Before showing this slide, ask your students to generate examples of decisions they have had to make at work, or decisions workers have made that have been reported in the media. These are a few examples of workplace decision making that have been studied by researchers Pilot flight diversion decisions - When weather conditions change or accidents occur, private pilots may have to divert a flight to an alternative airport. In order to do this successfully, pilots have to collect information about the distance to each airport option, the length and direction of the available runways in combination with windspeed and wind direction, and the resources available at each airport. This information needs to be combined in a way that leads to the most appropriate action.
Research suggests that experts and novices collect information using different strategies.
This means that decisions are complicated by having to develop a common understanding of each problem, resolve differences in opinion or values, share information effectively, and maximize the use of each person s skills. Here you could ask your students to think of experiences they have had working in teams that illustrate good or poor coordination. It is clear that working quickly or maximize accuracy are both relatively more important than telephone courtesy. Research suggests that good performance relies on a fine balance between important attributes. In this case, speed and accuracy tend to depend on one another.