INF 2149 Administrative Decision Making in Information Organizations
Course Description
Instructor: Chun Wei Choo
The study of decision making in organizations has a long, active tradition and many researchers contend that analyzing decision making processes is the key to understanding how organizations function. Yet the research on organizational decision making has yielded apparently contradictory analytical frameworks, from models that depict decision making as rational and sequential to models that describe decision making as random and anarchical. This course integrates these perspectives in a contingency view of organizational decision making as a social activity that varies its form and content depending on the nature of the problem, context of the organization, cognitive traits of individuals, the availability of information, and other factors.
Course Objectives
The purpose of this course is to introduce major models that have been developed to understand, analyze, and manage decision making processes in information organizations. These frameworks are based on research in organization theory, social psychology, and information needs and uses studies.
Prerequisite
INF 1230 (Management of Information Organizations) is a requirement.
Recommended Texts
The treatment of organizational decision making in this course is summarized in:
Choo, Chun Wei. 2006. The Knowing Organization: How Organizations Use Information to Construct Meaning, Create Knowledge, and Make Decisions. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press. Full text available from Oxford Scholarship Online. Much of the argument is laid out in Chapter 1 and 5.
Other useful texts are:
- Harrison, E. Frank. 1999. The Managerial Decision-Making Process. 5th ed. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
- March, James G. 1994. A Primer on Decision Making: How Decisions Happen. New York, NY: Free Press.
- Russo, J. Edward, and Paul J. H. Schoemaker. 2002. Winning Decisions: Getting It Right the First Time. New York: Doubleday.
- Simon, Herbert A.. 1997. Administrative Behavior: A Study of Decision-Making Processes in Administrative Organizations. New York, NY: Free Press.
Evaluation
There are two assignments.
The first asssignment requires the student to write an essay on a relevant topic in organizational decision making. For suggested topics please see the assignment page. Students may also choose their topic which must be approved by the instructor. [40%]
The second assignment requires students to work in groups of three to prepare a presentation of an actual case of decision making in an organization. The instructor may recommend suitable cases for analysis, but students are encouraged to select their own cases, based on their own experience or reading. [40%]
Students should prepare for each class by reviewing suggested cases and readings so that they come prepared to discuss them during class. [20%]
Instructor Availability
Students should feel free to discuss course-related matters with the instructor at any time. Chun Wei's office is Room 628; telephone 416.978.5266; e-mail . Office hours are Wednesdays 4 - 6 pm.
Course Website and Wiki
Course descriptions, schedules, reading list, slides, and the course wiki may be accessed from http://choo.ischool.utoronto.ca/ or http://uoft.me/cc.
Academic Policies
Please review the following: Grade interpretation guidelines; University policy on academic misconduct; Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters; How not to plagiarize; material presented in the Cite It Right workshop.
Students with diverse learning styles and needs are welcome in this course. In particular, if you have a disability or health consideration that may require accommodations, please feel free to approach me and/or the Accessibility Services Office as soon as possible. The Accessibility Services staff are available by appointment to assess specific needs, provide referrals and arrange appropriate accommodations. The sooner you let them and me know your needs, the quicker we can assist you in achieving your learning goals in this course.