logo

Conscious and Unconscious Decision-making

Knowledge Center

Decision-making and Valuation

Forum

Rating

John Troughton
21
John Troughton
Sustainable Business Management, Australia

Conscious and Unconscious Decision-making

A decision is a neurological process taken individually, collectively, or with a cyber brain that results in an action. The decision and hence actions can be taken consciously or unconsciously and the majority of actions are taken unconsciously.
These unconscious decisions and actions can be a result of:
- Evolutionary processes (involving emotions), or of
- Training whereby they are "ingrained".
- Corporate values can guide the unconscious actions if they are part of the corporate "DNA".
Conscious decisions could override unconscious ones. Without a neurological model, the understanding of decision making is limited.

X

Sign up for free

Welcome to the Decision-making and Valuation forum of 12manage.

Here we exchange knowledge and experiences in the field of Decision-making and Valuation.

❗Sign up now to gain access to 12manage. Completely free.

Reg
 

Rating

  Paramathmuni srinivas Kumar
3
Paramathmuni srinivas Kumar
India
 

Influence of Consciousness in Decision Making

I agree that the consciousness has a key role in making a decision. It is recorded in ancient wisdom if one is conscious of 23 factors like sleep, hunger, reflection, will etc of human beings then the decisions that are taken lead to success.

  Nancy Apat Comedoy
5
Nancy Apat Comedoy, United Arab Emirates
 

The 80/20 of Decision Making

Decision making by and large is a mix of 80% cognitive process and 20% affective process whether or not the decision is about organizational change, job change, or any personal related issues.
It is important that the person making the decision feels good about the decision made, and is ready to face the consequences if the decision made does not turnout favorable.
I think the quality of a decision made also reflects the individual's level of maturity, both mentally and emotionally.

  Arif ur Rehman
4
Arif ur Rehman
Professor, Pakistan
 

Expectations and Hunches in Decision-making

As a senior professor I have come ‘to see’ that my best lessons are delivered when I keep in mind the culture, the attributes, the needs, the demands and expectations of my students, and then align my delivery accordingly. This is fundamentally effective decision making.
Prediction may often be needed for tomorrow’s unexpected demands. Virtually some 80% decisions to meet such situations by top management are based on ‘hunches.’ and 90% of these hunches are correct!

  Zeb O. WATURUOCHA
2
Zeb O. WATURUOCHA, India
 

Conscious and Unconscious Decision-making

Decision making is choosing between alternatives and one requires presence of mind to do this. The process opens all the possible choices and consciousnes and/or unconsciousness enables the choice making. Attributions and excuses become the denial tools rather than one admitting that he/she has consciously or unconsciously made a wong decision. Alternatives are clear, it is the state of mind that guides the choice.

  Wulf-Dieter Krueger
2
Wulf-Dieter Krueger
Teacher, Thailand
 

The Role of Experience in Conscious and Unconscious Decisions

I agree with John here, however, decisions are also made on the basis of experience 'learnt' from previous decisions that worked and those that failed - they might be made instinctively or consciously.

  Arif ur Rehman
2
Arif ur Rehman
Professor, Pakistan
 

From Rationality to Contingency to Doability

Normally we talk of rational decision making – based on objective evaluation of available options and their consequences, leading to a choice that is made on evaluation alone.
But March holds “…management requires tolerance of the idea that the meaning of yesterday’s action will be discovered in the experiences and interpretations of today…” but rationality demands doing what is appropriate rather than what is rational. Sometimes the decisions are contingent on factors that have nothing to do with the decision itself. To get out of the fix, March provides a formula:
1. Presenting and justifying their viewpoints to their peers.
2. Distributing credit or blame for what has occurred.
3. Reaffirming loyalties and friendships
4. Socialising!

  John Troughton
1
John Troughton
Sustainable Business Management, Australia
 

Conscious and Unconscious Decisions

@Wulf-Dieter Krueger: Wulf, I agree as the model, not possible to show here, has a feedback loop which is the fact that people do judge their own actions (as well as other people) and this feeds back into the memory and decision making process. This feedback loop is important.
@Arif: I agree that the outcome of a decision in our model is an "action" which is observable and can be subject to evaluation. Management is basically action management.

  Paramathmuni srinivas Kumar
0
Paramathmuni srinivas Kumar
India
 

The Decision Making Process is Essentially an Evolutionary Process

It's a proven fact that decisions are governed by the subconscious mind. Even if one is able to come out of the grip of ones own subconscious mind, then it is still an evolutionary process where there is a need to consciously respect the factors that are influencing the decisions, such as: awareness, hunger, intelligence, reflection etc of self and others involved in the decision making process.
Thereby we can say that decision making process is essentially an evolutionary process where we constantly learn new ways of approaches. And by applying them we unlearn some of the non-essential things.

  Adonis
2
Adonis
Business Consultant, France
 

Conscious and Unconscious Decisions

The acceptance of this kind of categorization "conscious / unconscious" implicates the ability to have tools you can trust for fast evaluation of what is an unconscious source of decision elements.
It's why we select in a first methodological step every rational data. When the decision is collective, the case is more complex. It's not right to talk about decision making when you collect just feelings and you merge with data.
This rate of non-evaluated unconscious elements is more acceptable for fashion domain or art, and when participants in the decision have a long experience in change and tenders.
Otherwise, when you have to justify the decision or re-use-it in the future, you need to interpret and model or formalise any feeling or unconscious believe which pushes you to opt for a certain option.

  Wulf-Dieter Krueger
3
Wulf-Dieter Krueger
Teacher, Thailand
 

Individual and Group Decisions and Consciousness / Unconsciousness

Through somewhat dated simulations (desert survival/tashi/moon landing) we know anyway that group decisions are to be preferred over individual decisions.
Individual decisions at times lean more towards unconscious. Through Brainstorming and Mind Mapping in a team, lots of unconscious decisions become conscious as the individual is required to rationale his/her decision/idea.
The end-product - the group's decision - eventually is a conscious decision arrived at.

  Arif ur Rehman
2
Arif ur Rehman
Professor, Pakistan
 

Decisions - Conscious and Unconscious

@Adonis: I'd like to comment on your view '... formalize any feeling or unconscious believe ...' that these cannot be formalized, for feelings and believes are intangible and therefore can't be modeled.

  Adonis
2
Adonis
Business Consultant, France
 

Approach the Study of Unconscious Decisions Through Complexity

@Arif ur Rehman: I recognise this difficulty which is intrinsic to unidentifiable elements. In some areas we started to produce small models of unconscious behavior. However, unconscious decisions are...

  John Troughton
1
John Troughton
Sustainable Business Management, Australia
 

Decision Making is Complex So Requires Complex Models

Decision making is exceedingly complex, even for the individual, and even more so with the cyber brain which now increases the dimensions of decision making because of the trillions of additional inpu...

  Arif ur Rehman
1
Arif ur Rehman
Professor, Pakistan
 

Experience & Decision Making

There was a dialogue between a young, junior level manager and the CEO. ‘And Sir, how do you make right decisions in these turbulent times?’ asked the young cadre. ‘Easy! With experience! I make th...

  John Troughton
1
John Troughton
Sustainable Business Management, Australia
 

Experience and Decision Making

@Arif ur Rehman: Hi Arif, great comment. I am not sure if all decisions/actions are all right (with degrees from 0-100% right) or all wrong (with degrees of 0-100% wrong) but experience counts for sur...

  jean govers
1
jean govers
Belgium
 

Brain versus Heart = Conscious versus Unconscious

The easy decisions are made by the brain, the difficult decisions are always made by de heart. I guess that translates into conscious and uncounscious decisions. However huge the amount of informatio...

  Molokanova
2
Molokanova
Professor, Ukraine
 

Individual and Group Decisions. Conscious?

@Wulf-Dieter Krueger: Indeed, the practice of making group decisions is considered to be the best. But I do not agree that this will always be the best solution. The best solution, as a rule, is offe...

  Maurice Hogarth
1
Maurice Hogarth
Consultant, United Kingdom
 

The Unconscious is Unknown

Somewhat confused. As @Zeb O. WATURUOCHA and others say, a decision is, of its nature, a conscious choicea decision is, of its nature, a conscious choice between options in order to achieve a desired...

 

Leave a comment
Help improve this subject


More on Decision-making and Valuation
Methods, Models and Theories Discussion Topics
topic Rational Decision-making
topic Decision-making According to Peter Drucker
topic 5 Steps to Learn from your Mistakes
topic 15 Obstacles to Making Decisions
topic The Role of Optimism in Decision-Making
topic Why a Leader Must Make Informed Decisions
topic Avoid These Common Decision Traps and Errors
topic Decision Making Process not Only for Managers
👀Conscious and Unconscious Decision-making
topic Individual versus Organizational Decision-making
topic Improving the Decision-making by Managers: Choice Architecture
topic Decision-making Reviews?
topic How to Choose the Appropriate Decision-making Method
🔥 6 Ways of Dealing with Uncertainty at Work
topic The Role of Opinions in Decision-making
topic Good Judgment in Decision Making
topic Making no Decision at All
topic Avoid Hasty Decision-making
topic Role of Artificial Intelligence in Organizational Decision-making
topic What Makes a Manager Into a Good Decision-maker? 10 Traits for Decision Making
topic The Role of Religion in Decision Making
topic Silence Following a Decision is Sometimes Seen as Agreement
topic What is Institutional Theory?
topic Apps for Decision-making
topic Reasoning in Decision Making
Participate


More on Decision-making and Valuation
Methods, Models and Theories Discussion Topics
topic Rational Decision-making
topic Decision-making According to Peter Drucker
topic 5 Steps to Learn from your Mistakes
topic 15 Obstacles to Making Decisions
topic The Role of Optimism in Decision-Making
topic Why a Leader Must Make Informed Decisions
topic Avoid These Common Decision Traps and Errors
topic Decision Making Process not Only for Managers
👀Conscious and Unconscious Decision-making
topic Individual versus Organizational Decision-making
topic Improving the Decision-making by Managers: Choice Architecture
topic Decision-making Reviews?
topic How to Choose the Appropriate Decision-making Method
🔥 6 Ways of Dealing with Uncertainty at Work
topic The Role of Opinions in Decision-making
topic Good Judgment in Decision Making
topic Making no Decision at All
topic Avoid Hasty Decision-making
topic Role of Artificial Intelligence in Organizational Decision-making
topic What Makes a Manager Into a Good Decision-maker? 10 Traits for Decision Making
topic The Role of Religion in Decision Making
topic Silence Following a Decision is Sometimes Seen as Agreement
topic What is Institutional Theory?
topic Apps for Decision-making
topic Reasoning in Decision Making
Participate
Knowledge Center

Decision-making and Valuation



About 12manage | Advertising | Link to us / Cite us | Privacy | Suggestions | Terms of Service
© 2024 12manage - The Executive Fast Track. V17.2 - Last updated: 2-6-2024. All names ™ of their owners.