Decisions in Paradise II

Decision making is one of the most critical steps in resolution of a possible conflict or problem at work. In organizational management and operations, one would need to make small or big decisions regularly and sometimes we make those decisions without paying attention to the process of critical thinking involved. It has been rightly pointed out that,

"Decision making is the study of identifying and choosing alternatives based on the values and preferences of the decision maker. Making a decision implies that there are alternative choices to be considered, and in such a case we want not only to identify as many of these alternatives as possible but to choose the one that best fits with our goals, objectives, desires, values, and so on." (Harris, (1980))

Decision needs to be taken when one than one possible answers or routes are available. In the case of Nik, we notice that his firm needs to make a decision in Kava because they have multiple possibilities to explore. They would want to invest in Kava in a manner that would be most beneficial to the people of Kava while it would also help the company propel its profits and its image as a socially responsible firm. While decisions can be made in a variety of manners, usually a T-chart method can be adopted when in doubt. This method allows firms to build a pros and cons chart and see how their decisions would affect their organization and others in the short and long run. But when more complex issues are involved, it is critical to use one of the more comprehensive decisions making techniques such as Six Hats.

"Six thinking Hats" method was first proposed by Edward De Bono. He believed that this system helps a firm look at a problem from various angles and then reach a suitable solution. It is a powerful technique that looks from different viewpoints. In the case of Kava island issue, we shall reach the decision in the following manner.

White Hat / Hat #1:

This is where a person needs to consider all the available data on the issue at hand. For example we know that Kava is a land of richness. It is a place with multiple possibilities because it has a sizeable young population, is rich in petroleum, coffee, sugar and other such important items. It has people from diverse backgrounds who add to the richness of its culture and almost 15 languages are spoken in this area. But at the same time, the country is plagued with numerous problems including ever-increasing cases of HIV.

Red Hat / Hat #2:

This is where a person needs to focus on intuition. Intuitively for example we can say that Kava can be seen as a great tourist destination if developed properly. Nik's firm can invest in the development of its tourism industry.

Black Hat:

This is where one becomes pessimistic to discover any limitations of the plan. For example while Kava is beautiful it is also infected with numerous diseases and poverty. Tourists may avoid it for these reasons.