Problem Solving Using Soft-Math (SM) Methodology

2017 ◽  
pp. 116-129
Author(s):  
Allen McKenna ◽  
Georges Baume
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Homeland Security ◽  
Social Phenomena ◽  
Way Of Thinking ◽  
Past Experiences

There may be times when we want an organization or a community to conceive a problem in a common manner. Doing so is easier said than done. In the Western context, explanations of how to think about complex, social (soft) problems generally draw from Plato's perfect forms or Aristotle's reasoned argument. However, pragmatism refers to the linguistic concepts we have patterned from our past experiences. This chapter develops this stream of pragmatism and explains how it can be used to design a soft-math (SM) approach which will enable debate amongst concerned parties. This mathematical way of thinking, when applied in a soft manner, has the potential to lead to various social phenomena. A homeland security decision making situation is presented as a demonstration.

Truth Matters: Cognitive Integrity as an Intervention for Self-Deception

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugenia Isabel Gorlin ◽  
Michael W. Otto
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Autonomous Agents ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Empirical Validation ◽  
The Past ◽  
Adaptive Problem

To live well in the present, we take direction from the past. Yet, individuals may engage in a variety of behaviors that distort their past and current circumstances, reducing the likelihood of adaptive problem solving and decision making. In this article, we attend to self-deception as one such class of behaviors. Drawing upon research showing both the maladaptive consequences and self-perpetuating nature of self-deception, we propose that self-deception is an understudied risk and maintaining factor for psychopathology, and we introduce a “cognitive-integrity”-based approach that may hold promise for increasing the reach and effectiveness of our existing therapeutic interventions. Pending empirical validation of this theoretically-informed approach, we posit that patients may become more informed and autonomous agents in their own therapeutic growth by becoming more honest with themselves.

scholarly journals HR Managers’ Emotions in Strategic Decision-Making Events: Evidence from Croatia

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 845
Author(s):  
Marli Gonan Božac ◽  
Katarina Kostelić
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Strategic Planning ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Strategic Decision Making ◽  
Personal Perspective ◽  
Human Resource Managers ◽  
Organizational Perspective ◽  
Hr Managers ◽  
Experienced Emotion

The inclusion of emotions in the strategic decision-making research is long overdue. This paper deals with the emotions that human resource managers experience when they participate in a strategic problem-solving event or a strategic planning event. We examine the patterns in the intensity of experienced emotions with regard to event appraisal (from a personal perspective and the organization’s perspective), job satisfaction, and coexistence of emotions. The results reveal that enthusiasm is the most intensely experienced emotion for positively appraised strategic decision-making events, while frustration is the most intensely experienced emotion for negatively appraised problem-solving events, as is disappointment for strategic planning. The distinction between a personal and organizational perspective of the event appraisal reveals differences in experienced emotions, and the intensity of experienced anger is the best indicator of the difference in the event appraisals from the personal and organizational perspective. Both events reveal the variety of involved emotions and the coexistence of—not just various emotions, but also emotions of different dominant valence. The findings indicate that a strategic problem-solving event triggers greater emotional turmoil than a strategic planning event. The paper also discusses theoretical and practical implications.

Systems thinking, a consilience of values and logic

2005 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 259-274
Author(s):  
Sameer Kumar ◽  
Thomas Ressler ◽  
Mark Ahrens
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Systems Thinking ◽  
Qualitative Reasoning ◽  
Colleges And Universities ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Problem Solving Process ◽  
Problem Solvers

This article is an appeal to incorporate qualitative reasoning into quantitative topics and courses, especially those devoted to decision-making offered in colleges and universities. Students, many of whom join professional workforce, must become more systems thinkers and decision-makers than merely problem-solvers. This will entail discussion of systems thinking, not just reaching “the answer”. Managers will need to formally and forcefully discuss objectives and values at each stage of the problem-solving process – at the start, during the problem-solving stage, and at the interpretation of the results stage – in order to move from problem solving to decision-making. The authors suggest some methods for doing this, and provide examples of why doing so is so important for decision-makers in the modern world.

From gradual erosion to revitalization: National Social Dialogue Institutions and policy effectiveness

2021 ◽  
pp. 095968012110183
Author(s):  
Igor Guardiancich ◽  
Oscar Molina
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Political Support ◽  
Policy Effectiveness ◽  
Substantial Evidence ◽  
Social Dialogue ◽  
Socioeconomic Issues

We explore the factors behind the long-term erosion of National Social Dialogue Institutions (NSDIs) to provide insights about the conditions for their revitalization. By applying policy analysis insights into the industrial relations field, we argue that limited policy effectiveness goes a long way towards explaining the erosion experienced by many NSDIs worldwide in recent years. Drawing on a global survey and on case studies of NSDIs in Brazil, Italy and South Korea, we show that these institutions’ policy effectiveness crucially depends on combinations of their problem-solving capacity, an encompassing mandate to deal with relevant socioeconomic issues and an enabling environment that grants the inclusion of social dialogue into decision making. With regard to rekindling their role, the article provides substantial evidence that two sub-dimensions of effectiveness are key: enjoying political support and having an ‘effective mandate’ as opposed to relying on just a formal remit to deal with socioeconomic issues of interest.

scholarly journals Remote Virtual Simulation for Incident Commanders—Cognitive Aspects

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (14) ◽  
pp. 6434
Author(s):  
Cecilia Hammar Wijkmark ◽  
Maria Monika Metallinou ◽  
Ilona Heldal
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Research Methodology ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Learning Objectives ◽  
Virtual Simulation ◽  
Practical Training ◽  
Case Research ◽  
Action Case

Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, on-site Incident Commander (IC) practical training and examinations in Sweden were canceled as of March 2020. The graduation of one IC class was, however, conducted through Remote Virtual Simulation (RVS), the first such examination to our current knowledge. This paper presents the necessary enablers for setting up RVS and its influence on cognitive aspects of assessing practical competences. Data were gathered through observations, questionnaires, and interviews from students and instructors, using action-case research methodology. The results show the potential of RVS for supporting higher cognitive processes, such as recognition, comprehension, problem solving, decision making, and allowed students to demonstrate whether they had achieved the required learning objectives. Other reported benefits were the value of not gathering people (imposed by the pandemic), experiencing new, challenging incident scenarios, increased motivation for applying RVS based training both for students and instructors, and reduced traveling (corresponding to 15,400 km for a class). While further research is needed for defining how to integrate RVS in practical training and assessment for IC education and for increased generalizability, this research pinpoints current benefits and limitations, in relation to the cognitive aspects and in comparison, to previous examination formats.

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