Decisions in Paradise Part II

Introduction

"Decision making is the process of defining a problem and choosing a course of action from among alternatives", (FM Link, 2005). "Under stress, our ability to perceive an alternative solution to a problem diminishes our capacity to search for relevant information to aid our decision making is impaired", (Goodpaster and Kirby, 2007, pg. 45-46). Decision making is important for the Boeing organization and there are many tools and techniques that can apply when making choices on decisions and alternatives. Boeing wants to establish a new location on Kava Island and follow Chris Morales (founder of Boeing) "commitment by doing what is right. Chris believes that our company can't keep taking more from Kava if we don't give more back", (Decisions in Paradise, pg. 4). Boeing will identify the causes of Kava's poor economy problem and make good decisions by establishing a greater presence in Kava. This paper will cover the following topics: decision techniques, causes of the problem and alternatives, solutions to the problem and its impacts and conclusion.

Decision Techniques

Many decision making tools exist for the Boeing Company to use in making decisions to analyze and improve the economy problem of Kava. "Brainstorming will be used to produce a list of possible solutions and alternatives to the problem. Multi-voting is used to reduce a long list of ideas and assign priorities quickly and with a high degree of team agreement and to identify the important items on a list. Nominal Group Technique is used for a more structured approach to generate, clarify, and evaluate a sizable list of ideas, problems, or issues and to prioritize the items on a list", (Decision-Making Tools, pg. 2). The Boeing Company will also use consensus style decision making so that the entire group can reduce the list of ideas to a minimum amount and make the best choices possible. Team decisions may take a bit longer, but will ensure the best decision is made and not that a single individual is responsible for it. This will help decision making more accurate and reduce the chances of making a bad decision. These techniques, along with critical thinking will ensure that Boeing is making the best decision possible. "Just as a straight line is the shortest distance between two points, rationality is the shortest distance between where you are and where you want to be. Rational decision making follows six standard steps", (Robbins, 2004, pg 9-10):

1. Identify and define the problem.

2. Identify decision criteria.

3. Weight the criteria.

4. Generate alternatives.

5. Evaluate each alternative.

6. Select the choice that scores highest.

Causes of the Problem and Alternatives

The main problem of the poor economy in Kava is poor education as shown in figure 1, in the why-why diagram. The poor education not only stems from the young youth of Kava, but also into the adulthood as most of Kava's population has fallen short in job skills and experience. The government of Kava, other organizations and the Boeing organization hope to establish a strong presence on the Island of Kava. "The government and the people of Kava need a change in their economy and they know that through Boeings growth as demonstrated, that the organization can manage effectively and efficiently in organizational structure and processes", (Decisions in Paradise, pg. 4). Some of the causes of the poor education in Kava are unemployment, lack of higher job skills and experience through on the job training. Alternatives to the problem might be poor government funding in the school systems and low motivational factors in the people of Kava.

Solutions to the Problem and its Impacts

Kava is devastated with many threats and disasters and when Boeing opens a new location in Kava, they are hoping to educate the people of Kava and its youth to turn "these disasters into opportunities", (Decisions in Paradise, pg. 4). For example: more jobs and skills to improve shelters and to alarm the population of imminent disasters. Boeing's presence in Kava is largely accepted by all parties and the organization wants to give back to Kava for the efforts the government and people have provided, as this is the right thing to do. Boeing wants to concentrate on the children since most of the population is under the age of 15 and they represent Kava's future. Boeing will invest money into Kava's education system to include offering a scholarship program for students to advance themselves in their