Discuss decision-making theory

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

• In order to increase rational decisions within criminal justice, administrators must increase agreement on goals and decision rules, while improving the quality of information.
• Scholars of decision making once believed the process to be rational, capable of producing optimal results or "correct" answers for given situations. March and Simon posited that decisions were made on the basis of bounded rationality. Many decisions in criminal justice are characterized by volumes of information. One must recognize that the information is selectively collected and interpreted and that decision processes are influenced by the agencies of the criminal justice system itself.
• As a result, satisfycing—the attainment of acceptable rather than optimal results—becomes a useful concept in criminal justice. Another decision-making theory, known as "garbage can" theory also appears to be utilized by administrators.
• In garbage can theory, decision makers handle problems of ambiguity by developing sets of performance programs, or standardized methods of responding to problems. Organizations develop a repertoire of responses—a garbage can of ready-made answers. Decision makers come to think a situation only needs action if a ready-made solution is already on hand. Thus, the garbage can analogy has its appeal as a means of understanding some decision-making processes in criminal justice.