The Nature of Decision Making

Extension personnel constantly work with decision makers, including executives of agri-business firms. We can be more effective teachers and specialists if we understand the nature and principles of decision making. The author discusses steps in decision making and distinguishes between programmed (or routine) vs. nonprogrammed (or strategic) decision making. Pointing out that executive decision making is primarily concerned with the evaluation of alternatives, the author suggests that Extension specialists can make a real contribution to their clientele by developing a teaching methods for quantifying and evaluating these alternatives.