with the entire collective.
According to the principles of development decisions are divided into:
programmed(algorithmic), their justification is carried out according to certain rules-algorithms. They allow strict formalization. Often such decisions, in fact, are already predetermined by circumstances, and it is only necessary to find ways to implement it;
unprogrammed(heuristic). They, as a rule, arise in cases of changes in the situation, conditions or in extreme situations. Such solutions are developed in an informal, creative way.
By the nature of the initial information, solutions are:
under conditions of certainty(full information);
under conditions of uncertainty(incomplete information).
I must say that most complex decisions have to be made in conditions of incomplete information, because the environment in which the company operates is constantly changing. In addition, the decision is always aimed at the future, and the future contains an element of uncertainty, so there is no way to accurately determine the result from decision. In this regard, the adoption and implementation of the decision is fraught with risk.
Risk is an act of luck, in the hope of a favorable outcome; the threat of total or partial loss of material, financial, human resources and reserves, image. Risk is a normal situation for a manager under conditions of uncertainty.
Problem solving methods distinguish between solutions:
· based on intuition;
· based on knowledge and common sense;
based on rationalism;
· based on a combination of approaches.
Intuitive Solution largely based on a kind of “insight”, own feeling and many years of leadership experience. Decisions made on the basis of judgment are similar to intuitive ones, but require deep professional knowledge and understanding of situations, the use of past experience, reliance on common sense. A person judges the present based on the results of past similar situations. Since many situations in an organization tend to recur, judgment in decision making is always beneficial. Judgment-based decisions are made quickly and at no additional cost.
Rational are those decisions that are made on the basis of a deep and objective analysis of problems. The combination of experience, knowledge, intuition of the manager and the use of scientific approach with his modern technologies development and adoption of managerial decisions.
It is believed that when making managerial decisions, the peculiarity of management as a science and art of management is especially pronounced.
The decision is made by a person, therefore the decision is a volitional action and a way of its implementation. Depending on the personality of the leader, the nature of the decisions may be different. Manager balanced, calm, self-critical takes, as a rule, balanced, or cautious, decisions. Distrustful, skeptical people tend to make inert decisions. Cholerics easily generate various ideas and make impulsive and even risky decisions.
Under the management decision is meant a certain step of the manager, aimed at performing any action leading to the achievement of a specific goal. But it is not necessary to include only active behavior in the concept and types of managerial decisions, since this can also include the abstinence on the part of the leader from a number of steps. In any case, the decision-making process is an integral element of the work of a manager of any link. The concept of management decisions can be considered in more detail through their types.
Classification of types of management decisions
- Depending on the impact this act has on the future of the enterprise, strategic and tactical types of management decisions are distinguished. The first suggest general directions for business development, taking into account long-term goals, the second - specific methods by which the first can be implemented.
- In terms of scale, the main types of management decisions can be global or local. Local ones concern only certain aspects of the organization's work, while global ones cover all processes in the enterprise as a whole.
- According to the duration of the implementation period in practice, the types and types of management decisions can be up to 1 year (short-term), from 1 year to 5 years (medium-term), more than 5 years (long-term).
- According to the degree of mandatory implementation, the types of management decisions are divided into orienting (defining a single direction for all), advisory (not mandatory), directive (mandatory for everyone, accepted by top management).
- According to their functional purpose, it is possible to distinguish such types and types of management decisions as controlling ones, i.e. evaluating the result, regulating, i.e. determining the methodology of execution, coordinating - help to concentrate efforts on a specific problem.
In addition, we can separately say about such decisions that are made in standard situations, and those that are necessary in circumstances of force majeure. If we consider these types of management decisions, examples include the following. At the end of the year, the enterprise had a rule for many years: to release part of the profit to pay bonuses for successful work employees in the past year. In the current period, 2 departments sabotaged the work of the organization, so it suffered losses. The manager can make a non-standard, non-programmed managerial decision - to deviate from tradition by not paying the employees of these departments their usual bonuses.
Types of management decisions by methods of their adoption
It seems reasonable to single out this type of actions of managers as a separate item. After all, this will provide an opportunity to emphasize how important it is to use different approaches to achieve an effective result.
So, managerial decisions can be intuitive, adaptive or rational. Let's start with 
adaptive, such decisions are those volitional acts that are taken according to the manager's professional knowledge, personal skills and based on life experience. Rational decisions are acts based on the analysis of problems from a scientific point of view. In this case, the generalized experience of specialists in a particular field becomes the foundation for a future solution. The manager makes intuitive decisions based on his own abilities to foresee the development of the situation and to assume the possibility of achieving and the quality of the result.
In whatever area a decision is made, it must be reasonable, thoughtful, resourced, timely, professional, clear and understandable for all parts of the business structure.
Management decisions are classified according to various criteria. The most common of these are the duration of the action, the content, the object of control, the depth of influence, the direction of the solution, the degree of obligation to fulfill, the degree of structuring of the problem, the methods for solving it, the person making the decisions, the number of goals and environmental conditions. Based on the classification of management decisions, their individual varieties are evaluated and ordered.
By duration, strategic and tactical management decisions are distinguished as the most important. TO strategic include such solutions that require more than one year for their implementation. They are related to ensuring the mission of the organization and are usually taken on highest level management. These solutions are characterized great freedom choice of alternatives. These include, for example, the development of product strategies, personnel management processes, etc.
Tactical Decisions are made, as a rule, at the middle level of management and are characterized by a period of their implementation of less than one year. These include solutions in the field of inventory management, quality, service, repair, etc.
When classifying according to the control object, general, private and local solutions are distinguished.
General Solutions relate to all elements of the managed system (object), affect its vital aspects, for example, the transition of the industry to new business conditions, management methods and techniques, etc. When developing these solutions, a deep and comprehensive study of information about the activity of the facility and an analysis of the socio-economic consequences are necessary.
Private Solutions relate to individual elements of the management system or the elimination of individual shortcomings in the implementation of general solutions. When developing and adopting particular decisions, it must be remembered that, on the one hand, they must be closely related to each other, and on the other hand, they must correspond in content and direction to general decisions.
Local Solutions are accepted by the control subsystem in relation to the functioning of any structural link of the control object (firm, industry concern, etc.). However, they can be public or private.
According to the depth of impact, they distinguish single-level And multilevel solutions.
By direction there are solutions inside organizations or outside of it.
According to the degree of mandatory implementation, decisions are distinguished obligatory (e.g. appointment, identification of funding sources, approval of profit distribution decisions) and probable (sanctioning of investment projects, transactions, etc.).
Depending on the degree of structuring of the problem, i.e. degree of its formalization, distinguish well structured, poorly structured And unstructured Problems. The degree of formalization is determined by the possibility of quantitative measurement of the relationship between the elements of the situation.
According to the methods of eliminating the problem, typical and creative solutions are distinguished.. Typical solutions taken in relation to regular, periodically recurring aspects of the activity of the control object. The forms of their implementation are quarterly, monthly, ten-day plans. Creative solutions are adopted for the implementation of fundamentally new and non-recurring problems. They are developed on the basis of an analysis of relevant information, taking into account specific conditions.
From the point of view of the subject of management, there are collective (collegiate) and sole (individual) solutions. In form, management decisions can be oral And written . Written decisions, in turn, are divided into presidential decrees, government laws, resolutions, orders, instructions, etc.
By the number of goals, decisions are single purpose And multipurpose .
Depending on the quantity and quality of information that the decision maker has about the conditions external environment, distinguish between decisions made under conditions certainty, risk And uncertainty.
According to the level of creative contribution, some authors distinguish four levels of solutions: routine, selective, adaptive and innovative.
First level reflects routine decisions. They are part of normal routine activities. At the same time, the leader behaves in accordance with the existing program, almost like an automaton, recognizing situations and acting according to a predetermined scheme. Difficulties here can arise if the leader does not have intuition, misinterprets the available instructions for a particular situation, acts illogically, makes erroneous decisions or shows indecision, or cannot provide effective actions at all at the right time. A leader who perceives the situation correctly, draws the right conclusions and acts reasonably, achieves what is expected of him. At this level, no creativity is required, as all procedures are predetermined.
The second level corresponds selective solutions. Their adoption requires a certain amount of initiative and freedom of action, but within certain limits. At the same time, the leader evaluates the merits of the whole circle. options and tries to select from a number of well-established alternative courses of action those that are best suited to solving a given problem. Effectiveness depends on the manager's ability to choose a course of action that will be acceptable, economical and effective.
The third level reflects adaptive solutions. At this level, there are additional difficulties, since here the leader must develop a creative solution, which in a certain sense can be completely new. There is usually a set of proven features and some new ideas. The leader's success depends on his personal initiative and ability to make a breakthrough into the unknown. Such solutions provide answers to questions that could exist before, but in a different concrete form. The leader is looking for a new solution to a known problem.
The fourth level corresponds innovative solutions. These problems are the most complex and require most attention among all that the manager encounters. In order to achieve a satisfactory result, a completely new approach is needed. Often such a problem can be one that was poorly understood before, and completely new ideas and methods are needed to solve it. The manager must find ways to solve completely unexpected and unpredictable problems, which will require him to develop the ability to think in new ways. To solve the most modern and difficult problems, it may be necessary to create non-traditional methods and technologies.
The concept of a solution. Requirement for a managerial decision. Subjects and typology of managerial decisions. Varieties of management decisions. Signs by which the analysis of the quality of decisions is carried out. Intuition, judgment and rationality in decision making.
Throughout the development of society, humanity has to constantly make certain decisions, which can be significant or insignificant, voluminous - non-voluminous, long-term - not long-term.
The decision is the choice of an alternative (Mescoc).
A managerial decision is a deliberate conclusion about the need to take some actions (or vice versa, to refrain from them) related to the achievement of the organization's goals and overcoming the problems it faces.
Classification: (typology)
strategic - tactical - operational
long term, medium term, short term
organizational, coordinating, regulating e.g.
Production, marketing, research
Requirements for ex. Solutions:
have a clear purpose
be justified
have an addressee and deadlines
be non-contradictory
be legitimate
concreteness, reality, flexibility, recognition and compatibility
Management decisions can be viewed from different points of view.
1) By degree of influence on the future of the organization they are divided into strategic and tactical.
The first determine the main ways of its development; the second - specific ways to move on them. Typically, strategic decisions (say, about entering a new market) are made at the highest level of management, and tactical decisions are made at the grassroots (for example, about repairing equipment).
2) By degree of independence decisions are divided into initiative and prescribed. Initiative usually dictated by the circumstances under the influence of which the management takes the necessary actions. prescribed decisions concretize instructions coming from above.
3) By scale decisions can be global, affecting the entire organization as a whole, and local, relating to only one of its parts or activities. The implementation of global solutions, which is believed to be about a third, usually requires a high degree of enthusiasm and involvement of workers.
4) According to time horizon we can talk about promising solutions, the consequences of which will be felt for a long time, and current ones, focused on the needs of today. The category of the first includes the decision to invest funds; to the second - about finding money for the next payment of wages.
5) Depending on duration of the implementation period It is customary to single out long-term (over 5 years), medium-term (from one year to 5 years) and short-term (up to one year) solutions.
Long term solutions usually have a predictive character, because they are focused on the future situation, which cannot always be accurately "calculated". They remain on paper if the assumptions are not justified.
Medium Term Solutions are already reflected in mandatory plans and programs, in accordance with which specific practical measures are being taken. In emergency circumstances, plans and programs can be adjusted, but this is very expensive.
Finally, short-term decisions are reflected not only in plans, but also in operational orders or instructions.
6) Depending on the degree of certainty of the expected result, there are probabilistic and deterministic (unique) solutions, which are relatively rare. The longer the period for which decisions are made, the more ambiguous their result will be, and the more risky they themselves will be.
This occurs when several outcomes correspond to the same action, the probability of which is difficult to determine, but one can only list the expected consequences.
If the probability of obtaining some result can be calculated using mathematical methods, it is considered objective. Otherwise - subjective, or supposed.
7) By degree of regulation highlight contour solutions (provide wide freedom to performers); structured (allow initiative in minor issues); algorithmic, where the initiative is excluded.
8) By direction of influence decisions can be external or internal.
9) By degree of obligation decisions are divided into directive, recommendatory and orienting. It depends on a number of circumstances, for example, the level of acceptance, the duration of validity, the importance to the organization.
So, policy decisions are usually adopted by the highest authorities in stable conditions on the most important issues of the organization and are intended for mandatory implementation.
Recommendations are prepared by advisory bodies - various kinds of committees or commissions. Their implementation is desirable, but not mandatory, since those to whom these decisions relate are not formally subordinate to those who make them.
Finally, orienting decisions are intended for subjects largely independent of those who make these decisions. As a matter of fact, predictive decisions, which are, as it were, a "beacon" for planned ones, can also be considered orienting.
10) By functional purpose it is possible to allocate organizational, coordinating, regulating, activating and controlling decisions.
An example organizational is a decision on the establishment of a joint-stock company, the distribution of official duties, etc.
Regulatory decisions most often prescribe the way in which certain actions are carried out in certain situations. This is reflected in various rules, regulations, schedules, norms, regulations, etc.
coordinating decisions are mostly operational in nature (for example, the distribution of current work among subordinates).
Finally, controlling decisions serve to evaluate the result of certain actions of performers.
11) By coverage problems can be identified selective And solid solutions. The former usually relate to one or more close aspects of it, while the latter embrace it in all its diversity and interrelationships.
12) By degree of difficulty solutions are divided into simple, complex and unique.
13) By methods of generating There is a difference between formulaic and creative.
14) Depending on number of developers decisions are divided into sole And collective .
15) By way of taking the latter, in turn, are advisory, joint and parliamentary.
Advisory Decisions assume that the persons who finally make them consult with others - subordinates or experts, and then, taking into account the recommendations made (which, however, may be rejected), make their own choice. Joint decisions are made as a result of the mutual consent of all participants on the basis of the consensus that has developed in the process of their preparation, and parliamentary are based on the fact that the majority of persons involved express their approval.
16) By breadth of coverage general and special solutions are distinguished. Are common relate to the same issues for all (for example, about the start and end of the working day) and introduce an element of stability into the activities of the organization. Special solutions refer to narrow problems that are unique to one department or group of people working in it.
17) From the point of view predestination management decisions are divided into programmed And unprogrammed . The logic of the development of the situation leads to the adoption of the former, when the number of alternatives is limited, and the choice must be made within the given direction.
Programming reduces the probability of error, therefore it is often used in standard, regularly repeated situations, when the manager only has to choose the moment of starting actions, the degree of their intensity.
In contrast to them unprogrammed decisions are taken in new, extraordinary circumstances, when the required steps are difficult to accurately describe in advance, and require a creative approach that integrates data from special studies, diverse experience, skill and flair of the manager. Here, first of all, the sequence of necessary actions is determined.
18) According to the way of influence, decisions can be divided into direct and indirect . The first are directly directed to the control object; the second - to create such conditions under the influence of which he himself will change his activity in the right direction.
19) By implementation decisions can be related to production, sales, research, personnel, etc.
20) By content solutions are technical, economic, social.
Technical decisions are made regarding the objective factors of the organization's activities - the use of equipment, technologies, etc. Economic decisions are related to the costs it incurs and the results they result from. Social decisions are made in relation to personnel and relate to issues of its payment, benefits, guarantees, development of a person as a person. They are designed to create favorable working conditions, increase the initiative of employees, the formation of personality, and therefore must take into account the individual characteristics and psychology of people. By influencing their way of thinking and acting, such decisions create more favorable conditions for the implementation of production tasks.
Analysis of the quality of management decisions can be determined by the following features:
1) practical applicability , compliance with the objective conditions of work, and not the desires and abilities of the performers.
It is better not to start a business at all, than to use unsuitable, and even unlawful methods, only on the grounds that they are well known, convenient, or suit someone.
2) Economy , implying that the effect obtained when implemented using these solution methods will be greater than the associated costs.
3) Accuracy , which ensures that the result obtained matches what was expected. However, accuracy comes at a cost, which increases so rapidly that it should not be abused.
4) Reliability guaranteeing no more than a specified number of failures and the absence of high-risk situations.
Finally, the quality of implementation of the solution is largely influenced by such factors.
TO material factors include the availability of the necessary resources - natural, technological, information, etc., and the possibility of free maneuver with them.
personal factors are the required level of qualification, knowledge and experience, the individual characteristics of the manager and employees involved in the implementation of the solution, a conscientious and interested attitude to business; the expected reward in case of success or, conversely, the fear of possible punishment in case of failure; leadership style; general moral and psychological climate in the organization.
Finally, solutions can be classified according to ways of making . Practice shows that they are influenced by such factors as the feelings, experience and knowledge of the people involved in this process. Depending on the prevailing influence of one or another of these moments, intuitive, adaptive and rational solutions are distinguished.
intuitive (intuition - the ability to predict, suppose, foresee) the decision is based on the manager's assumption that his choice is correct. It is influenced by the so-called "sixth sense", a kind of insight that visits the most experienced managers with a broad outlook.
Such a decision is made in conditions when the manager has minimal time, which does not allow him to think about the situation for a long time. At the same time, the risk of errors is very high, therefore it is permissible only as a last resort, rather as an exception rather than the rule.
adaptive the decision is based on general knowledge, common sense - life experience, professional activity. It involves the implementation of those steps (as amended to date) that were successful in a similar situation in the past. The positive side of such a decision is the simplicity and speed of adoption, but it suffers from a number of significant flaws.
Thus, common sense is actually very rare; experience, on which such high hopes are placed, may be absent, especially if the decision is made for the first time. Acting by analogy, in a certain direction, it is easy to miss other, much more profitable options.
The weak side of both types of decisions is their subjectivity associated with the characteristics of the personality of the leader, the depth of his understanding of the situation and individual problems. Depending on this, decisions can be risky or balanced, inert or impulsive.
Rational Decision involves the use scientific methods development and objective selection criteria. But complete rationalism is also impossible.
First, people cannot know all the available alternatives and predict the consequences of their actions. Secondly, making even rational decisions is always a psychological process, where there are feelings and often there is no logic.
DEFINITION
Management decision is the result of analysis, forecast, optimization, economic rationale and selection of alternatives from several options to achieve specific goals of the management system.
The concept of management decision It is often used in two main meanings, as a process and a phenomenon. As a process, a management decision is the execution of 8 procedures, among which are information preparation, development of options, coordination of alternatives, selection of a single option, approval, implementation, control over the implementation of the decision, as well as subsequent informing the initiators of the decision.
Types of management decisions
The types of decisions and their classification are needed when analyzing the structure of managers' activities: it is important to reduce the number of random and crisis decisions, to devote more time to research decisions, as well as decisions on the choice of opportunities.
Types of management decisions can be classified according to several criteria. In accordance with the conditions in which decisions are made, we can distinguish:
- decisions that are made under conditions of uncertainty and risk,
- decisions that are made under certain conditions.
Depending on the duration of the consequences of decisions, the types of decisions can be long-term, medium-term and short-term. Depending on the frequency of adoption, one-time (random) and recurring decisions can be distinguished.
In accordance with the width of the scope, the types of management decisions can be general, which are relevant to all employees, and decisions of narrow specialization. Depending on the form of preparation, decisions can be individual, group and collective.
Types of decisions on the rigidity of regulation
Decisions in accordance with the rigidity of the regulation can be contour, structured and algorithmic.
The contour solution approximately indicates the scheme of action of subordinate employees, giving them great scope in choosing techniques and methods for implementing them in life.
A structured decision is a regulation of the actions of subordinate employees, whose initiative can only be manifested when solving secondary issues.
Algorithmic decisions very strictly regulate the activities of subordinates, practically excluding initiative.
Types of solutions paired
Types of managerial decisions can be considered in pairs, and each pair will reflect the corresponding side of the activities of managers in the decision-making process.
So, we can consider programmable and non-programmable solutions. A programmable solution is built on the basis of established policies, rules and procedures. A programmable solution is the result of implementing an appropriate sequence of steps with a limited number of alternatives.
Unprogrammed solutions are needed in new situations that do not have an internal structure. This type of decision is most often made in case of unforeseen or initially emerging problems, making extensive use of the personal initiative of managers, their experience and vision of problems.
Types of management decisions can also be divided into organizational and personal decisions. Organizational decisions are made by the manager depending on his formal powers. Personal decisions, on the other hand, are made by the manager as a private individual.
There is another pair - operational and strategic decisions. Operational decisions are made at the lower and middle levels of management, including them in short-term plans. Strategic decisions can be made in connection with emerging complex problems, which is often associated with macroeconomic changes (the state of the economy, the level of competition, etc.).
Examples of problem solving
EXAMPLE 1
