MGT 539 Managerial Decision Making: the Science and its Application
This course introduces students to scientific theories and empirical evidence emerging from the interdisciplinary decision and behavioral science fields. Individuals make thousands of decisions daily, but some make decisions that are particularly impactful, affecting other individuals, entire organizations and, at times, society at large. Managers are at the forefront of the decision-making process and are frequently under pressure to make effective, rapid, and complex decisions that are of consequence to those they lead and the organization they represent. Students are introduced to the cognitive processes involved in various types of managerial decision-making. Further, the course offers an overview of typical managerial decision traps resulting from inappropriate heuristics or the interference of biases. Students will gain a nuanced understanding of human psychology and the fragile balance between influence and manipulation, which requires reflecting ethics and responsibility.