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Can Scientific Knowledge Support Managerial Decision-Making?

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Anforderungen an unternehmerische Entscheidungen in einer dynamischen Welt

Abstract

Decision making skills are important for all managers. It is a skill that most managers are constantly trying to improve. Can scientific knowledge help them in this respect? What are the opportunities, and the limits of drawing on scientific knowledge when making managerial decisions? These questions are anwered in the text.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Cf. Vgl. v. Nitzsch, 2021, S. 5 ff.

  2. 2.

    Cf. Kahneman, 2003, p. 1450 f.

  3. 3.

    Cf. Gigerenzer, 2013, S. 147.

  4. 4.

    In a situation of extreme time pressure an intuitive decision might be necessary even though the decision-maker lacks sufficient experience. Good managers, however, try to avoid such situations. Cf. Malik, 2006, S. 204.

  5. 5.

    Cf. Janis/Mann, 1977, p. 11; Simon et al., 1987, S. 11.

  6. 6.

    Cf. Luhmann, 1978, p. 20.

  7. 7.

    Cf. Luhmann, 1997, pp. 332.

  8. 8.

    So-called “tacit knowledge” is important for managerial decision-making (cf. Perumal/Nair, 2021) but it is not considered as being scientific knowledge.

  9. 9.

    This definition is based on the correspondence theory of truth as well as on the pragmatic and consensus theory of truth. For details see v. Werder, 1994, pp. 247.

  10. 10.

    Cf. Graumann, 2023, p. 5 drawing on Weber, 1904, pp. 25.

  11. 11.

    Cf. Lorenz, 1984, p. 876.

  12. 12.

    Cf. v. Nitzsch, 2021; Laux/Gillenkirch/Schenk-Mathes, 2018; Eisenführ/Weber/Langer, 2010; French/Maule/Papamichail, 2009; Edwards/Miles/v. Winterfeldt, 2007.

  13. 13.

    Cf. Keeney, 1996, pp. 287; Watson/Buede, 1987, pp. 215; Keeney/Raiffa, 1976, pp. 354.

  14. 14.

    Cf. Porter, 2004.

  15. 15.

    Cf. Graumann/Grundei, 2015, pp. 199.

  16. 16.

    Cf. Frese et al., 2019.

  17. 17.

    Cf. Graumann/Grundei, 2016, p. 163.

  18. 18.

    Cf. CNN, 2022.

  19. 19.

    Cf. Vroom, 1964.

  20. 20.

    Cf. Bing, 2014.

  21. 21.

    Cf. Graumann et al., 2017, pp. 298.

  22. 22.

    Cf. Graumann et al., 2017, p. 302, figure 4.

  23. 23.

    Cf. Autocar, 2020.

  24. 24.

    Cf. Radnitzky, 1994, p. 381.

  25. 25.

    Cf. v. Nitzsch, 2021; Laux/Gillenkirch/Schenk-Mathes, 2018; Eisenführ/Weber/Langer, 2010; French/Maule/Papamichail, 2009; Edwards/Miles/v. Winterfeldt, 2007.

  26. 26.

    Cf. Kieser/Ebers, 2019; Frese, 1992.

  27. 27.

    For details see Graumann/Beier, 2007, pp. 486.

  28. 28.

    A transitive order may, however, be achieved if the number of properties is significantly reduced. See Zelewski, 2007.

  29. 29.

    For details see Kieser, 1996.

  30. 30.

    For details see Suchman, 1995; Meyer/Rowan, 1977.

  31. 31.

    Cf. Radnitzky, 1994, p. 381.

  32. 32.

    Cf. Graumann, 2023, p. 5.

  33. 33.

    Cf. Weber, 1904, p. 27. This statement must not be confused with the fact that the production of scientific knowledge requires decision-making and value judgments made by scientists (cf. Albert, 1991, p. 78). However, it should be noted that although these judgments may impact the scientific knowledge produced, they do not become an inherent part of the knowledge itself.

  34. 34.

    Cf. Ulrich, 1986, pp. 269.

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Eudelle, P., Graumann, M., Chockalingham, R. (2024). Can Scientific Knowledge Support Managerial Decision-Making?. In: Graumann, M., Wenger, T., Burkhardt, A. (eds) Anforderungen an unternehmerische Entscheidungen in einer dynamischen Welt. Business - Innovation - High Tech. Springer Gabler, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-43945-3_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-43945-3_2

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