Decision Making in
the Office
Lesson Objectives
Upon completion of the lesson, SWBAT…

Identify and apply the problem identification and decision
making process by isolating 75% of the core problems faced by
the company in the case study in the time permitted by the
teacher.
Operational plan
Introduction
Student Teacher: Alex Lamon
School: Rider University
Date: September 23, 2013
Course: Office Practice
Unit Goal Statements:
Upon completion of the unit, students
will be able to go through the decision
making process to find an adequate
solution to a real-life business’
challenge, expressed in an essay.
Supplies & Materials
Various snacks will be presented at the front of the room. 1 snack for
each student will be available. Students will be instructed to consider
and then decide which snack they would like to have. After a brief
opportunity to consider their decision silently, students will be told to
go take the snack they decided on. All students must take one snack
back to their seats, even if it was not their initial choice.

PowerPoint

Copy of case study for
each student

Fishbone diagram for each
student
The teacher will facilitate a short discussion to find out the students
decision-making process. Most answers will be trite (e.g. Hershey’s are
my favorite). This will move the class into the introduction of today’s
topic – how businesses need to make decisions everyday, like we do.
However, a business will often have to make more complex choices.

Snacks
Development
PowerPoint slides will be used to cover the decision making process.
The teacher will take the students through each step, while having them
relate it to their decision made at the start of class.
For the ‘Identify possible causes’ step, students will be presented with a
Fishbone diagram completed by the teacher. The teacher will explain
this diagram summarizes the problems of at an Indian call center that
sells American kitsch.
Students will then be given a case study, which outlines the failure of
Pets.com. Students will be instructed to read alone, and then work in
pairs to fill out a blank fishbone diagram, which will be handed out to
them.
Decision Making in the Office
Outline
Demonstrate everyday decision
making
Introduce problem solving and
decision making
Demonstrate fishbone diagram
Student pairs practice fishbone
diagram with case study
Pairs share diagrams
Introduce brainstorming and selecting
solutions
Students brainstorm solutions as
whole group
1
After completing their fishbone diagram, students will share the causes
for the failure of Pets.com. The teacher will fill in the blank fishbone
diagram on the PowerPoint with the students’ responses.
Following the PowerPoint, the teacher will discuss the principles of
brainstorming. As a class, the students will brainstorm solutions to the
multi-faceted problems faced by Pets.com.
After brainstorming, students will pick a couple solutions that would
have addressed the company’s challenges.
The teacher will cover the final step in problem identification,
summarize the lecture and provide students with their assignment.
Application
Students will relate decision making steps to their own decision made at
the beginning of the lecture
Students will work in pairs to create their own fishbone diagram
Students will work as a class to brainstorm and select solutions for
Pets.com
Review
The teacher will use Q&A to have the students summarize the decision
making process to determine how well the students understood the
content.
Evaluation
Fishbone diagrams will be collected to see how many problems were
identified
Teacher will gauge how well students can apply the content on their
own, judged by their ability to bring to class a current events article of a
struggling business that needs to go through the decision making
process to reach solutions.
Activities to be Performed by Teacher & Students
Facilitation of decision making discussion
Discussion during each step of the decision making process
Demonstration/completion of fishbone diagram
Evaluation of student’s diagrams
Assignment
Decision Making in the Office
2
Read and bring in a current events article of a business that is struggling and
needs to go through the decision making process to find solutions to its
problems.
Self Evaluation
To be completed following the lesson.
Decision Making in the Office
3