According to an article entitled “Rational Decision Making” from the website Boundless, rational approach deals with a step by step process starting from the identification of the problem to the solution to the problem. With this premise in mind, we can now start to make a decision about the new procedure for the inventory of the hardware store using rational approach. First, we need to identify the problem. The problem in this situation would be that we need a new procedure for the inventory. Then we need to formulate a goal. Our goal in this case would be to find a procedure that would be better than the old way of inventory. After formulating a goal, we need to identify the criteria for a good procedure. For example, we need to answer the question of what makes a better procedure. If we already have a new procedure in mind, we need to find alternatives. We need to be ready with a plan B. We then proceed to the analysis of the tentative procedures using of course the criteria we set beforehand. Only then can we proceed to the final decision.
On the other hand, the decision making process would be different if we take the analogical approach. Since analogical approach, from the root word ‘analogy’, derives a solution using another similar situation, we can first evaluate what is wrong with the previous procedures used in the hardware inventory. After that, we can compare those procedures to the tentative new procedures that we want to use in the inventory. Only then can we proceed to the final decision. Unlike the rational approach, analogical approach is less systematic.
Works Cited
“Rational Decision Making.” Boundless. Boundless Learning, n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.
“Analogical Reasoning.” Business Dictionary. WebFinance, Inc., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.
