1. 1 Real World Decision- making and Creativity: Wayne Smith, Ph.D. Department of Management CSU Northridge An Exploratory, Team-based Exercise (student teams’ responses)

2. 2 Your Team’s Task Form ad-hoc teams of 4 or 5 Each team will have a question Answer the question “Yes” or “No” –This forces each team not to be “wishy-washy” Decision-making What is(are) the decision-making process(es) related to this question? –What data and criteria are important in addressing this question? –Phrase your team’s thinking in the form of several questions Creativity What is(are) the creativity process(es) related to this question? –What data and criteria are important in addressing this question? –Phrase your team’s thinking in the form of several questions

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4. 4 Team #1 Would your team volunteer to go on a one-way trip to Mars?

5. 5 Team #1 No What is the purpose of going there? What’s the cost? We need the data on chances for surviving What would you leave behind back on earth? How long would it take?

6. 6 Team #1 What is there to do there? The idea itself is creative, but what’s the effect? How would [this decision] affect us? The technology might get better (water, oxygen, create babies) Is there a way to make us look younger, since it’s going to take tens of years?

7. 7 Team #1 We are [, in effect] plugging ourselves into “The Matrix’ [movie]

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9. 9 Team #2 Is she an learned (educated) individual?

10. 10 Team #2 No Maybe educated, but not smart Why should we assume what she did was because she is educated? Would an educated person go on a sailing trip during that season? Would an educated person do the same thing in the same situation?

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12. 12 Team #3 Was the financial crisis of 2008/2009 avoidable?

13. 13 Team #3 Yes What caused it and what were the key contributors? –Easy credit?, credit default swaps?, wall street [culture?] Check and balance systems in place before were breached? –E.g., federal reserve

14. 14 Team #3 Who was responsible? –Countrywide, wall street, bankers, gov’t? Did a global economy contribute to the scale of the problem?

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16. 16 Team #4 If you were going to run for CA Governor and had $160,000,000 to spend, could you win (and how would you spend the money to do it)?

17. 17 Team #4 [Examine] market trends Use dollars for research Allocating to sources of media Hire professionals to come up with different ideas to market—use individuals and committees PR moves, donations Make a mini-series about her (or a “60 minutes” special)

18. 18 Team #4 How would you ensure the validity of the votes? (technology issue) How are market trends (and research) important in campaigning? Who should help her lead her campaign? What public relation acts can she do to make her more popular?

19. 19 Team #4 At what point [is] using a large amount of money detrimental?

20. 20 Team #4 How would you ensure the validity of the votes? (technology issue) How are market trends (and research) important in campaigning? Who should help her lead her campaign? What public relation acts can she do to make her more popular?

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22. 22 Team #5 Is Cupid’s Hot Dogs a successful business?

23. 23 Team #5 Who get to define “success”? What is the expected profit? Are any competitors to worry about? It has local clientele (it’s “known for things”) Is the location important? Is the food important?

24. 24 Team #5 It has low overhead; it has a target market Are there any other products that could/should be implemented? Is advertising needed or is word of mouth enough? Are any ventures, such as off-site sales promotions, that can increase sales?

25. 25 Insert a picture of the class here (grin)

26. 26 Team #6 How would you go about deciding who should be admitted to the HR/Management program?

27. 27 Team #6 Use interviews to access how the applicant –Works well/interacts with others –Gives examples of leadership positions –Gives examples of decision-making How do you collect data [about success]?

28. 28 Team #6 List of exercises emphasizing teamwork, ability to adapt to change, leadership, decision-making, working under stress, communication, etc. [The applicant should] give an example of something he or she did involving problem-solving with a group

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30. 30 Team #7 Is a typical Jennifer Aniston movie formulaic?

31. 31 Team #7 Yes Are there common themes and outcomes (endings) in Jennifer’s movies? Based on the outline of the films [she was in], are there common trends (i.e., does she play the same role)? Does her audience care? (this is the most important question)

32. 32 Team #7 [Is she on] the front page? Can she be removed from one film and placed in another film [without change]? Would an analytical analysis of her film reviews define a correlation of specific audiences?

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34. 34 Team #8 Would you, as a Wal-mart employee or manager, have sold ammunition to Jared Loughner (the alleged Tucson shooter)?

35. 35 Team #8 With the current regulations in pace and not knowing the result, yes. The Wal-mart employee should have sold the ammunition to Jared Loughner to avoid discrimination (he had a gun license)

36. 36 Team #8 Was he mentally stable? –No, but most states have poor record- keeping in the National Instant Criminal Background Check system It’s too slow to revoke his license What caused the first employee to turn him down? How do employees determine who is “normal” to purchase ammunition?

37. 37 Team #8 What draws the line for weapon protocol? –Should employees think before selling a kitchen knife? Why does Wal-mart need to sell ammunition?

38. 38 Team #8 Should Wal-mart be allowed to sell ammunition being it’s a large supply store where a small business could refine the skill of seeking out “abnormal” customers?

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40. 40 Team (alternate) Are you as safe now as you would have been in 1956?

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43. 43 Team (alternate) How would you go about deciding whether you want this position?

44. 44 Team (alternate) How would you go about deciding whom you should hire for this position?