Chapter 1 Decision Making, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, and Clinical Reasoning: 

Requisites for successful leadership and management 

1. What statement is true regarding decision making?

A) It is an analysis of a situation

B) It is closely related to evaluation

C) It involves choosing between courses of action

D) It is dependent upon finding the cause of a problem Ans: C

Feedback:

Decision making is a complex cognitive process often defined as choosing a particular course 

of action. Problem solving is part of decision making and is a systematic process that focuses 

on analyzing a difficult situation. Critical thinking, sometimes referred to as reflective 

thinking, is related to evaluation and has a broader scope than decision making and problem 

solving.

2. What

1. A) Its need for implementation time

2. B) Its lack of a step requiring evaluation of results

3. C) Its failure to gather sufficient data

4. D) Its failure to evaluate alternatives

Ans: A

Feedback:

The traditional problem-solving model is less effective when time constraints are a 

consideration. Decision making can occur without the full analysis required in problem 

solving. Because problem solving attempts to identify the root problem in situations, much 

time and energy are spent on identifying the real problem.

3. Which of the following statements is true regarding decision making?

1. A) Scientific methods provide identical decisions by different individuals for the 

same problems

www.testbanktank.com

2. B) Decisions are greatly influenced by each persons value system

3. C) Personal beliefs can be adjusted for when the scientific approach to problem 

solving is used

4. D) Past experience has little to do with the quality of the decision

Ans: B

Feedback:

Values, life experience, individual preference, and individual ways of thinking will influence 

a persons decision making. No matter how objective the criteria will be, value judgments will 

always play a part in a persons decision making, either consciously or subconsciously.

is a weakness of the traditional problem-solving model?

Page 1

4. What influences the quality of a decision most often? A) The decision makers immediate 

superior

B) The type of decision that needs to be made

C) Questions asked and alternatives generated

D) The time of day the decision is made

Ans: C

Feedback:

The greater the number of alternatives that can be generated by the decision maker, the better 

the final decision will be. The alternatives generated and the final choices are limited by each 

persons value system.

5. What

1. A) Good decision makers are usually right-brain, intuitive thinkers

2. B) Effective decision makers are sensitive to the situation and to others

3. C) Good decisions are usually made by left-brain, logical thinkers

4. D) Good decision making requires analytical rather than creative processes

Ans: B

Feedback:

Good decision makers seem to have antennae that make them particularly sensitive to other 

www.testbanktank.com

people and situations. Left-brain thinkers are typically better at processing language, logic, 

numbers, and sequential ordering, whereas right-brain thinkers excel at nonverbal ideation 

and holistic synthesizing.

does knowledge about good decision making lead one to believe?

6. What

1. A) The planning process of management

2. B) The evaluation phase of the executive role

3. C) One step in the problem-solving process

4. D) Required to justify the need for scarce items

Ans: C

Feedback:

Decision making is a complex, cognitive process often defined as choosing a particular 

course of action. Decision making, one step in the problem-solving process, is an important 

task that relies heavily on critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills.

is the best definition of decision making?

Page 2

7. If decision making is triggered by a problem with what does it end?

1. A) An alternative problem

2. B) A chosen course of action

3. C) An action that guarantees success

4. D) A restatement of the solution

Ans: B

Feedback:

A decision is made when a course of action has been chosen. Problem solving is part of 

decision making and is a systematic process that focuses on analyzing a difficult situation. 

Problem solving always includes a decision-making step.

8. Why do our values often cause personal conflict in decision making?

1. A) Some values are not realistic or healthy

www.testbanktank.com

2. B) Not all values are of equal worth

3. C) Our values remain unchanged over time

4. D) Our values often collide with one another

Ans: D

Feedback:

Values, life experience, individual preference, and individual ways of thinking will influence 

a persons decision making. No matter how objective the criteria will be, value judgments will 

always play a part in a persons decision making, either consciously or subconsciously.

9. Which statement is true concerning critical thinking?

1. A) It is a simple approach to decision making

2. B) It is narrower in scope than decision making

3. C) It requires reasoning and creative analysis

4. D) It is a synonym for the problem-solving process

Ans: C

Feedback:

Critical thinking has a broader scope than decision making and problem solving. It is 

sometimes referred to as reflective thinking. Critical thinking also involves reflecting upon 

the meaning of statements, examining the offered evidence and reasoning, and forming 

judgments about facts.

Page 3

10. How do administrative man managers make the majority of their decisions?

1. A) After gathering all the facts

2. B) In a manner good enough to solve the problem

3. C) In a rational, logical manner

4. D) After generating all the alternatives possible

Ans: B

Feedback:

Many managers make decisions that are just igood enoughi because of lack of time, energy, 

or creativity to generate a number of alternatives. This is also called isatisficing.i Most 

www.testbanktank.com

people make decisions too quickly and fail to systematically examine a problem or its 

alternatives for solution.

11. What

1. A) Is evaluation necessary when using a good decision-making model?

2. B) Can evaluation be eliminated if the problem is resolved?

3. C) Will the effectiveness of the decision maker be supported?

4. D) Will the evaluation be helpful in increasing ones decision-making skills?

Ans: D

Feedback:

The evaluation phase is necessary to find out more about ones ability as a decision maker and 

to find out where the decision making was faulty.

12. Which statement concerning the role of the powerful in organizational decision making is 

true?

1. A) They exert little influence on decisions that are made

2. B) They make decisions made that are in congruence with their own values

3. C) They allow others to make the decisions however they wish

4. D) They make all the important decisions with consideration to others

Ans: B

Feedback:

Not only does the preference of the powerful influence decisions of others in the 

organization, but the powerful are also able to inhibit the preferences of the less powerful. 

Powerful people in organizations are more likely to have decisions made that are congruent 

with their own preferences and values.