University of Technology, Sydney

Staff directory | Webmail | Maps | Newsroom | What's on

49001 Judgment and Decision Making

UTS: Engineering: Systems, Management and Leadership
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level: Postgraduate

Result Type: Grade and marks

There are also course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.

Subject coordinator

Tom Anderson
Building 2 Room 7078
Telephone: 9514 2639; Email: tom.anderson@uts.edu.au

Please do not hesitate to contact Tom should you have any academic questions relating to this subject.

Handbook description

This subject develops understanding of rational decision aids in light of modern descriptive theories of judgment, choice and decision in organisations. The methods of management science, decision analysis and judgment analysis are presented, and models of individual, group and strategic decision making are critically assessed.

Drawing on the insights of psychology, sociology and management science, this subject aims to inform you about the many facets of good judgment associated with decision making.

Subject objectives/outcomes

On completion of this subject you should understand:

  • how management behaviour and the structure of organisations effects the way decisions are made and their nature;
  • the particular difficulties engineers experience when faced with managerial decision making;
  • how management science has contributed towards our understanding of rational, mathematical decision aids;
  • the dichotomies of decision making in the presence of hazards;
  • the psychology of judgment and the nature of individual decision making;
  • the advantages and drawbacks of group decision making; how to manage individual and group decisions; and
  • what is known about the sociology of strategic decisions.

Teaching and learning strategies

The subject is offered in a number of different modes. The learning objectives and content are the same for all modes. There are however some differences in emphasis and in assignment work as a result of specific constraints presented by the various modes.
The subject outline for the specific semester of study being undertaken must be read in conjunction with the subject Instructions.
The subject Instructions will be posted on UTSOnline. The Instructions provide additional information and advice on many facets of the subject content, its administration and the student’s obligations.
It is mandatory that students obtain, read and comply with the requirements of both the subject outline and subject Instructions.
Subject announcements will be made using UTSOnline. Students are expected to regularly check the announcements page for information.Assignments must be submitted electronically to ‘turnitin’ as well as hard copy as specifically detailed for each assessment component.

Content

The table below sets out the eight basic components of the subject and the appropriate chapters in the text.  The Lectures & Reading Material is also divided into these eight sections.

  1. The Management Setting - 1, 2 & 3
  2. Decision Analysis - 4
  3. Multi-attribute Decisions - 5
  4. Engineering and Social Risk - 6
  5. Cognitive Processes - 7
  6. Individual Decisions - 8
  7. Group Decisions - 9
  8. Strategic Decisions - 10, 11 & 12

Assessment

Assessment item 1: Abstract assignment

Weighting: 25%
Length: Each abstract 300-330 words followed by a 150-165 word example
Task:

Write 5 abstracts:



  1. Write an abstract of 300 words for the four (4) nominated readings in the Lecture Reading Material. The nominated readings for the current semester are listed under "Further information" in the semester specific outline.

  2. Write an abstract of 300 words on a single reading of your choice from a different section of the Lecture Reading Material to those that contain the nominated readings. That is not from the sections which the above nominated readings have been selected.

  3. Under each of the five (5) abstracts, write a 150 word example of how each reading relates to your work experience, or how they could relate to an imaginary work situation. If you do not have any relevant work experience the “experience” components may be based on your personal experience.

Assessment item 2: Group talk assignment (Face to face attendance mode students only)

Weighting: 25%
Task:

Students will form groups of three for the purpose of this assignment.


Penalties for Failure to Attend



  1. Failure to attend your group’s talk will result in zero marks for this assignment.

  2. Failure to attend either presentation dates, or arriving late or leaving early for a session, will result in significant individual marks deducted for this assignment.


The Group Talk must be based on one of the eight basic components of the subject (refer Section 5 of this document). The group must pose a single central INTERESTING question:


This question is much more important to the success of the assignment than the topic area.


For example you may choose Engineering and Social Risk and raise the question: “Is it important for decision makers to consider and take account of their attitude to risk?” Or if you were to choose Decision Analysis you might devise a question such as “What is the fundamental question that sensitivity analysis answers?”


You are expected to go beyond the textbook and the subject resource material. It is up to you to find references. You must find recent and relevant peer-reviewed journal articles on the subject to base your talk. Newspaper articles or popular press magazines are not acceptable.


Your task as a Group is to answer your INTERESTING question in 5 minutes using evidence obtained from books or peer reviewed journal articles. The talk will be timed and must be no less than 4 minutes and no more than 6 minutes in duration. It must be supported by a Power Point presentation and a typed report no more than 2 pages in length.

Assessment item 3: Lecture Reading Material Exercises (Distance mode students only)

Weighting: 25%
Length: Maximum for total assignment [Parts (a) and (b)] 2500 words.
Task:

Complete a number of exercises from the Lecture Reading Material (LRM) or equivalent separately set for the semester and submit for assessment. The exercises required to be completed for a particular semester of study will be nominated in "Further information" in the semester specific outline.

Assessment item 4: UTSOnline web-based tests

Weighting: 5%
Task:

Complete multiple choice tests progressively through the semester. The tests are available on UTSOnline, and there are 22 tests each containing approximately 20 questions.

Assessment item 5: Formal Examination

Weighting: 45%
Task:

This subject has a centrally conducted FORMAL EXAMINATION, which will be held during weeks 15, 16, 17 of the semester (after the teaching period). All students, including distance mode students who live within the Sydney basin, must attend the exam at UTS. For students who live outside of the Sydney basin, the faculty will organize for the exam to be held near the student’s place of work or home.


All Distance mode students must refer to the “Rules for Distance Mode Formal Examinations” on –http://www.eng.uts.edu.au/Current_Students/Distance/RulesforDistanceModeFormalExam2010.pdf


The duration of the examination is 2 hours.

Minimum requirements

A pass in the subject is achieved by gaining a total of 50 marks and at least 40 per cent of the total marks available in the final examination.

Required text(s)

Parkin, J.V. (1996) Management Decisions for Engineers, Thomas Telford, London.

Other resources

The subject is supported by UTSOnline http://online.uts.edu.au/webapps/login/

Subject instructions posted on UTSonline.

"Turnitin" electronic assignment submission and plagarism detection system www.turnitin.com

Students enrolled in the subject can purchase, at cost, a copy of the subject Lecture & Reading Material (LRM) and the subject Lecture Support Notes (LSN) at the UTS Union Shop. Electronic versions of both can be downloaded from UTSOnline.